After Article 370 abrogation reforms accepted without opposition: Shah

After the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, peace has been established in Jammu and Kashmir and the reforms undertaken have been accepted without any opposition, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said here on Friday.

"New dimensions of development are being created, institutions of higher education are being built, industries are being set up. Panchayati Raj has been established and many types of administrative reforms have been taken place at the grassroots level without any opposition and now Kashmir has to look ahead," he said addressing the Vitasta Cultural Festival here.

"After the removal of Article 370 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, peace has been established in Jammu and Kashmir.... In such a situation, this Vitasta Mahotsav has great importance, he said.

Article 370 of the Constitution, which accorded special status to Jammu and Kashmir, was abrogated in 2019. The state was also bifurcated into Union territories -- Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Shah said 1,900 artistes from Jammu and Kashmir and 150 from outside the Union territory were participating in the festival.

"Only art, culture and history can unite the country and Vitasta Mahotsav is a unique event to unite India. This festival is a unique event where cuisines from all over the country will be available to local people and artistes from all over the country will also enjoy Kashmiri cuisine, he said.

"Unless we use our culture and art in connecting the country, we will not be able to use this unprecedented power of ours for the benefit of the country. Despite our different cultures, languages, costumes and food habits, we are all Indians and this is our great strength. No country in the world has as much diversity as India," he said.

Shah said the Vitasta river (now known as Jhelum) has seen difficult times. "The stream of Vitasta has also seen blood, attacks by fanatics, many regime changes and Jhelum has also been a witness to the horrific scourge of terrorism," he said.

Shah said those who consider Jhelum just as a river do not recognize human culture. Jhelum is the witness to the highest level of human civilization and Vitasta is a festival to show the true Kashmir to the whole world.

The home minister said he was presented with a gift at the event -- his name written in seven different languages.

"My name was written in seven different languages by the artists. Someone wrote it in Persian, someone in Sanskrit, Hindi, Punjabi, Gurmukhi. I was amazed that a single name was written in seven different languages. I want to tell Kashmiris that this is the biggest gift of my life that the artists gave me.... This shows that art and culture can unite the country, he said.