5/20/23, 10:09 AM OPINION: Happy Days Are Back In Kashmir - Oneindia News

News Feature
OPINION: Happy Days Are
Back In Kashmir
By Balbir Punj |  Updated: Friday, May 19, 2023, 18:10 [IST]

One of the biggest success story of the Modi regime has been restoration of peace in
Kashmir valley, following abrogation of articles 35A and 370 of the constitution in August
2019. The life in the strife ridden valley is near normal now- something unthinkable not long
back.

Earlier, even Army convoys were stoned by mobs, shouting pro - Pakistan slogans, and now
the valley is bursting at seams with tourists and film makers swarming the Union Territory, in
search of exotic locations for shooting. It's understandable that the New Delhi would want to
showcase this incredible transformation to the world, and something India haters would
obviously resent.
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India has decided to hold G20 tourism group meeting in Srinagar on May 22-24. While the
move has been welcomed by the locals, it's no surprise that professional India baiters are
whining. The UN special rapporteur ( SR ) on minority issues Fernand de Varennes tweeted :
"holding a G 20 meeting in Jammu and Kashmir while massive human rights violations are
ongoing is leading support to attempts by India to normalize the brutal & repressive denial of
democratic & other rights of Kashmiri Muslims and minorities." Special rapporteurs are
independent expert appointed by the United Nations for monitoring human rights.

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5/20/23, 10:09 AM OPINION: Happy Days Are Back In Kashmir - Oneindia News

India has strongly rejected the statement issued by the SR and said that as G20 President,
it's India's prerogative to host its meetings in any part of the country. The Indian mission said
in a statement on Twitter, "We are aghast that @fernanddev has acted irresponsibly to
politicize this issue, misused his position as SR to publicize on social media his presumptive
and prejudiced conclusions in a gross violation of the Code of Conduct for SRs."
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India has dismissed objections from Pakistan over the holding of G20 meetings in Jammu
and Kashmir and Ladakh, saying such events are being organised in all states and union
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5/20/23, 10:09 AM OPINION: Happy Days Are Back In Kashmir - Oneindia News

territories ahead of the summit in New Delhi in September. In fact, Pakistan's objections are
meaningless, in view of the fact that Pakistan is not a member of the G20.

China, which skipped a G20 meeting held in Arunachal Pradesh in March, and Turkey, will
not attend the meet in Srinagar. China's decision is apparently linked to objections by its
close ally Pakistan while Turkey has criticised India's handling of the situation in Kashmir in
past years.

The meeting, is being billed as one of the largest international events to be organised in
Kashmir in the aftermath of the abrogation of Articles 35 A and 370. Over 100 delegates of
the G20 and guest countries are expected at the mega event. Tight security arrangements
have been put in place around the venue, Sher-e-Kashmir International Conventional Centre
(SKICC) on the banks of the Dal Lake.

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Srinagar has been spruced up for the event and the administration has been on a major
renovation drive in the run up to the event. Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC)
commissioner, Athar Amin Khan, told the media that all projects under the smart city project
have been completed or are on verge of completion. The airport road and flyover have been
spruced up and the city has been illuminated.

While the main summit is in Srinagar, the national and international delegates are scheduled
to visit the picturesque bowl-shaped Gulmarg, which loosely translates to "meadow of
flowers", surrounded by pine trees and steep slopes, in north Kashmir's Baramulla district,
some 50 km from Srinagar.

Much to the chagrin of Pakistan and China, most of the international community already
appears to believe that Kashmir is no longer a conflict or a dispute. Most of the world has set
aside any concerns about Kashmir in order to ensure good relations with New Delhi, which
much of the international community regards as a key trade and investment partner. Even
most Muslim-majority countries have stayed quiet on the Kashmir issue.

In the last four years the Union territory has undergone a complete transformation. It has
witnessed economic growth of 14.64 percent and tax revenue was up by 31 percent, as 1.88
crore tourists visited the Union Territory last year. Investment proposals worth Rs 70,000
crore have been received for industrial development.

People are enjoying Sikara rides. till late night. Cinemas are running smoothly after a gap of
three decades. Night bus services have started in Kashmir. Schools and colleges and

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universities are running smoothly. Shops remain open.

Jammu & Kashmir received the highest ever investment of Rs 1547.87 crore during the last
10 months of the year. Five hundred startups have also come up during the last three years
in the Union Territory.

Apart fromm unprecedented tourist arrivals, the newly created UT is bussing with a lot of
activity in field of creative arts. At one time, the valley was a favourite haunt of Bollywood
producers. As the fundamentalist Islam seized Kashmir, it turned into a cultural desert.
Cinema houses were forced shut and film crews stopped coming, fearing for their lives.

Now things are changing. With the end of terrorism, a sense of optimism and security
prevails in the valley. The state administration too has tweaked its policies to lure film
producers, who are now coming in droves to take advantage of fresh incentive schemes.

The new film policy launched by the UT administration in 2021, along with single-window
clearance and subsidies, also entails "appropriate security arrangements to be made free of
cost to enable film makers to complete shooting".

According to official soruces, 350 of 500 requests for permission to shoot films in the Valley
have already been ranted now. That besides the location permission committee, headed by
respective divisional commissioners, the script screening committee looks at scripts for
sensitive or anti-national content before giving the nod. In fact, there are incentives
connected to the themes of films and series.

The 2021 film policy, which sets the vision till 2026, also aims to uplift the local film sector A
film maker giving work to local artists will get additional subsidy of up to Rs 50 lakh in case
over 50 percent of shoot days have been spent in Kashmir. Local Kashmiri actors are being
taken as main leads, something that has not happened before. In fact, most actors in Onir's
Chahiye Thoda Pyaar are Kashmiris.

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5/20/23, 10:09 AM OPINION: Happy Days Are Back In Kashmir - Oneindia News

Films produced to inspire the feeling of 'One Nation, Best Nation' shall be given 50 percent of
their cost or Rs 50 lakh, whichever is less, as subsidy, while those related to child and
women empowerment will receive additional aid of 25 percent.

Just last month, actor Shah Rukh Khan had landed in the Valley for Rajkumar Hirani's Dunki,
in which he plays an Army officer. A song for the film was shot in Sonmarg and the crew did a
recce in the neighbouring Thaji glacier. Earlier this year, filmmaker Karan Johar had arrived
at the Gulmarg Ski Resort with the crew of Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani, including lead
actors Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt.

Nearly 350 film crews have been permitted to shoot in Jammu & Kashmir over the last two
years, a record number in the past four decades. Besides mainstream Hindi films, movies
and series in Punjabi, Urdu, Telugu, Kannada and a series for History TV18, called OMG!
Yeh Mera India, have also been shot in Kashmir.

However, the story of Kashmir would be incomplete, till the Pandits, flag- carriers of its
original catholic and plural culture, don't feel safe and confident to return back to their homes,
settle and start their lives afresh. No doubt the Valley has travelled a great deal, from chaos
to peace, but still it has a long way to go.

(Mr. Balbir Punj is a Former Member of Parliament and a Columnist. He can be reached
at: punjbalbir@gmail.com)

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author.
The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of OneIndia and
OneIndia does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.

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