Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Nov 12: Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said today that biggest way to initiate dialogue process was to start it between people of Jammu and Kashmir and others through tourism and this can be done when there is peace in the State and tourists start arriving even as she called for allowing the tourists to visit Siachen Glacier in Ladakh, the highest battlefield between India and Pakistan, located at the height of 18,400 feet from the sea level.
Batting for allowing tourists to visit Siachen Glacier, Mehbooba said she had raised this issue with Army at the recent meeting of the Unified Headquarters.
“China allowed its people to visit right up to the last point. They even reach India. Why we shouldn’t allow the people to visit Siachen Glacier in Ladakh? This will promote tourism,” she said at the inauguration of three-day Indian Travel Mart at Jammu International Convention Centre this evening.
“When we talk about dialogue process, the way to start it between people of Jammu and Kashmir and others is through tourism. This was the dream of late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. He wanted people of the country to inter-act with people of Kashmir during their visit to tourist places. There would have been one-to-one inter-action between people of Kashmir and the country,” Mehbooba said.
Asserting that there would be no tourist activity without peace and development, she said tourism is the major single sector, which would take Jammu and Kashmir to progress and also contribute in initiation of dialogue process between people-to-people, which was first envisioned by late Mufti Sayeed. She added that tourism has the potential of removing the gap between people of Kashmir and the country as it would lead to direct inter-action between the two.
Noting that there was no other alternate to restoration of peace in Jammu and Kashmir other than Atal Behari Vajpayee and Mufti Mohammad Sayeed formula, Mehbooba said Prime Minister Narendra Modi also followed the same formula and travelled to Lahore but, unfortunately, Pakistan didn’t respond positively and instead the visit was followed by Pathankot attack, which strained relations between the two countries.
Nevertheless, she said, “we have to continue trying as there was no other way out”.
She recalled that Vajpayee’s visit to Lahore had led to ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan and militancy was also reduced in the State but added that Pakistan didn’t react in similar manner when Modi went to Lahore, leading to stand-off between the two countries.
Taking a dig at section of electronic media for not projecting Kashmir in right perspective, the Chief Minister lamented that one person carrying two flags of IS (Islamic State) in the Valley is shown on some television channels for long time while tourists and pilgrims saved during cloudburst or from drowning in Dal lake at the cost of their own lives are never highlighted.
“I have seen debates on Kashmir. They take one person from Jammu and another from Kashmir. To add some charm, they even take one person from Pakistan. The real issues are not highlighted,” she regretted.
She said the people of Jammu and Kashmir will come close with rest of the country through dialogue and discussions but lamented that the TV debates were taking them away.
Noting that women are safest in Jammu and Kashmir than any part of the world, the Chief Minister said they can move alone anywhere with no threat. This should be projected to highlight the tourist, she added.
Mehbooba asserted that no way in the country, there were such large pilgrim tourist promotion areas than in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Our State has vast potential of pilgrim tourism, which can be highlighted to attract more and more tourists,” she told the tourist and travel industry persons, who have gathered here for three-day Indian Travel Mart.
Declaring that her Government was committed to make Jammu as an “independent tourist destination, Mehbooba announced that she would shortly lay the foundation stone of Suchetgarh tourist stop along Indo-Pak border, which , she added, has vast potential of generating tourist activities and attracting tourists from across the world.
Mehbooba said one of the positive things that has come out of disturbed situation in the State was that people of all the regions now feel the pain of each other.
“Many businessmen of Jammu suffered losses due to shutdown in Kashmir while many Kashmir parents thought it safe to send their wards to Jammu when they couldn’t send them to schools in the Valley, she said, adding that something of this sort is being witnessed in the State for the first time and complimented people for showing such gestures.
Tourism Secretary Farooq Shah announced, in the meeting, that Patnitop ropeway project will be completed in May 2018.
In his address, Deputy Chief Minister, Dr. Nirmal Singh hailed the vision and developmental concept of late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed for the State and said for the first time the people in every region felt that here was a Government which represented his or her aspirations.
He assured the delegates that the present Government with the cooperation from the Centre has planned a massive development initiative for the State and referred to the upgradation of Jammu airport which was done in a short span of time.
Earlier, top tourism industry leaders of the country including Subhash Goel, P P Khanna and Akshay Kumar also addressed the gathering and assured the State Government of their support in promoting tourism. They also hailed the vision and plan of late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed for promoting tourism in the State.
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