Previously, when the Prime Minister or the Union Home Minister used to visit Kashmir, many separatist groups used to call for hartal. However, this time when Amit Shah visited the valley, there was no hartal in the state. We can see this as proof that Kashmir is returning to normalcy, albeit, in a gradual manner.

Amit Shah’s three-day visit to Kashmir coincides with the third anniversary of revoking Article 370.

Terrorist attacks and encounters have not fully been eradicated in the state. The day when Amit Shah reached Kashmir there was a gun battle in which four terrorists were killed. Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba are the main terrorist groups active in Kashmir now even if their activities are limited.

As the security forces are hitting back at the terrorists with strength, the terrorist groups are finding it hard to entice people to counter the military as they used to do before.

Terrorist groups and their sponsor, Pakistan, have realized after the Pulwama incident that India will not hesitate to strike back heavily if terrorism crosses the limit. It is India’s policy that it will not be ready for a talk with Pakistan unless that country stops overt and covert support to terrorists.

Amit Shah has announced that there won’t be any more talks with Pakistan. Instead, to eradicate terrorism, India will talk with the people of Kashmir only. The Central Government is trying to make Jammu and Kashmir the most peaceful state in the country. The brutality and casualties of the terrorist attacks in 2008, 2010, and `2016 have not been repeated.

The situation in Kashmir is changing. Within three years an investment of Rs.56,000 has come to the state. The tourist industry has also made great leaps. While the number of tourists traveling to Kashmir was 6 lakh last year, it rose to 22 lakh this year.

Once development reaches the state, the separatist movements will lose sheen. Amit Shah said that this is what we see now in Kashmir. Let us hope that when democracy is fully restored, the state will move towards more peace. India’s decision not to hold discussions with Pakistan, which is trying to undermine the development process of Kashmir, is accepted by many countries.

The Union Minister revealed that the election to the legislative assembly will take place as soon as the Election Commission publishes the revised voters’ list. We can hopefully believe that it will happen before the coming Lok Sabha elections.