Kashmir's summer capital Srinagar is hosting the third G20 Tourism Working Group meeting amid tight security on Monday. The meeting is being held in the city from May 22 to May 24.
The security was beefed up in Srinagar after a suspected "26/11-type terror plan" was reportedly exposed following revelations by a detained over ground worker (OGW). The attack was allegedly planned by the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI, an India Today report said quoting sources.
Following the terror threat, the scheduled sightseeing visits to the Dachigam National Park, Srinagar, and tourist hotspot Gulmarg in North Kashmir was cancelled for security and logistic reasons, the Indian Express reported.
The three-day-long meeting is the first big event to be organised in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. At least 60 delegates and 20 journalists from different parts of the world are likely to participate in the event.
The third G20 TWG meeting set to take place in Kashmir recorded the highest participation registered as compared to the last events organised at Gujarat’s Rann of Kutch and West Bengal’s Siliguri, an official was quoted by ANI as saying.
Why is Kashmir G20 meet important for India?
Union tourism secretary Arvind Singh said the G20 event in Srinagar presents a unique opportunity to highlight the tourism potential and cultural richness of the region.
Meanwhile, Union minister Jitendra Singh said the G20 meeting in Srinagar is an opportunity for India to showcase the changed scenario in Jammu and Kashmir which was earlier "under the shadow of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism".
The G20 meeting would also give the delegates an opportunity to see for themselves the transformation that has taken place in Jammu and Kashmir and try to correlate with the projections in the international media by "self-styled commentators".
"The change has also happened at the level of the common man walking on the streets of Srinagar. He now wants to move on. He has seen two generations sacrificed at the altar of terrorism, he is not prepared to do so anymore," Singh said.
Singh added that the G20 delegates will be the "true messengers of not only Kashmir, but also India as has been envisaged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi".
Singh's statement came as China decided to boycott the G20 Tourism Working Group meeting in Jammu and Kashmir, calling the union territory a "disputed area. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin was quoted by state media Global Times as saying, "China firmly opposes holding G20 meetings in any form in disputed areas and will not attend such meetings."
Meanwhile, explaining the significance of Srinagar G20 meet further, Abhijeet Patil, chairman of Raja Rani Travels told ANI that with the hosting of the G20 meeting in Kashmir, "people here are feeling a sense of inclusiveness". He added that this event will send a message that "Kashmir is a safe destination for shooting films".
What to expects from Kashmir's G20 meet
Under India’s G20 Tourism Track, the Tourism Working Group is working on five interconnected priority areas - Green Tourism, Digitalization, Skills, Tourism MSMEs and Destinations.
Besides this, Arvind Singh was quoted by the Hindustan Times as saying that the key deliverables of the meeting are "Goa roadmap for tourism as a vehicle for achievable development goals" and G20 ministerial declaration.
"The final meeting of G20 tourism ministers will be held in Goa in June...In that context the meeting here assumes significance because the draft which will be adopted by ministers will be finalised in Srinagar," Arvind Singh added.
After the discussions with G20 Member countries, final versions of the two drafts will be presented in the fourth Tourism Working Group meeting and Ministerial meeting.
A side event on ‘Film Tourism for Economic Growth and Cultural Preservation’ is also being organized which focuses on strategies to promote film tourism.
Moreover, G20 delegates are expected to experience local culture of Jammu and Kashmir. They will get to see handicrafts and other works of artisans during their visit to Srinagar. "Papier-mache boxes, saffron, walnuts, Qahwa cups and brass spoon will be given to delegate as souvenirs," Union Tourism Secretary Arvind Singh told reporters on Friday.
(With inputs from PTI)
First Published: May 22, 2023 9:55 AM IST
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