A new journey began in J&K after the “historic” abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 and the region has now become a confluence of confidence and capital, said Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar Saturday while highlighting that the aspirations of generations have found wings. Addressing a gathering during the 10th convocation ceremony of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Dhankhar said, “Democracy has found its real voice, its real resonance. The region is no longer a story of conflict; every investment proposal in new Kashmir is not just about capital, it is about trust being restored, faith being rewarded. The change is not imperceptible; it is perceptible. Perception has changed, ground reality is changing, hopes of the people are soaring.” In just two years, Dhankhar said J&K received investment proposals worth `65,000 crore, signalling strong economic interest in the region. “For the first time since 2019, FDI has entered J&K with multiple international companies showing interest. The region is a confluence of confidence and capital,” he said. In an apparent reference to BJP ideologue Syama Prasad Mookerjee, he said a great son of the soil once voiced the demand for ‘Ek Desh Mein Ek Nishan, Ek Vidhan, Ek Pradhan’ and that dream has been accomplished after the abrogation of Article 370. “Where there was once disorder, we now witness real order and stability,” Dhankhar said. “The aspirations of generations found wings when the constitutional walls of separation crumbled in 2019 with the historic abrogation of Article 370,” he said. B R Ambedkar drafted all articles except Article 370, he said. “I would urge you to go into the historical perspective to know the background as to why he declined,” he said, adding that another towering giant of Indian political firmament, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, took upon himself the task of integrating physical states except the state of J&K.
