When the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH) remained closed for several days in February and March this year, the government of Jammu & Kashmir and India began to think seriously about an alternative road link to the Kashmir Valley. For the last six decades, the GOI has spent thousands of crores of rupees to maintain the present Highway, the lifeline to the Kashmir Valley passing through the geographically unstable Batote-Ramban-Banihal stretch. The government also has a pipe dream of converting the present NH into four lanes with several tunnels, under the North-South corridor scheme. Experts believe that the problem of boulders and land slides obstructing the Highway will remain due to the nature of rock formation and they shall always roll down due to the instability of the mountain ranges. It seems the decision of government to four-lane the NH is politically motivated and ill conceived.

The alienation of the people of Kashmir can be partly attributed to its tenuous links with the Indian mainland. India's economic boom, and its full tourist and horticulture potential have not reached Kashmir, due to the slow movement of men and material. The present uprising has its roots in unemployment, underdevelopment, corruption and poverty. By contrast, the Chinese government which had similar problems in Tibet has linked it to the mainland by opening the world's highest rail service, considered an engineering marvel. The booming eastern part of China is now linked to the poorer western part through this 1140 kilometer rail line crossing world's most forbidding terrain climbing over 5000-metre high mountain passes and crossing ground that remains frozen round the year.

India has been fixated with road and rail links over unsuitable terrain - remember for example, the tunnel that came down near Katra last year postponing its inauguration for months. However, the Indian Railways shelved the 223km Jammu-Poonch rail project citing reasons like inadequate returns and constraints of resources despite the fact that the Indian Railway earned over Rs. 20,000 crores profit this year and this line could even be extended into the Kashmir Valley.

When the Mughals conquered Kashmir in 1586 AD they chose the most feasible and shortest route to the Kashmir Valley passing through Bufliaz-Shopian, now known as the Mughal road. The work on this 89 km route traversing the Pir-Panjal range began in 1979, but this project has been gathering dust due to the short-sightedness of Indian planners. One of the reasons could be its strategic location and possible misuse for infiltration by terrorists. But with the opening of the Uri-Muzaffarabad road, the Defence Ministry has been quick to downplay such apprehensions. The present objection is from the Ministry of Environment and Forests since the road passes through the Heerput Wildlife Sanctuary but this can be overcome by constructing a tunnel, instead. This road passes through a geographically stable terrain and the economic impact of development, tourism and horticulture will be tremendous as the 20 lakh people living across the Pir-Panjal range would be benefited. The distance and travel time to Poonch and Rajouri from Srinagar would also be reduce from 588 and 518 km to 126 km and 158 km respectively.

Of late, all the political parties and people belonging to all sections of society have been demanding the opening of the Mughal road and the Jammu-Poonch road link. The GOI should undertake on a priority basis, this project, which will prove a boon for the people also for contact with areas across the LoC, besides promoting trade. During his visit of to Nowshera on 9 March, the Chief Minister announced the government's intention to open the old Janger-Mirpur-Kotli road. The old Mughal road connecting Lahore-Bhimber-Nowshera-Bufliaz-Shopian can be reopened by converting it into a four lane project to foster friendship between the two countries. A Delhi-Lahore-Srinagar-Leh-Manali-Delhi safari trip can also be started for boosting tourism and adventure sports.

The world is now being converted into a global village under the impact of globalization. Borders between countries are becoming redundant and hatred is being converted into mutual trust and friendship. A South Asia rail link is being considered to connect Kabul and Hanoi through Myanmar. The people of Kashmir also need to be integrated with the outside world. The menace of terrorism cannot be crushed by the gun, but by all round development and economic prosperity. Jammu and Kashmir needs an all weather transport lifeline. The occasional air lifting of stranded passengers under operations like "Hamsaffar" are temporary measures, besides being very expensive.

The stakes in the Mughal road and Jammu-Poonch rail link are very high; the financial implications, however large, are insignificant. One wonders how the Mughals shifted the Delhi Darbar, comprising 3-4 lakh persons and 1.5-2 lakh animals, to Srinagar every summer. Why is the present Delhi Darbar so inaccessible to Kashmiris?