By Sheikh Qayoom
Srinagar, May 27 Prime Minister Narendra Modis nine years in power have changed Jammu and Kashmir from a blood-soaked land of turbulence into a land of hope and promise.
J&K has moved from one level of violence to the other since 1990 when hundreds were killed, thousands were orphaned while an entire minority Kashmiri Pandit community was forced out of home and hearth.
Before Modi took over the reins of power in the country, Kashmir looked like a lost land from India's point of view.
Even a remote reference to nationalism meant reprisal from the militants. Anybody who claimed to be an Indian was labelled an ‘Indian agent'.
The common man was caught in the crossfire between the militants and the security forces. Armed separatists entered homes during the night forcing residents to provide them food and shelter.
Security forces came during the daytime to ransack such homes as harbourers of separatists.
Education, businesses and normal activities of life remained hostage to shutdown calls by the separatists and curfews announced by the authorities.
The writ of the state ran within the government offices while the separatists called the shots on the ground.
Through intimidation and force, separatists infiltrated various government services, colleges and universities while a hapless administration looked on.
Modi seemed determined to change all that. Slowly and steadily, the security forces took control on the ground. Changing the role of the security forces from merely responding to militant attacks to aggressive pursuit of militants on the ground was not an easy task.
Terror funding had become an industry of sorts in Kashmir. During the last 9 years, almost all channels of terror funding have been destroyed by the security forces.
The organisers of shutdowns and stone pelting were booked and put behind the bars.
It was during these nine years that under the leadership of Narendra Modi the impossible was done.
Articles 370 and 35 A were abrogated. What seemed to be impossible was done by abrogating the special status of J&K and dividing the state into two Union Territories.
The administration was made effective. The anti-corruption organisation was given more teeth and people were empowered at the grassroots level by making village Panchayats and urban local bodies truly public run institutions.
Panchayati Raj was established in line with other states of the country and elections to these basic democratic institutions were held.
Tourism had taken the worst hit during the three decades of violence. A real turnaround was achieved in this sector.
Last year a record number of 1.75 crore tourists visited J&K and this does not include pilgrims to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine and the Amaranth Cave shrine.
Educational institutions have been functioning normally while businesses are once again back on the rails.
Foreign direct investment and offers by big industrial and hospitality players to invest in J&K have opened new opportunities for the local youth.
Violence might not be completely out, but it has decidedly moved to he flanks. Most importantly, separatism has lost sympathisers in Kashmir during the nine years of rule by Narendra Modi.
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