Ronik Sharma
In India’s diplomatic history, the successful conduct of the 3rd G-20 Tourism Working Group meeting in Jammu and Kashmir with the highest percentage of participation of the delegates from different countries also represents a turning point pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir affairs and India’s firm stand on Jammu and Kashmir. This enormous diplomatic achievement by India will pay off in the future. A single event has the power to have such a profound impact that it might, in a sense, undo the failures of the successive governments at the Centre since independence as well as the ones in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, must be credited for correcting the mistakes made by the opposition political parties over Jammu and Kashmir matters. The successful conduct of this event will not only normalise the internal situation inside the place, which is considered heaven on earth, but will also be a final nail in Pakistan’s coffin in Jammu and Kashmir.
The people of Jammu and Kashmir are very grateful to the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, for selecting the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory as one of the Union Territories for the hosting of the Third Tourism Working Group of the G-20 in 2023. Before Jammu and Kashmir’s former state was reorganised in to Union Territory. Jammu and Kashmir had to deal with a period of underdevelopment, discrimination,corruption, nepotism, terrorism, protests, bands, hartals, etc. Since 1990, Kashmiri Hindus have been the victims of ethnic cleansing and genocide due to Pakistan’s sponsored terrorism and separatist agenda in Jammu and Kashmir, which has caused entire hindu families to flee the Kashmir Valley. Since nepotism was a pervasive practise under the successive Governments of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir, everyone is more aware of how the nepotism system developed under previous administrations and is apprised of how nepotism was deeply ingrained in the government during the tenure of the successive governments in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. Those in positions of power and influence in the previous administrations, particularly before the repeal of articles 370 and 35A, granted undue advantages to their family members in addition to using their influence and position to advance their own interests. The recruitment procedures during the past administrations mainly benefitted the powerful and dealt a severe blow to the deserving candidates. Now the people of Jammu and Kashmir are realising the change in democratic as well as administrative setup because Jammu and Kashmir is the main focus of the Central Government, either from a security point of view or a developmental point of view, which is headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In order to give the underdeveloped areas a better shape, development work has been prioritised and is currently progressing more quickly. The Central Government wants investors from all over the world to come to Jammu and Kashmir and make it more beautiful so that local tourism gets a boost and all such tourist destinations within Jammu and Kashmir become more scenic. Central Government, along with the forward-thinking Union Territory Administration, headed by the Lieutenant Governor, Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha also wants people from all over the world to come forward and invest in Jammu and Kashmir and make it more beautiful so that local tourism gets a boost and all such tourist destinations within Jammu and Kashmir become international tourism hot spots. In regards to curbing terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, the Central Government desires peace, advancement, and prosperity for the residents of Jammu and Kashmir. As such, it has not only adopted a policy of zero tolerance for terrorism but is also putting special emphasis on fostering tranquilly among all residents of Jammu and Kashmir. It is without a doubt that the transitional period following the reorganisation of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019 made it difficult to get back on track due to the challenging conditions and transitional phase. Although it takes time, it appears that everything is presently heading in the right direction, including normalisation and all other major achievements, but it takes time. Therefore, holding assembly elections soon will undo all the progress that has been made towards bolstering democracy at the grassroots level, which has been made possible through a variety of initiatives, including the strengthening of the Panchayat Raj Institutions.
The central government is not only concerned with protecting the rights of an individual but is also making every effort to safeguard various varieties of linguistic, cultural, and religious rights, among other things, in addition to establishing the democratic setup at the grassroots level and decentralising powers at the village level. The ongoing infrastructure and tourism development projects would receive a significant boost following the G-20 summit in Jammu and Kashmir. The number of visitors will increase over the next few years, and Jammu and Kashmir tourism will soon be stratified like other top-tier tourist destinations. After this expansion of the tourism industry, Jammu and Kashmir’s GDP would also grow. As far as Pakistan and the areas that are under its illegal occupation are concerned, they have been exposed globally for producing terrorists in their factories and also failing to provide basic amenities to their masses. In Pakistan, people are not only fighting against the government for basic necessities but also protesting against its stumbles. People who live in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir also want peace and development; they are continuously protesting against the Pakistani army and Pakistani establishment for the illegal occupation of their areas by Pakistan. They are totally fed up with the atrocities of Pakistan against them and want to join India because they are happy with the present government of India and their policies. Although the G-20 tourism working group meeting in Jammu and Kashmir is a source of pride for everyone, apart from promoting the sustainable tourism industry in Jammu and Kashmir and forwarding the idea of the Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, the government of India should also establish an international learning centre for G-20 member countries at the geostrategic location of Jammu and Kashmir, like in the border district of Poonch, because it is very near the areas of Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK) on the same lines as South Asian University (SAU).
It is a well-known fact that the then-Prime Minister of India proposed this notion at the 13th SAARC Summit in 2005. This idea not only established a South Asian University (SAU) for member countries but also pooled their resources for the creation of a Centre of Excellence in the form of a university. The G-20 Member Countries Learning Centre in Jammu and Kashmir would not only provide world-class facilities and professional faculty to students and researchers drawn from every country of the G-20 countries, as everyone knows that the G-20 member countries continue to play an effective role in shaping and strengthening global architecture and governance on all major international issues related to the economy. The main purpose and major role of the G-20 countries is to strengthen international cooperation on the major economic challenges facing the world.
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