Srinagar, Aug 4: Article 370 was repealed four years ago on August 5, and for the common man in UT, these four years have been a voyage of development, prosperity, and advancement.
The education system has seen a major shift as there are more hartals to disturb children’s schooling, and companies are open without fear of stone-pelting or anything else. Peace, as they say, is a prerequisite for growth, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s historic decision has launched J&K into a new age of progress and wealth.
The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is rapidly developing, with a continuous increase in tourism, entrepreneurs, and investment coming from outside J&K which was a dream pre-2019.
In June, J-K saw a record-breaking surge of foreign and domestic travellers, prompting the region’s tourist administration to implement proactive tourism promotion methods such as visual tours, airline deals, and other web marketing tools. The selection of Kashmir as the location for the G20 Working Meeting on Tourism in May of this year was both apparent and meaningful. Kashmir’s splendour, which has earned it the moniker “Paradise on Earth,” makes it an ideal option for the tourism conference.
According to the newly issued Multidimensional Poverty Index, the headcount ratio in Kashmir has decreased from 12.56 percent in 2015-16 to 4.8 percent in 2019-21. This means that by 2019-21, more than one million individuals in J-K would have escaped multidimensional poverty.
A reduction in poverty, as a multidimensional metric, suggests that the region made improvement across three major socioeconomic variables between 2016 and 2021: health, education, and standard of living.
In the last four years, the youth of Jammu and Kashmir has seen a tremendous turnaround in sports, with many of them competing at national and international levels.
There was a widespread belief in J&K that adolescents were predisposed to stone-pelting and militancy, but during the last four years, the Government of India and the UT government have offered enough opportunities for youths to demonstrate their abilities in sports.
Because of the government’s policy, five cricketers, including Abdul Masad, Umran Malik, Voranth Sharma, Avinash Singh, and Yudvir Singh, have had the opportunity to play in the IPL during the previous four years.
Because of government initiatives, Umran Malik has become the Indian cricket team’s quickest bowler, leaving his imprint at the international level.
Following the repeal of Article 370, the administration of Jammu and Kashmir has made considerable steps in increasing connectivity by completing and commencing several tunnel projects.
These ambitious projects aim to improve transit and make travel easier even in inclement weather, thereby linking the area with the rest of the country.
Lieutenant Governor recently said, after August 2019 changes, a new Jammu and Kashmir is rising under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After every second day, a new Startup is being registered, he added.
“Jammu and Kashmir received first Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). Paperless and faceless public services are being delivered to the people. There has been digital empowerment,” Sinha said.
He also said that the youth are fearlessly pursuing their dreams and now, fundamental rights like education and healthcare are no longer hostage to violence.
“Today, Jammu and Kashmir is emerging as a noticeable narrative on bringing civility to the land that was once scarred and wounded by terrorism. The biggest stakeholders of this new and aspiring Jammu and Kashmir are the youth,” he added.
