S Jaishankar says development in J&K will end Pak's 70 years' plans

Minister of External Affairs, S Jaishankar said that once the investments kick in Jammu and Kashmir and developments begin, Pakistan's 70-year issues against the state would come to nothing. The MEA was speaking at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, a top American think-tank.

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The development will bring those in Pak occupied Kashmir to India as well

Jaishankar was asked about the revocation of Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and the restrictions which were put in place over the state since then. He said, "If we are able to take Jammu and Kashmir to the path of development, which is very much possible, the day is not far when the PoK residents, facing worst situation under the occupation of Pakistan, will race towards us on their own to be part of India".

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Jaishankar also mentioned that the restrictions imposed currently are in order to prevent the misuse of internet and social media for radicalizing and mobilizing anti-Indian forces and to ensure that no loss of life occurs during the transition to the development phase. He said, "Many of the restrictions which have been imposed are precautions to ensure there is no loss of life. There is a lot of experience which has gone into that precaution. If you look at the events in 2016, for example, we saw how the internet and social media was used to radicalize and to mobilize. So obviously, if you're going to walk into this situation, you are not going to let the internet be used by people whose intentions are malevolent. I'm not minimizing the challenges, but I think the intent is really to persevere and to make sure that there are enough changes on the ground so that people's thinking also change accordingly.

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Clear choice for the government

Jaishankar also said that the choice made by the government was clear, "Either we had more of the past policies and the prospect of further radicalization. Or we had a decisive change in the landscape and a change of direction towards de-radicalization". Endorsing the progress that the development will help in boosting the economy of the region, Jaishankar said, "The economic costs of the status quo were visible in the absence of entrepreneurship and shortage of job opportunities. The social costs were even starker: in discrimination against women, in lack of protection for juveniles, in the refusal to apply affirmative action and in denial of the right to information, education and work".

A few days earlier, at an event organized by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), Jaishankar spoke about how the special status was holding the state back from progressing and coming at par with the rest of the country. He said that lack of economic activity lead to 'fewer job opportunities, more sense of alienation and separatism and thus a climate for terrorism'.

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