Why PM Modi’s first visit to Srinagar in five years is significant

It’s a big, big day. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be travelling to Srinagar today where he will address a public meeting and unveil multiple development projects worth more than Rs 6,400 crore in Srinagar. The visit assumes even more importance as this is the prime minister’s first to the region after Article 370 was abrogated five years ago.

Earlier, PM Modi giving an account of his visit to Srinagar wrote on X, “I will be in Srinagar tomorrow, 7th March to take part in the ‘Viksit Bharat Viksit Jammu Kashmir’ programme. Various development works will also be dedicated to the nation. Notable among them are works worth over Rs 5,000 crore relating to boosting the agro-economy. Various works linked with tourism will also be dedicated to the nation.”

As the excitement builds for the PM’s visit, we take a closer look at what to expect and the top-notch security arrangements to ensure security.

Modi’s jam-packed schedule

PM Modi’s day in Srinagar will begin around noon when he will land at Srinagar’s technical airport. From there, he will board the helicopter to Badami Bagh cantonment and head to Indian Army’s 15 Corps headquarters.

His cavalcade will pass through city routes and reach the Bakshi Stadium, where he will address thousands of people and unveil development projects worth more than Rs 6,400 crore. According to an official statement, the PM will launch nationwide projects related to the tourism sector worth more than Rs 1,400 crore under the ‘Swadesh Darshan’ and ‘PRASHAD’ (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation And Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive) schemes, including a project for the integrated development of the Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar.

In addition, Modi will also launch the ‘Dekho Apna Desh People’s Choice Tourist Destination Poll’ and the ‘Chalo India Global Diaspora’ campaign as well, besides announcing tourist destinations selected under the Challenge-Based Destination Development (CBDD) scheme.

It is also expected that Modi will distribute appointment letters to nearly 1,000 newly-recruited government employees in Jammu and Kashmir and also interact with the beneficiaries of various central schemes, including women achievers, farmers and entrepreneurs.

The PM will also dedicate the ‘Holistic Agriculture Development Programme’ under which 2.5 lakh farmers will be provided skill development through the Daksh Kisan portal. Under the programme, around 2,000 Kisan Khidmat Ghars will be established and robust value chains will be put in place for the welfare of the farming community.

Some reports have also said that Modi will also meet and condole with the families of those Jammu and Kashmir policemen, who have died recently.

Following all this, he will head back to the airport and return to the country’s capital — New Delhi.

Security measures tightened

In light of PM Modi’s visit, authorities have increased their vigilance and implemented a high-security posture in Kashmir, with NDTV reporting that the preparations involve the biggest security exercise in recent times.

Thousands of policemen and paramilitary troopers have been deployed across Srinagar and the area around Bakshi stadium where Modi will address the crowd has been turned into a fortress.

Frisking of civilians and security checks of vehicles will increase today on account of PM Modi’s visit and check points have also been installed at various points across the city. Barricades have also been installed across the city as an effort to avoid any untoward incident. Moreover, according to a Greater Kashmir report, some of the high-rise buildings around the stadium have been taken over for surveillances purposes and sharpshooters have also been positioned.

In addition to this, the city of Srinagar has also been declared as ‘Temporary Red Zone’ for the operation of drones and quadcopters. This means that no drones or quadcopters will be allowed in Srinagar.

Officials have also placed marine commandos in and around the Jhelum river and the Dal Lake.

For Modi’s address at Bakshi Stadium, over 1,000 buses have been pressed into service to ferry people. According to BJP workers, the address will be witnessed by two lakh people and the security measures are in place to handle such a crowd. Incidentally, the stadium only has an official seating capacity of 20,000.

Of the two lakh people expected at the grounds, many of them are government employees, who have been asked to attend, reported The Hindu earlier. The report said that 13 government departments had been told to send their employees to Bakshi Stadium.

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah criticised the authorities on ‘forcing’ government officials to attend the rally today. In a PTI report, he was quoted as saying, “Employees, men and women in 1000s are being asked to assemble between 4:30 am and 5:30 am in the freezing temperatures to be bused to the venue. This participation isn’t optional, it’s compulsory. Employees who don’t show up are been threatened with disciplinary action by their department heads.”

Examinations for school students have also been cancelled after the dates of some of the scheduled board exams coincided with the 7 March rally.

The authorities have also issued a traffic advisory, as several roads in and around Srinagar will be blocked for the PM’s movement.

Importance of Modi’s visit

Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Srinagar is particularly poignant. Even though he visited Jammu earlier on 20 February, this will be his first to Kashmir since Article 370 was abrogated and the region’s statehood was removed. The last time Modi was in Kashmir was in 2019 where he had also taken a boat ride in Dal Lake.

But beyond the symbolism, his first visit is also expected to lay the groundwork for the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The PM will speak about how development has been brought about in the region and it is expected that he will lambast the Congress, National Conference and PDP for “failing to bring prosperity to Kashmir” during their long tenures.

Modi’s visit to Srinagar will also consolidate the BJP’s efforts to remove the “Dilli ki Doori” (the distance from Delhi) and ‘Dil Ki Doori’ (the distance from the heart).

Political observers will also pay close attention to Modi’s address at the Bakshi stadium to see if he drops any hints about holding Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. It’s important to note here that Jammu-Kashmir has not had an elected government since 2018. In fact, while ruling in favour of abrogation of Article 370 in December 2023, the Supreme Court had also underlined the need to hold Assembly elections in J-K before 30 September of this year.

The BJP also hopes to portray a sense of normalcy in Kashmir through the PM’s visit. Ravinder Raina, the J&K’s BJP president, was quoted as telling VOANews, “Modi has written the new chapter of development in J&K by opening the gates of treasure of India for the people of the region. His visit on March 7th will be remembered as a historic event.”

Interestingly, Modi’s visit to Srinagar comes at a time when the Opposition is in disarray in the region. The National Conference has announced that it will contest all three Lok Sabha seats in the Valley, an indication that talks with its alliance partners — the Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) — had failed. This move also puts a huge question mark on the future of the Peoples Alliance for the Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), an alliance of political parties in the Valley that was formed in 2020 to fight for the restoration of J&K’s special status.

With inputs from agencies