Reading Time: 2 minutesDays after the government revoked Article 370 of the Constitution that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval was spotted on Wednesday having lunch with local residents here, in a bid to show that normalcy was slowly returning to the Valley.
Doval was in Kashmir to assess the security situation in the state, which was put under curfew hours ahead of the government’s announcement. All communication, including the internet and telephone (both mobile and landline), were also snapped.
On Wednesday, however, the NSA was spotted sitting and interacting with a handful of local people outside shuttered down shops in an empty market place in South Kashmir’s Shopian.
Between bites of wazwan, Doval was seen explaining to the people how the new set-up would ease people’s lives by improving health facilities and education. “The government will make every effort to better the education of the children in the valley. It might not be as good as the private institutes, but you’ll definitely see an improvement,” he told the people.
Earlier, the NSA met Governor Satya Pal Malik at the Raj Bhavan in Srinagar. He also addressed groups of Jammu and Kashmir Police, Central Reserve Police Force and the Indian Army personnel to boost their morale in the state’s altered scenario. He said he was aware of the danger the security forces in the state worked under as he himself had been a part of the security set-up for the past 52 years.
IANS
Doval visits J&K, interacts with Kashmiris over lunch
- Advertisement -
Podcasts
Ep8: Indian links in Indigenous Australian poet Ali Cobby Eckermann’s life
To celebrate NAIDOC week 2020 (between 8-15 November) I spoke to Yakunytjatjara poet Ali Cobby Eckermann about her time in India where she taught...
Ep 7: In the case of Sushant Singh Rajput
The torrid and high-octane Sushant Singh Rajput case has been fodder for Indian people and press for the last few months. The actor’s tragic...
Ep 6: The Indian LGBTQ+ community in 2020
It’s been two years since the world’s largest democracy repealed the draconian Section 377 which used to allow discrimination against homosexual people. Only this...
Latest News
AUSvIND: Battered India pull off greatest Test series win of all...
Ten first-choice players unavailable or injured for at least part of the series, including the talismanic captain who happens to be the best player....
Candid convos caught by stump mics
A lot of the time cheeky stump mics catch candid conversations on the pitch that become immortalised on Youtube. Here are some of those...
WATCH: Pujara puts his body on the line at the Gabba
A battered and bruised Indian cricket team is soldiering on as the final day of the 4th cricket test match goes to a thrilling...
Biryani Bonanza: 3 delicious recipes to try this Republic Day
Talk about biryanis, and you’ll encounter way too many FAQs. Do you cook the rice and meat separately, or together? Do you use the...
“Stop cooking curry”: when neighbours complain about ‘smelly’ Indian food
When 29-year-old Vaibhav Pokhriyal moved into his new apartment in Dee Why, he never would’ve guessed what a stir (no pun intended) his cooking...