Government to take foreign envoys to Kashmir on January 9

The central government will take a group of foreign envoys to the Kashmir valley on January 9-10, 2020, government sources said on Tuesday. Envoys from a diverse set of groupings and regions such as the European Union (EU), Asia, and Latin America will be taken to Kashmir to show the ground situation in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).

Last year in October, India took European Union Parliamentarians to the union territory of Kashmir. It was the first such visit by an international delegation post-abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution. The visit by the members of the European Parliament had come at a time when the Centre was making efforts to restore normalcy in the region. 

Before that visit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval had met visiting members of the European Parliament and spoken about the developments in J&K and on the issue of cross-border terrorism.

The visit by foreign envoys comes even amid criticisms over India keeping the region cut off. The situation is the same now, as there are still widespread criticisms of the central government accusing it of putting the area under hardcore restrictions With this move, the government is looking to spread the word of the normalcy of the region in the international sphere, where a number of Western media outlets have criticised India's actions in the wake of the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution.

Kashmir woke up to a new year of freedom on January 1 as SMS services were restored across the valley from midnight on Tuesday, i.e. on December 31. The news is being seen as a welcome measure in restoring freedoms for the Kashmiris as normalcy returns gradually in the valley. Earlier on October 14, postpaid mobile services were also restored. Last week, the authorities had restored the mobile internet services in Kargil district of Ladakh after it remained suspended for almost 145 days after the scrapping of Article 370 in the region. While landline telephones were gradually restored first, postpaid mobile services were resumed later.

The J&K administration is deeming it fit to take these measures since the region is witnessed its long history of unrest being quelled and much-deserved normalcy gradually returning to the valley.  After about 5 months of revocation of Article 370, the union territory has been returning to normalcy. Locals in Srinagar were seen on roads, carrying out their daily chores. Street markets were open and customers thronged to buy commodities.

Public transport services have also resumed, bringing relief for commuters. Broadband internet services are being restored in the valley in a phased manner, according to BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav. The government has also provided internet facilitation centres to help students and youth to use internet services.

Earlier, all network and landline connections were suspended across Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, when the Centre announced the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution and the bifurcation of the erstwhile state.