Omkar Dattatray
The recent successful G20 meeting in Jammu and Kashmir in fact raised the prestige and stature of not only India but of its inalienable part and parcel the UT of Jammu and Kashmir globally. The G20 in J&K enhanced the status of Jammu and Kashmir on the international platform. The G20 meeting in Jammu and Kashmir attracted the attention of the global leaders and people towards the Jammu and Kashmir’s tourism ,its diverse and composite culture as well towards its famous hospitality and thus J&K got quantum jump in its stature globally and it is a big development and the detractors and advisories of Jammu and Kashmir-Pakistan and its leaders and rulers have sleepless nights as they are uneasy over the successful conclusion of the G20 summit in Jammu and Kashmir. The third G20 tourism working group meeting in Kashmir is an global signal that Kashmir is open for business and a great advertisement for tourism. The recommendations of the working group is likely to give J&K international level exposure and assist hugely in the economic development of the UT. Numerous corporate leaders, experts, businessmen, and diplomats ,from middle East countries have indeed toured J&K in the past few months to investigate opportunities to invest in the UT. The group of Twenty -G20 ,the premier forum for international economic cooperation will play an important role in shaping and strengthening architecture and governance of J&K.
The importance of the G20 in Kashmir stems from its potential to provide a diplomatic platform for discussions, promote dialogue, and indirectly influence the situation through its focus on economic prosperity and improved living standards often play a significant role in reducing conflicts and addressing underlying grievances.
The G20’s efforts to promote inclusive economic growth and cooperation can potentially have positive spillover effects on Kashmir. At the strategic platform, the G20 symposium or associated discussion group will also give a strategic signaling and geopolitical devastating blow to Pakistan and will give stimulus to further calcify our stance on Jammu and Kashmir post abrogation of article 370.
Furthermore, the G20 Summit can be an opportunity for the western democracies to collaborate in addressing global financial dilemmas, which will eventually improve J&K status. The nefarious design of Pakistan to keep Kashmir unstable seems to be short lived in the age of internet.
J&K today is blooming due to government’s clear ideology of development and prosperity and with the outreach of social media, the populous across in POK can very well comprehend and compare the economical difference in two mountainous regions. The much anticipated reaction on the third G20 tourism working group meeting in Jammu and Kashmir once again reflected their insecurities to cover its malafide intentions and incapability’s to the entire world. The reason for this is not difficult to comprehend as Pakistan development ideology for POK is based on terrorism .
To keep Kashmir pot boiling ,Pakistan with this ideology can go to any extant and will never get POK on the track of development. Flourishing Kashmir will always give a sour throat to Pakistan. Jammu and Kashmir is primarily services based and agriculture -oriented economy. Along with agriculture and horticulture ,it is a global tourist destination and important industry for Jammu and Kashmir, accounting for 7% to its economy. The G20 meeting in Kashmir will give further boost to global tourism to Jammu and Kashmir and it will accord and recognize the tourist potential of the UT and this will lead to enhancement to the stature and status of Jammu and Kashmir at the international level and there is no doubt about it.
With the medium of G20, J&K UT will get its recognized and rightful place in the globe and thus the G20 summit in J&K is an eyesore to Pakistan and its elder brother China and both the countries have maintained distance from the G20 meeting and have not attended the crucial and prestigious global event.
Despite their absence the G20 meeting was a great success and it led to increase in the status ,prestige and due place to Jammu and Kashmir at the international scale. The tourism of Jammu and Kashmir got inscribed on the global tourist map of the world. With this increase in the stature, status and prestige of Jammu and Kashmir ,there will be unprecedented increase in the tourist opportunities of Jammu and Kashmir at the global scale and this will bring much needed economic impetus to Jammu and Kashmir and it will increase and open employment opportunities for the youth of the UT.
It will also raise the standard of living of the people in Jammu and Kashmir and this is a favor to its people.
G20 is in fact the window of Jammu and Kashmir to the world as with this the diverse and composite cultural as well as its hospitality will be before the world besides its tourist destinations will become global destinations.
With this all those people who are directly as well as indirectly associated with tourism will get money and this will open enormous opportunities for the international tourism for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The winds of change are brewing in Jammu and Kashmir and this place will carve an important place at the global level since the foreign investment at a big scale will be attracted to Kashmir and this is really a big development for the UT.
Under the Indian presidency, the G20 in 2023 will focus on the theme of One Earth, One Family, One Future.
The theme affirms the value of human ,animal ,plant and microorganisms and their interconnectedness on planet Earth and in the wider universe. In brief we can say that the G20 meeting in Kashmir will give impetus to the stature, status and prestige of Jammu and Kashmir on the global level as the tourism will get a boost at the international front and the employment opportunities to the youth of J&K will be increase and enhance and it will benefit the people of the UT. Thus without any doubt it can be said that the G20 meeting in Jammu and Kashmir will give impetus to the status and prestige of the UT at global level and this is not an ordinary development.
(The author is a columnist, social and KP activist).