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| Four-point strategy on J&K | | | Many developments in the just passed month of October underline that New Delhi is very keen not only about ensuring peace in Jammu and Kashmir and having friendly relations with Pakistan. Despite all reflections of sincerity from Indian leadership the success of the peace goal depends on how the Kashmiri separatists take these overtures and how Pakistan responds. The Government of India appears to be moving forward on Kashmir with four-way approach: ensuring development of state, talking to estranged sections of society (read separatists), engaging Pakistan in friendly relations and keeping the international community informed about the strengths of the stand of New Delhi on Kashmir. Taking the arduous task of laying rail line in state is one example of how keen New Delhi is about development of this state. With the expansion of railway lines in Kashmir, the Indian Himalayan State is expected to develop at tremendous pace. The railway line had been laid in Jammu a long time before and now there is an ambitious plan to take it to the State capital Srinagar. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurated the train services on 15 km long newly extended Anantnag-Qazigund railway section. Now trains would run up to Baramula from Qazigund on the entire stretch of 120 km. With this expansion all the Kashmir valley has been connected by the railway line. A cost of Rs four thousand crore is expected on this three phase railway project. Notably, laying railway line on mountain terrain is very difficult and expensive than plains. Prior to the railway expansion, Kashmir was linked with rest of India only by roads and air routs. Extending more assistance for the development of Kashmir, Prime Minister Singh declared a grant of Rs 356 crore for Dal lake project and another Rs 385 crore for Moghul road. These days, a lot of initiatives are being taken by the Union Government for Kashmir. Union Home Minister P Chidambaram has started a programme of dialogue with all sections of Kashmir. Now, during the inauguration of the newly extended railway line, the PM has also said that dialogues would be held with all those sections, who wish peace and prosperity for Kashmir. Referring to Pakistan at the same time, that India is willing to hold talks with it if it shuns sponsoring the terrorism in the valley. He also exhorted the youths of Kashmir to come forward to work towards creation of a new and prosperous Kashmir. On her first State visit to Pakistan, the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asked both India and Pakistan to restore mutual trust and resolve their differences. To reach at a consensus in this direction, only these two countries would have to make efforts. Clinton also said that the relations of the USA with India are distinct from Pakistan. Just within a few hours of Clinton's arrival in Islamabad, terrorists detonated a bomb in the busy market in downtown Peshawar in which 95 people were killed and 213 were injured grievously. Many buildings caught fire. The main objective of Clintion's Pakistan visit is to assess the Pakistan's actions against Taliban mercenaries. This assessment would serve as the basis of American military and financial help to Pakistan.
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