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Wheels of change may bring diplomacy on track
Published on Sat, Jun 21, 2008 at 23:06, Updated on Sat, Jun 21, 2008 at 23:13 in Nation section
Tags: 30 Minutes, Train To Kashmir , Budgam
CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION: The rail link will be the journey of the entire Valley towards a better tomorrow.
Chairman People's Conference, Sajjad Lone says, "There will be an economic impact, yes, but a political impact - no. Nothing short of political deliverance would compensate. Tracks and trains would not help. It has to be hardcore politics."
However, PDP President, Mehbooba Mufti says, "I forsee that with the train, we can take go to other places too. We will be centrally located and if we want to throw open Kashmir to the world and to Central Asia and other places, the train will help us do it."
Political analysts in the Valley say the link will have more subtle political and psychological effects, since it will make the Valley more accessible.
Vice-Chancellor Jammu University, Amitabh Mattoo says, "If you see a rail link as a symbol of channels of communication, it will have an impact in defusing the kind of vision that petty political actors have. It will open Kashmir psychologically and strategically."
Separatists like the Chairman of the Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, see the line as a devious move to strengthen India's hold on Kashmir.
He calls it a planning of the Indian imperialism.
"This is India's cultural aggression. People of Kashmir are being ruled by India and they want freedom. They do not attach any importance to such works," says he.
However, his is not a position analysts take very seriously.
Amitabh Mattoo says, "It is absurd to believe to that rail link will be an Indian control. It will be economically strategic for the people of Kashmir. Kashmir will open up. If there are people who want to isolate the Valley, then they live in cloud cuckoo land. The Valley and its people deserve to reach out to the globe."
This rail link will be the begining in many ways, perhaps also the journey of the entire region towards a better tomorrow. For now, the people can only hope that the project does not suffer any more delays. The wait already has been far too long.
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What good will that does. It is the state government officials including the corrupt past and present Chief Ministers who
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Based on this video(s), it looks obvious that people are excited and want railways, but the moolah hawks like Syed
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