NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah met with 250 kids from Jammu and Kashmir as part of the ‘Watan Ko Jano’ scheme in New Delhi. The event, organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs in collaboration with the Jammu and Kashmir Social Welfare Department, is meant to expose the youth of the state to India’s cultural diversity, development, and national progress. The Union Home Secretary and the Director of the Intelligence Bureau were also in attendance. During the interaction, Amit Shah has termed ‘Watan Ko Jano’ a vital move in further strengthening the children’s connection to the country.
He stressed that India is their home, and just as one is well-versed with every nook and corner of their home, they should also be well-versed regarding their country. He emphasised that the abrogation of Article 370 has made people in Jammu and Kashmir equal to others, putting them on the same platform as other citizens of states.
Shah enumerated the key development milestones in Jammu and Kashmir during the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, referring to the uplift in education, industry, healthcare, and infrastructure. He cited major projects like the world’s highest railway arch bridge, Asia’s largest tunnel, and India’s sole cable suspension bridge, all constructed in the state.
The fact that two AIIMS, two IIMs, 24 major colleges, and eight universities are located in Jammu and Kashmir indicates its evolution into an education hub. He added that the security scenario has improved sharply, with cases of stone throwing, bomb blasts, and terror coming down sharply. Over 36,000 elected public representatives now find themselves a part of a resilient democratic order at the Panchayat and Municipality levels. Emphasising the need for peace, Shah said that more than 38,000 people have died in violence in the last three decades, but casualties among civilians fell by 80 per cent in the last few years.
Nonetheless, he reaffirmed that the end target is no loss of life to terrorism. Speaking to the children, the home minister requested they disseminate the message of peace and unity in the villages. He emphasised that the people of Jammu and Kashmir, and especially its youth, are the only ones who can provide perpetual peace, and not the army or the police.