Arun Joshi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his day-long visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, packaged his call for the “victory in 2019 (polls)” with a declaration for war on terrorism, clearly signalling the intensification of anti-terrorism operations in the state that witnessed killing of more than 250 militants last year alone.

This strong message against terrorism also meant that the talks with terrorists and their political patrons were not on the Modi government’s agenda. He has been drawing a lot of flak from the separatists, Peoples Democratic Party and other political groups for not talking to separatists and Pakistan, and former Chief Minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti had even pitched for talks with militants, as they were “sons of the soil”.

Significantly, this message came amid Pakistan’s open inciting of the separatists against India ahead of the London conference on the alleged human rights violations in Kashmir on Monday.

It was for the first time that Prime Minister used such strong words against terrorism and terrorists from the soil of Kashmir since 2014 in a complete reversal of the theme of the reconciliation that marked his previous visits to Jammu and Kashmir.

Modi declared war on terrorism in the state from the podium at Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre on the banks of Dal Lake this afternoon within a couple of hours after he pledged and sought a promise of victory in the 2019, the code that he used for the forthcoming parliamentary elections at a rally in Vijaypur, near Jammu.

His speech at the Vijaypur rally was marked by his trademark attack on the Congress, and also contrasted that with profuse praise for the budgetary proposals for farmers.

Today’s visit was essentially development-oriented as the Prime Minister inaugurated and laid foundation stones of several projects aimed at expanding the education, healthcare and providing 24x7 electricity to all homes in the state.

But the political messaging was too loud to be ignored in his speeches in all three regions — Ladakh, Kashmir and Jammu — that he visited on Sunday.

His speeches were fulsome of praise for his government since 2014 and a bristling attack on the Congress and also an indictment of the coalition government that his party had propped up in alliance with the People’s Democratic Party, for he conceded that many projects could not be undertaken during that period.

“Development has gathered pace in the state in the last seven-eight months,” he said, referring to the works undertaken under the Governor’s rule and subsequently under the President’s rule. The state had come under Governor’s rule in June last year, and he claimed that “many languishing projects have been undertaken with a fixed deadline for completion.

Modi was at his aggressive best when he mentioned surgical strikes (of September 2016) and a fight to finish terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. “We are committed to fighting terrorism to the finish for we cannot allow terrorists to kill innocent people and their dreams,” the Prime Minister said. Modi also connected the dreams of Kashmiri youths with India and equated terrorists with the killers of dreams.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s strong message against terrorism also meant that the talks with terrorists and their political patrons were not on the Central government’s agenda. He has been drawing a lot of flak from the separatists, PDP and other political groups for not talking to separatists and Pakistan. Significantly, this message came amid Pakistan’s open inciting of the separatists against India ahead of the London conference on the alleged human rights violations in Kashmir on Monday.

"We are committed to fighting terrorism to the finish for we cannot allow terrorists to kill innocent people and their dreams." — Narendra Modi, Prime Minister

Courtesy:The Tribune,Feb04,2019

Arun Joshi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his day-long visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, packaged his call for the “victory in 2019 (polls)” with a declaration for war on terrorism, clearly signalling the intensification of anti-terrorism operations in the state that witnessed killing of more than 250 militants last year alone.

This strong message against terrorism also meant that the talks with terrorists and their political patrons were not on the Modi government’s agenda. He has been drawing a lot of flak from the separatists, Peoples Democratic Party and other political groups for not talking to separatists and Pakistan, and former Chief Minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti had even pitched for talks with militants, as they were “sons of the soil”.

Significantly, this message came amid Pakistan’s open inciting of the separatists against India ahead of the London conference on the alleged human rights violations in Kashmir on Monday.

It was for the first time that Prime Minister used such strong words against terrorism and terrorists from the soil of Kashmir since 2014 in a complete reversal of the theme of the reconciliation that marked his previous visits to Jammu and Kashmir.

Modi declared war on terrorism in the state from the podium at Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre on the banks of Dal Lake this afternoon within a couple of hours after he pledged and sought a promise of victory in the 2019, the code that he used for the forthcoming parliamentary elections at a rally in Vijaypur, near Jammu.

His speech at the Vijaypur rally was marked by his trademark attack on the Congress, and also contrasted that with profuse praise for the budgetary proposals for farmers.

Today’s visit was essentially development-oriented as the Prime Minister inaugurated and laid foundation stones of several projects aimed at expanding the education, healthcare and providing 24x7 electricity to all homes in the state.

But the political messaging was too loud to be ignored in his speeches in all three regions — Ladakh, Kashmir and Jammu — that he visited on Sunday.

His speeches were fulsome of praise for his government since 2014 and a bristling attack on the Congress and also an indictment of the coalition government that his party had propped up in alliance with the People’s Democratic Party, for he conceded that many projects could not be undertaken during that period.

“Development has gathered pace in the state in the last seven-eight months,” he said, referring to the works undertaken under the Governor’s rule and subsequently under the President’s rule. The state had come under Governor’s rule in June last year, and he claimed that “many languishing projects have been undertaken with a fixed deadline for completion.

Modi was at his aggressive best when he mentioned surgical strikes (of September 2016) and a fight to finish terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. “We are committed to fighting terrorism to the finish for we cannot allow terrorists to kill innocent people and their dreams,” the Prime Minister said. Modi also connected the dreams of Kashmiri youths with India and equated terrorists with the killers of dreams.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s strong message against terrorism also meant that the talks with terrorists and their political patrons were not on the Central government’s agenda. He has been drawing a lot of flak from the separatists, PDP and other political groups for not talking to separatists and Pakistan. Significantly, this message came amid Pakistan’s open inciting of the separatists against India ahead of the London conference on the alleged human rights violations in Kashmir on Monday.

"We are committed to fighting terrorism to the finish for we cannot allow terrorists to kill innocent people and their dreams." — Narendra Modi, Prime Minister

Courtesy:The Tribune,Feb04,2019

Arun Joshi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his day-long visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, packaged his call for the “victory in 2019 (polls)” with a declaration for war on terrorism, clearly signalling the intensification of anti-terrorism operations in the state that witnessed killing of more than 250 militants last year alone.

This strong message against terrorism also meant that the talks with terrorists and their political patrons were not on the Modi government’s agenda. He has been drawing a lot of flak from the separatists, Peoples Democratic Party and other political groups for not talking to separatists and Pakistan, and former Chief Minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti had even pitched for talks with militants, as they were “sons of the soil”.

Significantly, this message came amid Pakistan’s open inciting of the separatists against India ahead of the London conference on the alleged human rights violations in Kashmir on Monday.

It was for the first time that Prime Minister used such strong words against terrorism and terrorists from the soil of Kashmir since 2014 in a complete reversal of the theme of the reconciliation that marked his previous visits to Jammu and Kashmir.

Modi declared war on terrorism in the state from the podium at Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre on the banks of Dal Lake this afternoon within a couple of hours after he pledged and sought a promise of victory in the 2019, the code that he used for the forthcoming parliamentary elections at a rally in Vijaypur, near Jammu.

His speech at the Vijaypur rally was marked by his trademark attack on the Congress, and also contrasted that with profuse praise for the budgetary proposals for farmers.

Today’s visit was essentially development-oriented as the Prime Minister inaugurated and laid foundation stones of several projects aimed at expanding the education, healthcare and providing 24x7 electricity to all homes in the state.

But the political messaging was too loud to be ignored in his speeches in all three regions — Ladakh, Kashmir and Jammu — that he visited on Sunday.

His speeches were fulsome of praise for his government since 2014 and a bristling attack on the Congress and also an indictment of the coalition government that his party had propped up in alliance with the People’s Democratic Party, for he conceded that many projects could not be undertaken during that period.

“Development has gathered pace in the state in the last seven-eight months,” he said, referring to the works undertaken under the Governor’s rule and subsequently under the President’s rule. The state had come under Governor’s rule in June last year, and he claimed that “many languishing projects have been undertaken with a fixed deadline for completion.

Modi was at his aggressive best when he mentioned surgical strikes (of September 2016) and a fight to finish terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. “We are committed to fighting terrorism to the finish for we cannot allow terrorists to kill innocent people and their dreams,” the Prime Minister said. Modi also connected the dreams of Kashmiri youths with India and equated terrorists with the killers of dreams.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s strong message against terrorism also meant that the talks with terrorists and their political patrons were not on the Central government’s agenda. He has been drawing a lot of flak from the separatists, PDP and other political groups for not talking to separatists and Pakistan. Significantly, this message came amid Pakistan’s open inciting of the separatists against India ahead of the London conference on the alleged human rights violations in Kashmir on Monday.

"We are committed to fighting terrorism to the finish for we cannot allow terrorists to kill innocent people and their dreams." — Narendra Modi, Prime Minister

Courtesy:The Tribune,Feb04,2019

Arun Joshi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his day-long visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, packaged his call for the “victory in 2019 (polls)” with a declaration for war on terrorism, clearly signalling the intensification of anti-terrorism operations in the state that witnessed killing of more than 250 militants last year alone.

This strong message against terrorism also meant that the talks with terrorists and their political patrons were not on the Modi government’s agenda. He has been drawing a lot of flak from the separatists, Peoples Democratic Party and other political groups for not talking to separatists and Pakistan, and former Chief Minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti had even pitched for talks with militants, as they were “sons of the soil”.

Significantly, this message came amid Pakistan’s open inciting of the separatists against India ahead of the London conference on the alleged human rights violations in Kashmir on Monday.

It was for the first time that Prime Minister used such strong words against terrorism and terrorists from the soil of Kashmir since 2014 in a complete reversal of the theme of the reconciliation that marked his previous visits to Jammu and Kashmir.

Modi declared war on terrorism in the state from the podium at Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre on the banks of Dal Lake this afternoon within a couple of hours after he pledged and sought a promise of victory in the 2019, the code that he used for the forthcoming parliamentary elections at a rally in Vijaypur, near Jammu.

His speech at the Vijaypur rally was marked by his trademark attack on the Congress, and also contrasted that with profuse praise for the budgetary proposals for farmers.

Today’s visit was essentially development-oriented as the Prime Minister inaugurated and laid foundation stones of several projects aimed at expanding the education, healthcare and providing 24x7 electricity to all homes in the state.

But the political messaging was too loud to be ignored in his speeches in all three regions — Ladakh, Kashmir and Jammu — that he visited on Sunday.

His speeches were fulsome of praise for his government since 2014 and a bristling attack on the Congress and also an indictment of the coalition government that his party had propped up in alliance with the People’s Democratic Party, for he conceded that many projects could not be undertaken during that period.

“Development has gathered pace in the state in the last seven-eight months,” he said, referring to the works undertaken under the Governor’s rule and subsequently under the President’s rule. The state had come under Governor’s rule in June last year, and he claimed that “many languishing projects have been undertaken with a fixed deadline for completion.

Modi was at his aggressive best when he mentioned surgical strikes (of September 2016) and a fight to finish terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. “We are committed to fighting terrorism to the finish for we cannot allow terrorists to kill innocent people and their dreams,” the Prime Minister said. Modi also connected the dreams of Kashmiri youths with India and equated terrorists with the killers of dreams.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s strong message against terrorism also meant that the talks with terrorists and their political patrons were not on the Central government’s agenda. He has been drawing a lot of flak from the separatists, PDP and other political groups for not talking to separatists and Pakistan. Significantly, this message came amid Pakistan’s open inciting of the separatists against India ahead of the London conference on the alleged human rights violations in Kashmir on Monday.

"We are committed to fighting terrorism to the finish for we cannot allow terrorists to kill innocent people and their dreams." — Narendra Modi, Prime Minister

Courtesy:The Tribune,Feb04,2019