: There is peace in Jammu and Kashmir and this peace has to be permanent, and the Narendra Modi government’s aim is to make a Jammu and Kashmir where no life is lost due to terrorism, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said in New Delhi on Monday .
Interacting with 250 youth from Jammu and Kashmir who have come to the national capital under the Watan Ko Jano youth exchange programme, Shah said the people of Jammu and Kashmir had equal rights over the entire country, like the people of any other State, and the entirety of India looked at the people of the Union Territory with love and respect.
When terrorism comes to an end, there is no need for the deployment of police and that day is not far, he added.
“When there is peace, no police will be required. This message has to be carried by you to your friends, family and villages… When you go home, tell your friends, neighbours that the entire country is living in peace and the people of Jammu and Kashmir should also live in peace,” Shah said.
“There is peace in Jammu and Kashmir and this peace has to be permanent and “our aim is to make a Jammu and Kashmir where no life is lost due to terrorism”, he said.
“Violence brings nothing. Due to the three decades of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, 38,000 people lost their lives,” the Home Minister said.
Shah said that there has been an 80 per cent reduction in the death of civilians in Kashmir and people are happy about this, but true happiness will come when not a single citizen of Jammu and Kashmir loses their life. ”It is our goal to make Jammu and Kashmir a place where not a single person dies due to terrorism. He said that the responsibility of creating such a Jammu and Kashmir lies with the children and youth.”
Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made the country equal for all by abrogating Article 370 and, now, the people of Jammu and Kashmir had equal rights anywhere in India, like the people of Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat or Rajasthan.
“You have rights over Jammu and Kashmir. Is it not good that you also have equal rights over the other 29 states of the country? Like Jammu and Kashmir, the whole country is yours,” he said.
“Peace is most important for everyone and, under the Modi government, peace and development have come to Jammu and Kashmir, hospitals, roads and bridges have come, infrastructure has been created,” he added.
“The entire country looks at the people of Jammu and Kashmir with love and respect. It is because peace is prevalent there. It is because of peace, development is taking place in Jammu and Kashmir,” the Home Minister said.
“There are 30 states in the country and Jammu and Kashmir is one of them. Together, all these 30 States become India,” he said.
“Our country is our home. If you don’t step out of Jammu and Kashmir, you will not be able know the country. So, don’t you think that you should visit and know the country well? In your next school vacation, you must visit any of the states along with your parents. If required, have a fight at home but you must visit one of the states,” he added.
He said if every child in Jammu and Kashmir explains to their parents and neighbours that the entire country belongs to us, and “we need to live in peace with everyone while driving terrorism out of here, then there will be no need for police or army. The day is not far when there will be no weapons in anyone's hands, and there will be no need for police or army with weapons.”
In the past 10 years, terrorism has come to an end in Jammu and Kashmir, incidents of blasts and stone pelting have come to an end, and schools are opening regularly, the Home Minister noted.
Shah said there was no theatre earlier and no one could go to watch a film.
“There was no ‘tazia’ procession but, now, all these are happening,” he said. “Elections were held for local bodies and 36,000 people elected as panch, sarpanch. All these have happened in the past 10 years.”
“When the country will progress, you will progress too. As much as the country progresses, becomes modern, you will also become prosperous. This is what Prime Minister Modi is doing,” he said.
The world’s tallest railway bridge is now located in Jammu and Kashmir, Asia’s longest tunnel is located in the Union Territory. It is the only place with two AIIMS and two IIMs, Shah said.
Twenty-four colleges, eight universities have been established in Jammu and Kashmir in the past 10 years, he said.
Shah also asked the youngsters not to leave their studies midway as there were many opportunities available to them throughout the country due to initiatives taken by the Modi government.
Two hundred fifty children from weaker sections of Jammu and Kashmir including 62 girls and 188 boys in the age group of 9-18 years visited Jaipur, Ajmer and Delhi under ‘Watan Ko Jano’ programme organized by Social Welfare Department of the Govt of J&K in coordination with Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
During their exposure trip, started on February 15, the children visited many important and historic places in Jaipur and Ajmer. They reached Delhi on 23rd February to meet dignitaries and to visit Qutub Minar, Red Fort and other important places in the national capital. The children will return to Jammu & Kashmir on 27th February, 2025.
The Ministry of Home Affairs and Government of Jammu and Kashmir have been conducting Youth Exchange programme. The main objective of the programme is to expose the youth and children of Jammu and Kashmir to vibrant development and social and cultural diversity of India so that they can feel socially, culturally and emotionally integrated with rest of the country. The programme is expected to have positive impact on the thinking of the youth.