Shah fulfilling PM’s dream on J&K: Dr Jitendra
Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Oct 25 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah today ruled out dialogue with Pakistan and said that he would rather talk to people of Jammu and Kashmir and its youth.
Shah in his address to a public gathering at SKICC lashed out at the National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah for advocating dialogue with Pakistan and said that if he would talk, it would be people of J&K and its youth only and no one else.
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“We want to talk with you, that is why, while talking to the youth, I said that I want to be friends with the youth of the Valley and I extended a hand of friendship to them. I am sure of this because there is no ill will in our intention and we do not harbour any ill feelings. This step has been taken with the sole aim of developing the Valley, Jammu and Kashmir and the newly formed Ladakh”, he told the gathering.
“Dr Farooq sahib has suggested that I should talk to Pakistan. Let me clarify, if I will talk, I will talk to people of Jammu and Kashmir and its youth only, no one else,” he said.
Wearing a Kashmiri traditional gown (pheran), Shah, said he has come to visit Kashmir for the first-time post abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019.
The LG said that clampdown in Jammu and Kashmir in Aug 2019 was imposed to protect lives of people. “Today, I am speaking my heart-out. I was posed a series of questions. Today, I am speaking without a bullet-proof shield. I am often asked by some people why curfew was imposed in Kashmir and why the internet was snapped. Let me answer today. This was done to protect and save the lives of our youth”, he said.
He added that some vested interests wanted to disrupt peace in J&K. “We didn’t want vested interests and anti-peace elements to exploit the situation and push our youth on roads to face bullets. This step was taken to save the lives of Kashmiri youth”, he said.
Shah said that so far 40,000 people including security personnel, militants and civilians were killed in J&K. “It is time to come out of this bloodshed now and march towards a new journey of pace, development and prosperity. I promise, J&K will get what it deserves by 2024,” he said.
Lashing out at the NC and PDP, Shah said that the leaders of these two parties never condemned those who killed civilians. “Time has gone when terrorists would exploit the situation. No one will be allowed to kill civilians and we assure you that peace will remain intact in J&K,” he said.
The Home Minister said there was a rumour mongering in J&K post Article 370 roll back that land and jobs of people would be snatched. “Give me one example, of any village, where land of any villager has been snatched,” he said.
“Under the leadership of J&K LG Manoj Sinha, 20,000 jobs have been provided and 6000 more are in offing”, he said.
Shah, however, said that unlike previous regimes, especially two-families that ruled for 70 years, jobs will be given to those only who deserve it. “Time is over now when people of J&K would have to pay money for jobs. Nepotism and corruption are over,” he said.
Taking a jibe at NC and PDP, Shah said those questioning him should answer as to why youth were deprived of becoming Sarpanchs and Panchs.
“There was a Chief Minister who would leave people suffering and spend six months in London every year. Now we have young Sarpanchs, Panchs and other representatives, who can become MPs, MLAs and also the Chief Minister,” he said, adding that “J&K will have a CM who will stay with people in districts.”
Shah said that under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, Medical Colleges, AIIMS, IITs and other institutions were given to J&K. “We have 30,000 Panchayat representatives in J&K. There is hardly any house where there isn’t a cooking gas connection. Tap water is available to everyone. Electricity is available to every poor family and health cover of Rs 5 lakh is available for one and all across Kashmir,” he said, and asked Dr Farooq and PDP chief Mehbooba why they couldn’t do it in 70 years.
Shah said that these people were ruling for 70 years stalling democracy, and then the PM took democracy to the villages and homes. “Everyone has cast their votes fearlessly, up to 98 percent voting took place and people are doing their work today. People from the hills never received the benefit of reservation, but now they will start getting it. I ask you whether gas cylinders reached every woman’s house in the valley for 70 years, we have tried that gas cylinders should reach every house. Electricity is reaching every house in Jammu and Kashmir. Why did not all this happen in 70 years, who had stopped it from being done. But how could that have been done, as they used to go to England for 6 months in a year. I hope that the next Chief Minister of Kashmir shall also be one who does not go to London, but instead visits Anantnag in Kashmir and listens to the voice of the people of Kashmir”, he said.
The HM said that militancy is on a decline in J&K and efforts to replace guns with pens have borne the fruit. “These parties would demand to talk to Pakistan and Hurriyat. This way, they choked Kashmir’s economy only to enjoy power. Today, we have succeeded in replacing guns with pens even in militancy hot bed of Pulwama district besides other districts of Kashmir,” he said.
Appealing to the youth of Kashmir, the HM said that what good did those who placed stones and weapons in your hands do. “They talk about Pakistan. Pakistan occupied Kashmir is nearby, ask whether villages there have electricity, hospitals, Medical Colleges, drinking water, toilets for women. There is nothing there and these people talk about Pakistan. I have come to tell you that you have as much right in India as any citizen of India. You have as much right to development and the treasury of the Government of India as every citizen of India has. The people of Kashmir have to take this process forward with determination”, he said.
The Union Home Minister said the PM has started giving houses to 55,000 people in Jammu and Kashmir, out of which more than 20,000 people have got houses. He said “I promise you that before December 2022, no one will be homeless and everyone will have their own house. “The PM Modi has completed the work of providing toilets in every household of Kashmir, the work of providing pure drinking water from taps has also started in every household”.
Shah said that the PM has given health expenses up to Rs 5 lakh to 60 crore poor people across the country. “When Kashmir’s turn came, the Prime Minister told Manoj Sinha that Kashmir has suffered a lot, there are a lot of hurt in Kashmir, so instead of only the poor, provide every Kashmiri health assistance of up to Rs. 5 lakh. Under this, the SEHAT scheme was started in which the Jammu and Kashmir administration is bearing health expenses of up to Rs. 5 lakh for every person of Jammu and Kashmir”, he said.
Shah said that today the child of poor Kashmiri is not helpless for lack of treatment for any serious illness of his aged father. “Today he takes his elderly father to the hospital and saves his father’s life by swiping the card given by the PM”, he said.
The HM said that this scheme is for the poor in the whole country but in Jammu and Kashmir this scheme is for every Kashmiri. He said “I want to ask the previous Governments why they did not make this arrangement in 70 years.”
He said that today there is no need to pay any commission for widow and old age assistance and children’s scholarship, assistance directly goes into the beneficiary’s account at the press of a button. Every year, Rs 6000 are sent by the PM to 12 lakh farmers of Jammu and Kashmir and they receive this amount directly into their account.
The Home Minister said the people of Jammu & Kashmir should think that why all these things did not happen earlier, why have they happened only in the last two years. “All of you should ask those who ruled earlier to give an account of what they did”, he added.
He said Sufism had come to India from Central Asia and Iran via Kashmir, and Kashmir had presented Sufism to the whole of India. “I have come to meet Sufi saints and hope has arisen in my mind that there can be peace forever in Jammu and Kashmir”, he said.
Shah said that the COVID-19 had shocked the whole world but under the PM’s leadership India fought it in the best way.
“India along with the entire world battled the disease. However, under the able-guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we fought the deadly disease in the best way by upgrading our healthcare infrastructure”, he said.
“J&K is the first to achieve the milestone of 100% vaccination of the first dose amongst the targeted age groups and the work of administering the second dose has been completed by over 50%. It reflects the strong resolve of Narendra Modi towards the betterment of the people of Jammu and Kashmir”, said the Home Minister.
“The Prime Minister was of the opinion that J& K has suffered a lot for the past seven decades. We must give focused attention to save the people there from the Covid pandemic”, he added.
“Now, everyone has been vaccinated. Is there anyone in the crowd who hasn’t been vaccinated yet? The big ‘No’ from the crowd is a clear indication that we have been successful in our efforts to reach out to every targeted individual with vaccine and saving lives by effectively tackling the spread of Covid in J&K”, said Shah.
Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister of State in PMO Dr Jitendra Singh said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a dream of new Kashmir and Shah is turning the dream into reality.
“The Home Minister Amit Shah has once again taken up the task of setting things right in J&K. PM Narendra Modi has a dream of a new J&K and Amit Shah is doing his bit in turning that dream into a reality”, Dr Jitendra said.
He said Kashmir has witnessed bloodshed, and now under the leadership of PM Modi and Amit Shah, the picture has started to change.
“Let us pledge to work towards restoring the true image of what Kashmir stood for, to make it once again a place where people from different religions used to live by sharing the composite culture”, he added.
Shah praises LG
Union Home Minister Amit Shah today praised Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha for his dedication to serve the people here.
While lauding the dedication of Sinha, the HM said that he didn’t even go home on Karva Chauth. “They used to go and spend months in England and the issues of people used to remain unaddressed. But see, Manoj sahib has remained in J&K even on Karva Chauth, he didn’t go home”, he said.
Shah hoped that the new Chief Minister of J&K would work on the same lines as the LG is doing.
“He has dedicated himself to the service of people round the clock. I hope to see the next CM of J&K working on the same lines as he (Manoj Sinha) does; the CM who won’t go on vacations to England, but remains well within the people of J&K and listen to their issues”, he said.
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