The pace of development and peace in the region getting momentum with every passing day could have not been possible without the contributions made by Indian Army.
To establish permanent peace all institutions played their role efficiently but responsibility Indian army performed in this direction is praiseworthy. The role of Indian Army to keep our borders safe and bring the infiltration to the level of zero is a remarkable achievement. Not only this but the contribution Indian army made in border areas is unmatched. In border areas people are almost dependent on Indian Army. After God the only hope for the border residents is the Army. People living in border areas of Kupwara,Baramulla, Bandipora and various districts of Jammu division have been assisted by the Indian Army during the time of need. As a citizen of India I give this credit to Indian Army that it brought Kashmir on normal track and secure our borders. Government is in a position to give citizens of Kashmir a sense of security it is because of the security agencies particularly due to the efforts of Indian Army. Army worked hard to eliminate fear psychosis among the Kashmiri people perpetuated by the enemy through different means and techniques.
The pace of development and peace in the region getting momentum with every passing day could have not been possible without the contributions made by Indian Army. Countless major and small developmental projects are under process in Kashmir valley now. Youth are being provided special attention and several steps have been taken to address their issues. The participation of youth in Army requirement drives and their enthusiasm in Agniveer scheme is an indication that youth have understood their responsibility. The respect Indian Army has earned in Kashmir is due to its exemplary service it render to the nation and the citizens. Anti-terror operation alone can’t establish peace in Jammu and Kashmir but in order to make peace a permanent feature of Jammu and Kashmir such an environment need to be created in which terrorism will find no place to sustain. In this direction Indian Army is seen heading towards a big success.
One the one hand Indian Army is conducting successful operation against terrorism and terrorists and on the other hand army is trying to bring the alienated youth towards positivity. This has disallowed the terrorists to misuse the youth. Army has made tremendous contribution in sports sector, education, cultural and in creative youth engagement in main land as well in border areas.Even women empowerment initiatives are run in Jammu and Kashmir. The wonderful approach of Indian Army to deal with Jammu and Kashmir have inflicted a severe blow to terrorist outfits and their masters. The Army is part of public life in Jammu and Kashmir that is the reason people have a great respect for the Army. There is no doubt in it that army have always won the hearts and minds of people. It has undoubtedly made a successful reach out to masses despite the fact that efforts are still made continuously by the enemy to cause damage to the peaceful atmosphere of the Jammu and Kashmir.
Army has made contribution in Education, Women & Youth Empowerment, and Health care with simultaneous thrust on capacity building through implementation of community/infrastructure development projects in Jammu and Kashmir particularly in the border areas. Through operation Sadbhavana Army has established many Army Goodwill Schools across the valley have rendered assistance to state Government run schools by carrying out infrastructure augmentation. In order to provide opportunity to children from marginalized section of the society it has been bearing the cost of their education. A lot of students are receiving scholarships for studies in schools here and also outside the Union Territory.
Even nomadic population which lives in upper reaches during summer period is provided assistance in many ways. To ensure that children belonging to nomadic families get education Army run special “Shepherds Schools”. It has provide skill development training like operating of computers, knitting, tailoring, candle making, bag making, carpets / basket weaving, horticulture and fashion designing at various Vocational Training Centres for the women community. Un-employed youth of the Sate have also been provided with opportunities to earn livelihood. It has created awareness about job opportunities, competitive exams and eligibility criteria for seeking employment . The Army organized National Integration Tours to integrate students and opinion makers with national mainstream . These tours provide an opportunity to know the rich cultural diversity and varied traditions existing in the country. To cater for the medical requirements of inaccessible areas, a number of medical centres have been constructed. The army run hospitals are providing a wonderful assistance to the people living in remote areas. With the efforts of the Army new places are now on tourism map. In border areas of Kashmir due to lack of several facilities people living in these areas use to migrate from these areas. Large number of population have migrated from these area towards towns already for better living opportunities. Now after declaring these border areas as new tourist destinations, people have started to prefer living in these areas and have started involving themselves in tourism sector. This is one of the big and bold decision of the government that it introduced border tourism. Army have conducted big and small events at these places to attract tourists towards these destinations. I have personally visited several border areas during the current year and it gave me enough pleasure to learn that Indian Army has been always there to help local people in every respect during the time of need.
People living in these areas have started to reap the dividends of the border tourism and it is expected that tourism in these areas will change the scenario altogether. The arrival of visitors in these areas has been given a flip to the fragile economy of the border areas and credit goes to the Indian Army.
Writer can be reached on syedjahanjeeb2@gmail.com