Manmohan Singh's Maiden Visit to Jammu & Kashmir

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's maiden visit to Jammu and Kashmir received a striking welcome from the guns of the fidayeen militants who were holed up in a location hardly 200 meters away from proposed place for PM's rally. However the valley is now all set for a major revamp after the PM's visit with major infrastructure developments and scores of other benefits in store for the state in the coming months.

The Prime Minister announced a Rs.240 million development package for the state to be used in the fields of infrastructure development. As per his earlier promise of reduction of troops from the troubled state, 3000 troops left the valley on the day of his arrival ie.. on the 17th of November. This step is widely perceived as a positive step keeping in account of the ongoing peace process between New Delhi and Islamabad. He has even promised the state shall witness more troops reduction if the incidents of militancy is subsided. In his public address at the sprawling Sher-e-Kashmir cricket stadium he reiterated the governments stand for unconditional talks and emphasized that his government is open to talks with anyone and everyone who have intentions to bring peace in the valley. The contents of the speeches he delivered in the valley were filled with his vision of peace in the valley and about the infrastructure development plans his government has planned for the state.

Manmohan Singh was successful in boosting the confidence of the youth in valley by promising in increasing the employment opportunities in the state. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday announced lifting of the ban on recruitment in Central Government service in Jammu and Kashmir. He said that "The ban imposed by the Centre will not apply to Jammu and Kashmir, since youth in the state are facing hardships in getting jobs," he said while addressing a rally in Jammu.

Singh reiterated that, the Centre would work "shoulder to shoulder" with the Mufti Sayeed Government to promote a reconstruction plan to provide additional employment in coming four to five years. He also called led upon the misguided youths of the valley to leave the path of violence and to return to the mainstream and join hands with him in the development process of the state."Seeking participation of Kashmiri youth, whom he referred to as the "real stakeholders", he said, "For us to ensure all this faster and better, come join me and support me for restoring, peace prosperity and brotherhood to Kashmir."

Quoting from the famous poem by Rabindranath Tagore

"Where the heart is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depths of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sands of dead habit
Where the mind is led forwards by Thee into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake"

Manmohan Singh said to become a "heaven of freedom", India required upright men and women who were willing to commit themselves selflessly to this goal. "We need those who are willing to give up negative emotions, and shed the hopelessness and pessimism of the past. I know that in Kashmir we have many such people. They need to be empowered." "My mind is open to fresh ideas, provided it stands on clarity of purpose and truth." The Prime Minister reaffirmed his governments support towards the Jammu and Kashmir government for the economic development of the state.

In a press conference speaking about the Musharraf's proposed solution on the Kashmir issues Mr.Singh said that Musharraf should put his proposals in a proper form and said that he was not prepared to respond to any hypothetical questions on the issue and added that "We will look at then when they are presented".

The perfect stage is set in the valley at present with the peace talks between the two countries gaining momentum at the centre and scores of developments processes to be unfolded in the coming months.



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