Women suffered immensely during past 3 decades
Irfan Tramboo
Srinagar, May 17: Union Minister of State Dr Jitendra Singh today said the “mainstreaming” of J&K over the past 12 years, particularly after the abrogation of Article 370, has triggered an “aspirational surge” among women in the Union Territory.
Addressing the fourth edition of ‘Shakti Samvad’, organised by the National Commission for Women (NCW) in collaboration with Mission Shakti, J&K, here, the Minister said women in J&K were increasingly emerging as active contributors to the national mainstream due to greater access to opportunities, welfare schemes and education.
“There is now an aspirational surge,” Dr Singh said, adding that women from the Union Territory had performed well in civil services and IIT/NIT entrance examinations and were steadily expanding their presence in different sectors.
Click here to watch video
“After PM Modi came to power, in the last 12 years, especially after the abrogation of Article 370, women in J&K have been mainstreamed,” he said.
Dr Singh said women in J&K had suffered immensely during the past three decades, but were now witnessing a new phase of confidence and participation in public life.
“In the last 30 years, the time that passed was not favourable, especially for women. Many daughters lost their parents; many young girls lost their husbands. Many parents lost their daughters,” he said.
Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp
“This long nightmare that continued for decades has now started to come to an end,” he added, saying there was now a need to ensure women became equal stakeholders in the country’s growth story after years of hardship.
Describing Kashmir as the land of “Rishi Munis, Laleshwari, Lalded and Habba Khatoon,” Singh said women had historically safeguarded the composite culture of J&K.
“The torchbearers of the composite culture in J&K have been women,” he later told reporters.
Singh said central welfare schemes that earlier did not fully reach J&K were now benefiting women in the Union Territory after the abrogation of Article 370.
According to him, the NCW had an important role in ensuring women in J&K received the same opportunities available elsewhere in the country, especially as the Union Territory currently does not have a Women’s Commission.
“The women of J&K have become part of the mainstream of India and are ready to contribute to Viksit Bharat by the dawn of August 15, 2047,” Singh said.
He said schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, PM Mudra Yojana and the Lakhpati Didi initiative had improved the quality of life for women while boosting confidence and aspirations.
“It is needless to say that PM Modi ensured several women-centred reforms and schemes which have made lives easier,” Singh said.
“There has been a democratization of opportunities,” he added, pointing to the increasing number of women excelling in civil services examinations and assuming leadership positions in scientific missions.
He said the country’s first Solar Mission was being led by a woman and noted that the number two director in the Chandrayaan mission was also a woman.
“There was so much potential waiting to happen, and PM Modi has given it an outlet,” he said.
Singh said the event also reflected the Government’s effort to take governance beyond New Delhi and connect directly with people at the grassroots.
He said that after the BJP-led Government assumed office, he had suggested holding official conferences outside Vigyan Bhavan in Delhi so governance institutions could reach different regions of the country.
“As an experiment, governance conferences were started in different regions. Due to that, we reached every corner of the country. We reached the grassroots, and the ground realities came to light,” he said.
Later, expressing confidence in the future of the Union Territory, Singh said women would play a leading role in shaping the bright future of J&K.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
