Associated News Bureau

Era of Fear Is Over’: LG Sinha Says Some Trying to Mislead Public on J&K Statehood Asserts UT has ample powers for public welfare

 peace and progress   ---  Srinagar | October 31, 2025 — Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday dismissed ongoing speculation surrounding the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, asserting that certain individuals were attempting to mislead the public despite clear statements from the Union Home Minister.  Addressing a function at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar, Sinha reiterated that the Home Minister had already outlined the sequence of events — “first delimitation, then assembly elections, and statehood at an appropriate time.”  “Some people are trying to mislead the public on this issue. I want to make it clear that the Union Territory government already has sufficient powers, and those powers should be utilised for the welfare of the people instead of spreading confusion,” the LG said.  Marking the sixth anniversary of Jammu and Kashmir’s transition into a Union Territory, Sinha described October 31 as the “birth of a new Jammu and Kashmir,” an era that, according to him, ended fear, terrorism, and separatism while ushering in peace, development, and democratic participation.  “Six years ago, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, history was made when, for the first time, the laws framed by the Indian Parliament became applicable in J&K,” Sinha said. He credited Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel for laying the foundation of a united India and said that the people of the region were aware of those who “once conspired to divide it.”  Reflecting on the pre-2019 period, the LG remarked that “even the President of India had no authority over an inch of land here,” adding that a few individuals had built “artificial walls” that deprived people — particularly women — of their rights.  Sinha asserted that the abrogation of Article 370 dismantled those walls and marked the beginning of a new era. “J&K Police and security forces have broken the backbone of terrorism. The era of fear is over. People now participate freely in Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, strengthening democracy in the Union Territory,” he said.  Highlighting the shift in public sentiment, Sinha stated that the new generation had rejected violence. “Stone pelting has become history. People are now coming out spontaneously in support of peace and progress,” he said, adding that terrorism can survive only on ideology and public support. “When society withdraws that support, terrorism breathes its last — and that process has already begun,” he concluded.