But the admin is giving confusing signals
Your opponents may call it theatrics, but what you did on Tuesday by holding a cabinet meeting at Pahalgam and what you are doing on Wednesday by holding an administrative meeting at Gulmarg is a befitting reply to those who wanted to destroy Kashmir’s tourism industry by killing tourists at Baisaran, Pahalgam. The attack was double edged – one, to destroy Kashmir’s economy, two, to deflate government of India’s narrative of normality in Kashmir post writing down of Article 370. What followed, is not the debate here.
Point is, it was a direct attack on the Rozi, Roti of Kashmiris. Given the revival of tourism in Kashmir, hundreds and thousands of people had joined tourism sector. As we all know, the unemployment is the biggest challenge that Jammu and Kashmir is face to face with and thus the revival of tourism had opened up the opportunities for educated youth. These youth, living in Srinagar or in the vicinities of some famed tourist destinations had finally decided to not look towards government jobs, which are already too little, and come up on their own legs to do something of their own.
These people had invested in transport sector, home stays, guest houses and other related activities. Hundreds and hundreds of people had opted for ATVs (all terrain vehicles) and mortgaged their homes to get the loans. Same is true about those who got loans from Banks to buy other vehicles and upgraded their homes to paying guest houses.
The Chief Minister has taken a great initiative to have a cabinet meeting in Pahalgam, cycle on Pahalgam roads to convey to the rest of the country that, no matter what happened at Baisaran, Kashmir is safe. CM should be appreciated for this initiative and also for having another administrative meeting at another famed tourist resort at Gulmarg but the point is are all the government agencies on the same plate when it comes to revival of tourism.
So many tourist destinations have been closed officially for tourists, both local and outsider. What message this decision conveys? Are our governments from New Delhi to Srinagar so weak that they can’t ensure safety of tourists at these resorts? Yes, following Pahalgam massacre, understandably, people from outside J&K may take sometime to decide whether they should come to Kashmir or not, but locals have a tradition of visiting these picnic spots. If the government shuts these spots down, what is the message, let government explain.
