Modi makes first trip to capital of Kashmir since region’s semi-autonomy revoked

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Kashmir‘s main city for the first time since the government took direct control of the region in 2019.

Addressing a large group of people at a soccer stadium in Srinagar, Modi talked about new projects to help the area. He also said that the governments in the past had given wrong information about the region’s special status, which has now been removed.

“He said that the Jammu and Kashmir has done well since the 2019 move, and its success story will be noticed by the world. ” “I have always said that I am working hard to make you all like me. ” “I will keep trying to win your love even more,” Modi said to the crowd.

Modi and his party say that pro-India parties in Kashmir are corrupt and are tricking and encouraging Kashmiris to want to separate from India. Kashmiri leaders believe Modi is creating division and against minority groups because he took away their special rights that were promised by the constitution.

Many soldiers and police officers are watching over the Kashmir Valley, where a lot of people want to be independent or join Pakistan. Modi has visited Kashmir two times before, and both times he went to the city of Jammu, which has more Hindu people.

Modi did not say when elections will happen in Kashmir or when it will become its own state again, which is what the pro-India political parties in Kashmir want. The last vote for the local government was in 2014, but the leaders chosen then were removed in 2018.

In 2019, Modi’s government took away some freedom from a region in India called Jammu-Kashmir. They also changed its laws and split it into two smaller parts. They also made some changes to the rules about land and jobs in that region. The area with mostly Muslim people is now controlled by officials and bureaucrats who were not elected.

India’s strong home minister, Amit Shah, has said many times that the region will become a state again after the elections.

In December, India’s highest court agreed with the decision from 2019 and told the government to hold elections in the states by September.

The area has been nervous since 2019 because authorities have made many new laws that people in majority-Muslim Kashmir are worried might change the population. Many people in India were happy about the decision. Prime Minister Modi’s supporters were glad that he kept his promise to promote Hindu nationalism.

In New Delhi, India is trying to change how Kashmir is run, and it doesn’t allow people to disagree or speak out against the government. It also restricts people’s freedom and scares the media.

Before Modi’s trip to Srinagar, the government put up razor wires and checkpoints on the roads to the event location. They searched people and cars without reason and the navy commandos patrolled the river in boats.

The government told lots of workers to go to a meeting and most schools in the city were closed for the day.

Thursday’s event is seen as a part of Modi’s efforts to get votes before the national elections in April and May.

Security measures have been usual in Kashmir since 1989, when rebels started fighting against Indian control.

Kashmir is a area in the mountains and both India and Pakistan each say they should have all of it. India says that the fighting in Kashmir is being caused by terrorism supported by Pakistan. Pakistan says it didn’t do it, and many people in Kashmir believe it’s a fair fight for freedom. Many people, including civilians, rebels, and government soldiers, have died in the fighting.