Suprem Court Senior Advocate and Kashmiri leader Ashok Bhan has welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his visit to Jammu and Kashmir.
With militancy contained, a free and fearless atmosphere in place, schools and colleges open after the winter break, the people of Kashmir are waiting to welcome, greet and meet Modi on his arrival on Thursday, March 7 in Srinagar.
Today, Kashmiri society is at a historic crossroads. Its peaceful ethos, its liberal Islam, its culture of Sufi saints, its Kashmiriyat and its image as a strong citadel of co-existence and pluralistic society was shattered and devastated by decades-old violence by terrorists and mercenaries. The threat of foisting an alien way of life on Kashmiris by pan-Islamic fanatics is very grave. Now society appreciates peace and the law and order process and is inching towards normal revival of civilisational glory fearlessly, Bhan said.
Kashmiri society, which is predominantly Muslim and is in an introspective mode, have chosen a pluralistic, peaceful, democratic and modern way of life and it shall be reflected by their large participation in the PM’s rally, he said. They have introspected on the happenings and violence of the past three decades and have decided their future lies in a socio-cultural dispensation based on plural and mutual coexistence.
Kashmiris across the political and civil society spectrum, including religious leaders, have appealed to their displaced native brethren of the Kashmiri Pandit community to return to the Valley and contribute in the revival of its civilisational ethos. Kashmir is the holy land of science and innovation with divine grace of spirituality through the ages, Bhan said. It’s rightly described as the cradle of civilisation.
Kashmir is incomplete without the Kashmiri Pandits’ presence and participation in the Union Territory’s affairs.
The people are waiting with high hope for the PM to make at least a few important announcements on the promised restoration of statehood, business investment that will increase employment opportunities to educated and skilled unemployed youth.
The people are also eagerly looking forward to the holding of Assembly elections either along with Lok Sabha elections or before September 2024 as advised by the Supreme Court. A structured plan for the physical return of exiled Kashmiri Pandit community to the Valley is also something the people of Kashmir are waiting to hear about, Bhan added.