PM Modi’s choice of Kashmir as Yoga Day venue is symbolic & assertive

June 21  The decision by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold the 10th International Day of Yoga in J&K’s Srinagar city is both symbolic and assertive. PM Modi chose to join the Yoga participants in Srinagar in the aftermath of a series of terror attacks in the Jammu division, including the one on innocent pilgrims in the Reasi district.

Nine pilgrims were killed and 44 injured in the Reasi terror attack on June 9 when terrorists first killed the driver of the bus and then kept firing at the overturned bus for 20 minutes to ensure that no pilgrim survived the cowardly attack. The terror attack in Reasi and Kathua district followed the large participation of the people especially from the Valley in the Lok Sabha polls. As the PM said the terror attacks were ‘the last ditch efforts of the enemies of Kashmir’s progress, India would teach them a befitting lesson’.

PM Modi chose Srinagar as the venue for the Yoga Day celebrations because he knew that the focus of the world would be on this event. Yoga has caught the imagination of the world in such a large manner that has perhaps not been matched by any other event before. A total of 177 countries at the UN supported the Indian resolution on Yoga which was passed in a record time of 90 days.

Never before in the history of the UN has any other resolution been passed in such a record time. It was under this backdrop that PM Modi decided to have the world’s attention focused on Kashmir by his presence in Srinagar. Undeterred by the terror attacks, PM Modi made the big announcement that preparations for the Assembly elections are already underway and that the people of J&K would soon have an Assembly of elected representatives.

He also assured restoration of statehood to the UT saying that J&K would soon touch new heights of progress and prosperity with its statehood back. This was a clear and loud message to the enemies of democracy in J&K. The country is determined to restore complete democracy in J&K and return political power to the elected members of the Legislative Assembly.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has already issued the primary notification asking the political parties to apply for election symbols. In all likelihood, Assembly elections would be held in J&K before the deadline of September 30 set by the Supreme Court. PM Modi also spoke about the security situation when he said that the Centre is determined to eradicate terrorism at all costs from the soil of J&K. He referred to two security review meetings taken by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in this regard.

The detractors of PM Modi have been blaming him for denying the people of Kashmir a truly representative local government. PM’s speech, which was watched by the World as he spoke from the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) by the banks of the Dal Lake, has put a full stop to his detractors. The abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A on August 5, 2019, by Parliament removed the last barrier between J&K and the rest of the country.

PM Modi’s assurance of early Assembly elections and restoration of statehood would serve two national objectives — the promise of complete integration of J&K with the country and an equal share of democracy, progress and prosperity for the people here who have seen over 30 years of worst violence and uncertainty. –IANS sq/dpb