While addressing a gathering after inaugurating the Sonamarg Tunnel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that the dream of Viksit Bharat can be fulfilled only when its crown (J&K) is decorated with jewels and that he wants this crown to be made more beautiful and prosperous. Crediting people of J&K for all positivity, he said that no government could have ensured this transformation without peoples’ cooperation. He assured people of J&K that he will walk with them side-by-side and will remove all the hurdles which are coming in their dreams.
PM’s message is reassuring as he reiterated that he will fulfil all the promises made to the people of J&K. People of Jammu and Kashmir have suffered a lot. From early nineties to 2018 they suffered due to unabated violence and law and order situation. From 2018 onwards, though the law and order situation witnessed visible improvement, the people and their voice vanished from the scene. However, after successful assembly elections, people have elected their representatives and want them to run the governance smoothly and for that restoration of statehood is a must. While asserting that he will fulfil all promises, PM likely was hinting towards the restoration of the statehood and if this supposition is true, that will be a great step in undoing Dil Se Dori.
While focussed attention on roads, highways, tunnels, bridges and railway tracks has revolutionized the surface communication in J&K, there are other sectors that too need same focussed attention. Besides education, health and industries, the electricity and water need attention. Every winter, people of Kashmir Valley and winter zones of Jammu suffer due to scarcity of both electricity and water and during summers, people living in planes of Jammu face the same troubles. While Modi-led government has completed so many developmental projects here, water and electricity supply is crying for focussed attention.
Back home, the present Omar Abdullah government may not have much powers but it has some and until statehood is restored, this government has to use ‘these some powers’ to address peoples’ basic issues including power supply, drinking water, health and education. The concerned elected members, be those from the coalition parties or opposition, should be all time available to their electorate and listen to their grievances and try to address the same. As earlier mentioned, elections are over so they have to rise above politics and serve every individual of their respective constituencies irrespective of the individual’s political affiliation. They have to understand that though they have been elected by few, they represent all.