G20 Meet In Srinagar An Opportunity To Showcase Changes In J&K: Jitendra Singh

NEW DELHI: Union minister of state in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh said that the three-day G20 meeting in Srinagar, which begins on Monday, is an opportunity for India to showcase the changed scenario in Jammu and Kashmir, which was earlier under the shadow of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism.

“The G20 delegates will be the true messengers of not only Kashmir, but also India as has been envisaged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Dr Singh said in an interview with a news agency.

The third meeting of the G20 Tourism Working Group will be held on Monday to finalise the communique for the ministerial meeting in Goa later this year. The G20 meeting would also give the delegates an opportunity to see for themselves the transformation that has taken place in Jammu and Kashmir and try to correlate with the projections in the international media by self-styled commentators.

“This is an indication of the fact that now Jammu and Kashmir as a whole and the Kashmir Valley, which a few years ago was believed to be a kind of a nerve centre of terrorism and Pak-sponsored militancy, is now in the same streamline of activity as any other city in the country. Be it the G20 in Hyderabad, Gurgaon or elsewhere. It is the same way happening in Srinagar,” he said.

The minister noted that it is also an opportunity for India to showcase the changed scenario of Jammu and Kashmir under Modi because of his very committed approach and courage of conviction.

With at least 60 foreign delegates likely to attend the meeting amidst tight security, the hosts are hoping that the three-day event will stimulate J&K’s economic growth in many ways.

“International speakers and guests and those from various parts of India would be attending the event. There will be group discussions amongst them and this and other engagements of the invitees will help in boosting up J&K’s economy and its vast potential of tourism,” said the event coordinator Harsh Vardhan Shringla at a press conference here on Sunday.

A senior official sought to shrug off the decision of China and Türkiye not to attend the meet and Saudi Arabia and Egypt too likely staying away, saying, “I don’t think the absence of a couple of nations will make any big difference. G20 is a group of the World’s 20 major economies.”

We have invited at least nine non-member nations and various international organisations also and most of them are participating.”

“The change has also happened at the level of the common man walking on the streets of Srinagar. He now wants to move on. He has seen two generations sacrificed at the altar of terrorism, he is not prepared to do so anymore,” Dr Singh said.

He mentioned that the youth in Kashmir is highly aspirational, well informed, intelligent and fully aware of the enormous avenues the Prime Minister has made available to the region.

“The Kashmiri youth does not want to miss the bus and wants to be a part of the changes taking place in the region. The people of Jammu and Kashmir are looking forward to the G20 meeting with great enthusiasm. A few years ago, it was almost a taboo to visit Kashmir. Such events (conferences and meetings) had virtually come to a halt since 1990. But this year, maximum excitement has been generated by the venue of Srinagar as far as all the G20 meetings put together are concerned,” Dr Singh said.

On China’s decision to skip the G20 meeting at Srinagar, the minister said that it would be appropriate for the Ministry of External Affairs to comment on the matter.