Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama saw a historic shift in public celebrations on the 76th Republic Day as it joined the rest of India, unfurling the national flag for the first time at Tral Chowk on Sunday. Videos of three generations from the common public hoisting the tricolour at Tral Chowk have gone viral on social media, with people saying that this is the face of Naya Kashmir (new Kashmir).
The term Naya Kashmir has become popular in recent years, particularly after the Narendra Modi government revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir by ceasing the application of Article 370 of the Constitution of India. The decision was seen as completing the integration of Jammu and Kashmir with India as the provision allowed the erstwhile state to have its own Constitution, a separate penal code and also a flag equivalent in stature as the tricolour.
The decision to revoke special status, which was accompanied with the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir to create Ladakh as a Union Territory in 2019, and relegation of the remaining part of J&K as a Union Territory, was seen as a major administrative-legal push to build Naya Kashmir, ending the narrative of Pakistan-backed terrorism in the region.
In the viral videos, an elderly person, a youth, and a child jointly hoisted the flag, symbolising unity across generations.
More than 1,000 people attended the event, and slogans of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” echoed as patriotic songs were sung.
Tral was once a terror-hit area. The unfurling of the tricolour on the Republic Day symbolised a step toward peace, progress, and national unity.
As the flag waved against snow-capped mountains, the chanting of patriotic slogans signalled the ongoing transformation and commitment to the values of the Indian Constitution, standing as a beacon of hope and unity in Naya Kashmir.
The ceremony was conducted peacefully under tight security by the Rashtriya Rifles, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and CRPF. This is also significant in the wake that Pulwama was the site of the terror attack of February 2019, when 40 CRPF troops were killed. It triggered a retaliatory attack by Indian forces to target a terror training site run by Jaish-e-Mohammed in Pakistan’s Balakot.
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Watch | Pulwama’s Tral Chowk sees ‘Naya Kashmir’ make history on 76th Republic Day
