One of the best and representative geographical descriptions of India is from ‘Kashmir to Kanyakumari’, from majestic Himalayas to the Indian Ocean, from Kuchh to Kolkata, from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal. However, Kashmir was not directly connected with Kanyakumari. The Valley remained isolated due to the mountainous terrain of Pir Panjal range, which made travelling difficult and cumbersome.
Finally, when the much-awaited direct train link between Kashmir and the rest of the country was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 6, it was a dream come true. The rail link was finally established. It should have been done long back. Still, better late than never!
More than the abrogation of the Article 370, direct rail connecting the Valley with the rest of the country, will help in better integration of the people. While the abrogation of Article 370 did remove the psychological barrier between the Kashmiris and the rest of the country, the direct rail link will remove the physical barriers, literally.
The foundation for the rail link was laid down in 1997 by the then Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda. That time, people viewed the project very cynically. Not only was the terrain treacherous, the area was heavily infested by deadly militancy.
It took 38 years for the project to reach its completion. Given the treacherous topography of the region, it was an engineering challenge to tunnel through the rocky mountains and bridge across the deep rivers and gorges. In the process we got an engineering marvel, the iconic bridge over river Chenab, 359 meters high, the highest in the world.
It was always asked that if China could take the train to Tibet, why would India not bring the train to Kashmir? India has done that. The next project will be taking the train across the Zojila pass to Leh in the Ladakh region. While some time ago it would have sounded impossible, but now it looks very much round the corner and hopefully it should be.
Besides the air connectivity, which is not within the financial affordability of most of the Kashmiris and also the rest of the Indians, the only other means to reach there is the National Highway through the hilly terrain. Despite well-laid out roads, particularly during the last decade, there are still some vulnerable points where there are landslips and landslides that block the road. And this can happen anytime around the year. This is besides the regular blockade in winter during the snowfall.
An overwhelming majority of the Kashmiris have not been out of Kashmir to the rest of India. Planning a visit out of Kashmir to Delhi or the rest of the country was always a long drawn project for people. It will not be so anymore.
With practically no physical and first hand exposure to the rest of India, people in Kashmir were fed with different kinds of tales and myths. Even those, particularly the students, who would visit or study outside would mostly not be believed if they tried to present the real picture of what India was like once they returned home.
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Once there is convenient movement of people, they will themselves feel and realise it as what India is like. This is important for the Muslim population of the Kashmir valley, which would definitely have different ideas once they themselves see how the Muslims in India live. India has the second largest Muslim population in the world and much more than Pakistan.
When Kashmiri students return home after studies or those who work outside and when they go back, they always have better stories to tell. With more people being able to move across the country, there would be more such experiences and more such stories. The Kashmiris will realise that the people living in the rest of the country are in no way different from them, particularly when they will interact with their co-religionists.
The direct rail link will end the physical isolation of Kashmiris. And that was required. It will also boost tourism by leaps and bounds. And so will it boost the trade, particularly that of the horticulture produce. The world famous fruits like apples and cherries will find easy movement to the mainland. Cherry produced in Kashmir will reach Delhi’s Azadpur fruit Mandi within 12 hours after being plucked from the orchards in the Valley.
Last but not the least, flagging off the train within less than two months of the Pahalgam terror attack is the strong and powerful expression of the firm resolve on part of the government of India that such dastardly attacks will not deter India in any way. While so far, the direct rail link has been established between the holy town of Katra and Srinagar, once there is a direct rail link between Kashmir and Kanyakumari, it will be another epochal moment in the history of the country. That will really mean the complete physical integration of people from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.
Inauguration of the direct rail link between Kashmir and rest of the country is as momentous an event as the abrogation of Article 370. Both have ended the long and undue isolation, physical as well as psychological, of Kashmir and Kashmiris, who will now realise the beautiful dream of being part of a great country.
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