The most significant difference since the repeal of Article 370 is that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are living their lives according to their own wishes, said Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday, the fourth anniversary of the repeal of the article, news agency PTI reported. On this day in 2019, the Centre repealed Article 370, which granted special status to the former state of Jammu and Kashmir, and divided it into union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.


Speaking with media, LG Sinha stated: "Pakistan-sponsored shutdowns by terrorists and separatists, due to which schools, colleges and business establishments used to remain closed for about 150 days a year, have ended."


"The biggest change that is visible on the ground is that the common people of Jammu and Kashmir are living life according to their own wishes. Street violence has ended," he further stated. 


According to the lieutenant governor (LG), Kashmir's young people are enjoying late-night outings and are now spending time at the Poloview market and the Jhelum riverside. The city's two most popular public spaces were recently restored as part of the Srinagar Smart City initiative.


"The dreams of the youth of Kashmir have got wings now and in the days to come, their contribution to nation building will not be less than anyone," Sinha was quoted by PTI in its report. 


According to the LG, Jammu and Kashmir would soon reclaim its former splendour for which it was recognised around the globe.


Earlier, Sinha told a crowd gathered at the event at the Kashmir International Convention Centre on the banks of the Dal Lake that "youth power, women power, and its farmers" had brought about many improvements in Jammu and Kashmir in the recent four years.


"I salute the farmers, the youth, women. This is the power by virtue of which a new Jammu and Kashmir has been made possible. This is the power which has awakened Jammu and Kashmir's inner powers. It has created a new belief system in society," he said.

 

Last year, on August 5, the administration declared "Corruption Free Day" in Jammu and Kashmir, according to Sinha.


According to the LG, the ecosystems of terror, separatism, and corruption have "polluted" Jammu and Kashmir. "People here know better than me. It is very important that this cancerous corruption be treated," he said.