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| What’s in PM’s bag? | | |
ABID SHAH
New Delhi, Oct 26: What Delhi has up its sleeves for the people of the troubled State of Jammu and Kashmir? This is the question in the minds of most people on the eve of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to the Valley. And sources here say that a slew of development measures might well be announced when Prime Minister visits to inaugurate Qazigund-Anantnag section of newly built 18-kilomtres-long railwayline connecting the Valley with Jammu and therefrom with the rest of the country.
Strengthening the infrastructure has generally been the hallmark of Manmohan Singh’s economic policy for the entire country and vis-à-vis Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister has been for the rapid development of roads and rail to ensure movement of people, goods and troops during contingency. Saying this, top-level officials indicated here today that further development of more areas, mainly Poonch and Rajouri, through rail figure prominently in the list of Delhi’s priorities.
And among other major projects waiting to be cleared are redevelopment of Mughal Road to create an alternative link for the Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country, taking up the second phase of Baghliar power project, plan to save Dal lake and recasting and updating of an employment package to bring back Kashmiri Pandit migrants to the Valley. Some of these may well find mention and get Prime Minister’s nod during his Kashmir visit, say officials here.
They point out that of late with the return of relative peace and a drop in violence, there has been a yearning among the Kashmiris for the development of the State and augmentation of educational and employment opportunities. The Centre has in view of this recently announced and cleared two Central Universities for the State – one for Jammu region and the other for the Valley – in respect of the wishes of the people of the two regions.
Mr Manmohan Singh may also stress upon the need for peace for developing the State fast and reviving its economy by ensuring steady and sizeable flow of tourists as has been the case before militancy scared and kept off the tourist traffic to the State. The two-decade-long insurgency has taken its toll, crippling the economy of the State but now is the time to reverse this since there is an easily discernable yearning among the people to mend things, say the officials.
There is an offer of talks by the Union Home Ministry with all shades of political opinion. And Mr Manmohan Singh may just reiterate this. While officials maintain this and observers welcome it, nonetheless this signifies a change in Manmohan Singh’s policy with which the Bharatiya Janata Party is not comfortable. Its leader in the Rajya Sabha, Mr Arun Jaitley, asked the Prime Minister through a statement issued here today to clarify his plans for Kashmir. The party finds today’s offer of talks with all groups from Kashmir as a climbdown from Manmohan Singh’s speech on the last Independence Day from ramparts of Red Fort here when he had said that the fair and free Assembly elections held in Jammu and Kashmir and wide participation of voters proved the separatists redundant.
Notwithstanding, Centre’s offer of talks with separatists through what Home Ministry here calls quiet diplomacy, most Hurriyat leaders are now visiting London for an international conference on Kashmir being organised by Kashmiri Diaspora. And, thus, there cannot be any interaction between them and the Prime Minister during his visit this time, beginning Wednesday.
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