New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said that the government aims to ensure that no one in Jammu and Kashmir dies due to terrorism.
Interacting with 250 children from Jammu and Kashmir under the ‘Watan Ko Jano’(Know your country) programme here, Shah said, “Development can only happen when there is peace and no one benefits from terrorism”, a Home Ministry statement said.
He said in the last 30 years, 38,000 people have been killed in Kashmir due to violence. There has been an 80 per cent reduction in the death of civilians in Kashmir, and people are happy about this, but true happiness will come when not a single citizen of Jammu and Kashmir loses his or her life.
The Home Minister said, “It is our goal to make Jammu and Kashmir a place where not a single person dies due to terrorism. The responsibility of creating such a Jammu and Kashmir lies with the children and youth”.
He told the children that the entire country belonged to them and they should go back to Kashmir with the same spirit. Peace and tranquillity are the most important and peace has come there under the rule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He said under the Modi government, educational systems have been established, industries have come, hospitals have been built, drinking water facilities have been provided, and large infrastructure projects have been carried out.
Shah stated, “No government can maintain peace in Jammu and Kashmir, only children can do so. If every child in Jammu and Kashmir explains to their parents and neighbours that the entire country belongs to us, and we need to live in peace with everyone while driving terrorism out of here, then there will be no need for police or army”.
He further said that the day is not far when there will be no weapons in anyone’s hands, and there will be no need for police or army with weapons.
He appealed to the children to go back to their villages and talk to their parents, siblings, friends, relatives, and people in their village about peace, harmony, and development. He said the country belongs to everyone, and it is important to instil such belief in the people of J&K.
Shah said Prime Minister Modi has brought so much development to the country, creating numerous avenues and opportunities that await the youth and children, and they should take advantage of the opportunities. He added, “We all must work together to transform the peace established in Jammu and Kashmir into lasting peace”.
During the interaction, Shah described the ‘Watan Ko Jano’ programme as an initiative to deepen the understanding of our country.
He said, “Our country is our home and just as we are familiar with every part of our home, we should also know our country in the same way. This vision led the Government of India to launch the ‘Watan Ko Jano’ programme”.
The Home Minister said that Prime Minister Modi had united the whole country by abolishing Article 370 and now the citizens of Kashmir have the same rights in the country as the citizens of any other state.
He emphasised that Kashmir, once badly affected by bomb blasts and terrorism, has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past decade. Incidents of stone pelting, bomb blasts, and terrorism have been eliminated, allowing schools to function smoothly.
Infrastructure development, including roads, hospitals, and universities, has progressed rapidly. Moreover, 36,000 elected public representatives now have their rightful authority at the Panchayat and Municipality levels, strengthening grassroots democracy in the region, he added.
As many as 250 children from weaker sections of Jammu and Kashmir including 62 girls and 188 boys in the age group of 9-18 years visited Jaipur, Ajmer and Delhi under the ‘Watan Ko Jano’ programme organised by the Social Welfare Department of the Government of J&K in coordination with Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
During their exposure trip, which started on February 15, the children visited many important and historic places in Jaipur and Ajmer. They reached Delhi on February 23 to meet dignitaries and to visit Qutub Minar, Red Fort and other important places in the national capital. The children will return to Jammu & Kashmir on February 27. UNI
