India’s long shot but fearless move

It has been a while now since India released a list of upcoming G-20 meetings, it will host as this year’s president of the group of top economies. The list states a tourism working group meeting in Srinagar, the summer capital of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, in May. The meeting will mark the first major international event in the region since August 2019.

The purpose of hosting the meetings at various locations across India suggests the country aims to showcase its geographical diversity and cultural richness to the world. It also provides an opportunity for different regions to showcase their development and investment potential to attract foreign investment and boost their local economies.

It held G-20 tourism meetings in the states of Gujarat and West Bengal earlier this year and has scheduled another in the state of Goa in June. A similar historical event in Jammu and Kashmir also suggests that New Delhi wants to give a clear-cut message that the region is stable, peaceful and ready to engage globally after the revocation of its statehood in 2019. The move is also aimed at improving the image of the region and encouraging tourism and investment in the area.

While India’s understanding and narrative of the situation, on its face value is backed by the recent developments suggesting a return to normalcy in Kashmir. The militant violence has subsided to an extent, despite the targeted killings of Hindus.

Tourism figures for the region broke records last year, although tourism is mostly domestic and experts relate the rise to the post-Covid phenomenon. Investors are coming, too. In March, an Emirati property company also announced a $60 million project to build a shopping mall and offices in Srinagar.

However, on the other front, things changed drastically with improvement in the overall situation in the region. India, by taking Pro-people initiatives, and plans to overhaul the fanatics of narratives spurred before abrogation is on its deathbed.

As the situation in Jammu and Kashmir remains complex, and there are ongoing challenges in promoting peaceful dialogue and reconciliation in the region. After taking suitable steps the enemy engaged in Kashmir got a foul. Now the security and safety of the citizens improved resulting in new opportunities of possibilities. All this made people of the region happy and more happiness is expected to come in the shape of G-20. This has immensely reopened the paradise to the world.

Further to it, the region is very happy under the governor’s rule, as it has served the best form of governance as was not expected. It comes in bad times with good results. It had left no criticism because it had conducted three tire elections first time in the region to ensure democracy at the gross root level to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

The upcoming G-20 meeting to be held in the region is to be seen as an extension of India’s efforts to display its influence on global economies and suggest that the world stands by its side. Purposefully or otherwise, a loud and clear message will be delivered across the border, tremors of which can be felt within recent communications of the country. While Pakistan has failed to gather an audience for its concerns, India remains unchallenged and straightforward with regard to its policy on Jammu and Kashmir.

The clear-cut foreign policy of keeping the country’s interests first, accompanied by economic manoeuvring. India has successfully held their viewpoint on Kashmir before the world platform. Holding such meetings make India stronger politically, economically and strategically in the realm of the international forum of leadership.

Domestically the rhetoric of attracting foreign investments in the region following the G-20 meeting has picked up the pace.

While the meeting has other purposes on the table, India truly aspires to attract foreign investments in the region from the major economies of the world. Taking a positive approach by conducting G-20 meeting in the vale will make the global community acquainted with the peace, and stability in the region claimed by India to the world community so far.

This will also be helping India in isolating Pakistan at the international corium with regard to Jammu and Kashmir. So far, so good, people of the region are engaged in welcoming the event of G-20 meetings and are hopeful of a positive outcome for a long time.

Source: greaterkashmir.com