Srinagar, August 23: Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Sunday said Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a significant change in its development trajectory and the mindset of its youth under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, with peace and normalcy returning to the region.
Addressing a meeting of BJP leaders and office-bearers in Srinagar, Singh said the changing atmosphere in Jammu and Kashmir was reflected in the aspirations and achievements of its younger generation.
“In the last 12 years, since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took power, the atmosphere has changed here. Peace and security are being restored, ordinary conditions are returning and the work of development is moving ahead at a rapid pace,” he said.
Singh said the youth, particularly in Kashmir, have become increasingly aspirational after witnessing the difficult period of the past three decades.
“The mentality of our youth has started to change. Today’s youth of India, and especially the youth of Kashmir, is highly aspirational and doesn’t want to miss the bus,” he said.
The Union minister said the performance of Kashmiri students in civil services examinations and competitive selections for engineering and medical colleges demonstrated the changing aspirations of the region’s youth.
He said Jammu and Kashmir was now entering a phase similar to the transformation witnessed in the Northeast.
“The way the atmosphere and mindset had changed in the Northeast, we are now seeing that phase in Kashmir,” Singh said.
He also highlighted the region’s untapped economic potential, saying its rivers, agriculture and other resources had not been fully explored.
“Today, for the first time, lavender is being cultivated here. The Purple Revolution has taken place. Today, for the first time, new dams are being built here,” he said.
Singh said Jammu and Kashmir would have an important role in India’s journey towards becoming a developed nation.
“When India celebrates its 100th anniversary, we can also proudly say that in bringing India to that peak, we, the people of J&K, have also played a role,” he said.
Referring to India’s achievements in the space sector, Singh said the successful Chandrayaan-3 landing near the lunar south pole demonstrated the country’s human-resource capabilities and talent.
He said the government under Modi had created an enabling environment for innovation and opened the space sector to private players.
“The rapid increase in the space economy” showed the potential of India’s talent when provided with the right opportunities, he said.
Singh was speaking at a BJP meeting in Srinagar where party leaders and office-bearers discussed organisational activities and future programmes.(KNS).
