Abrogation of Article 370 marked birth of a new Jammu & Kashmir: LG Manoj Sinha

Speaking on the transformative journey of new Jammu & Kashmir post abrogation of Article 370 on 5 August 2019, Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday said that “on this day, dismantling of the terror ecosystem had begun and a new Jammu & Kashmir was born with a golden future in its eyes. A new Jammu & Kashmir, which treated all its citizens as equal and removed discrimination that was prevalent for seven decades”.

The LG was speaking after handing over job appointment letters to 158 next of kin of Kashmiri civilians killed by Pakistan-backed terrorists.

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Sinha observed that, because of Article 370, terrorism had increased and the terror ecosystem was emboldened.

“People ask me what is new Jammu & Kashmir. I want to tell them that the new Jammu & Kashmir is one where jobs are not given to terrorists but to the real martyrs of this UT. The new Jammu Kashmir is one where tears are not shed on the death of terrorists, but the tears of common Kashmiris are wiped away”, he said.

“The new Jammu and Kashmir is one where the terrorist elements sitting in the government system are being cleaned out one by one and the decades-old wounds of terror victim families are being healed”.

The LG said, “The new Jammu & Kashmir is one where common Kashmiris are being embraced and not the separatists. The new Jammu & Kashmir is one where children have pens in their hands and not stones”.

“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has drawn a new red line against terrorism, and equal punishment will be given to terrorists and their sponsors. India has made it clear that if terror is state policy, it will be met with a visible and forceful response”.

During the function, the families of terror victims narrated their traumatic experiences. They exposed the injustice perpetrated by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists and their sympathisers against their families.

The Lieutenant Governor paid his heartfelt tribute to civilian martyrs and saluted the courage and perseverance of families who have suffered from terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. “Wounds that have persisted for decades are now being healed. Today’s landmark event provided a sense of closure to the families who have silently suffered trauma for years”.

For more than three decades, the terror state Pakistan has been shedding innocent blood through its proxy terrorist outfits. The long wait for justice and for healing to begin is over for the terror victim families. They have come out to reveal the role of Pakistani terrorists and the terror ecosystem that was operating in J&K,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

He observed that the void in the lives of terror victims’ families cannot be filled with financial assistance or jobs, but it will be ensured that these families can live with dignity. “We will do everything possible for the rehabilitation of terror victims. It is my promise to the Next of Kin of terror victims that perpetrators of heinous crime will receive exemplary punishment”.

This process of giving jobs to victims will continue till every genuine case is settled, he said.