Development will trump bombs, says PM Modi in 'Mann Ki Baat'

People of Kashmir are keen on joining the mainstream and are eager to get good governance, says the Prime Minister

Mr. Modi also noted that over 3 lakh pilgrims completed the Amarnath yatra since July 1 and said it has already outnumbered the number of devotees during 60 days in 2015.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the forces who wanted to spread hate in Jammu and Kashmir would never succeed as “the power of development is stronger than the might of bullets and bombs”.

Addressing the second episode of his monthly radio broadcast Mann Ki Baat in his second term, Mr. Modi said a programme in Jammu and Kashmir called “Back to village”, in which government officials visited remote villages in June to understand the stumbling blocks to development and explain government schemes to the people, saw enthusiastic participation from the local population.

“It shows how keen people of Kashmir are on joining the mainstream of development... Such programmes and people’s participation in them show that people of Kashmir want good governance. This also proves the dictum that the power of development is stronger than the might of bullets and bombs,” he said.

Reaching remote villages

“It is clear that those who wish to spread hatred development, pose hurdles, will never succeed in their sinister plans,” Mr. Modi said and pointed out that senior officials reached the doorsteps of villagers across 4,500 panchayats.

Mr Modi said the officials also reached villages on the border that live under the shadow of cross-border firing and sensitive villages in the districts of Shopian, Pulwama, Kulgam and Anantnag — districts that had seen heightened militancy in recent times — without any fear.

With over 3 lakh pilgrims completing the Amarnath yatra since July 1, the Prime Minister noted that the number was already more than the number of people who had visited the Amarnath caves during the 60 days period in 2015. Staying with tourism and pilgrimage, he said more than eight lakh devotees had visited the Kedarnath shrine, after the 2013 deluge that had devastated the region and had put a pause on the Chardham yatra in Uttarakhand.

Chandrayan II lessons

Mr. Modi also lauded the scientists of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and talked about lessons learnt from the launch of Chandrayan II, India’s mission to put a lander-rover on the moon.

Focussing on the launch, he shared the lessons he learnt from the mission.

“If you ask me what the two greatest lessons I have received from Chandrayaan II, I shall say they are faith and fearlessness. We should trust our talent and capacities; we should have faith in them,” he said.

The PM praised the scientists for rectifying the technical glitches in a record time and successfully developing the A SAT [Anti-Satellite] that can destroy an enemy satellite within three minutes.

In his 25-minute address, the PM asked people to find out new ways to celebrate Independence Day on August 15 to ensure greater participation and informed the people of the Centre’s effort to help the flood-affected States and how it was working with State governments at a “lightning pace” to provide people relief.