Jammu, Sep 10 : Union minister Jitendra Singh on Tuesday said that Kashmir is "neither shut nor under curfew' but only under certain restrictions.

He warned anti-India forces that they have to soon change their mentality that they can do anything and get away with it.

"We need to condemn such statement (that Kashmir is under curfew and totally shut). Kashmir is not shut. There is no curfew. If there is curfew, people have to go out with curfew passes," he told reporters here.

"No person in Kashmir is being asked for curfew pass. However they are expected not to disturb peace. There are some restrictions," he added.

Singh was addressing the press conference to highlight achievements of the Narendra Modi government during its first 100 days.

He said that Kashmir is returning back to normalcy slowly.

On the issue of Internet shutdown, he said, "We want it to be restored as soon as possible. One attempt was made but fake videos were floated on social media and then the decision was reviewed again," he said.

The government is keen to lift these restrictions and Internet blockade, the Union minister of state in the PMO added.

On civilian killings engineered by terrorists, he said that Pakistan is backing them.

"There are perception and mentality that you can do anything and get away with it. Now you cannot get away with it and you will have to pay a price on anti-Indian activities," he warned.

 

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Leh/Jammu (PTI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday described the return of sacred relics of Lord Buddha to Ladakh after 75 years as a "historic reunion" and said that the Union Territory has remained a "living land of dharma", preserving and nurturing Buddhist knowledge for centuries.

Stressing the relevance of Buddha's teachings in modern times, Shah said the message of peace, compassion and the middle path was even more important today than it was 2,500 years ago.

"Ladakh has been a living land of dharma for centuries. When the Dalai Lama comes here, he says this land is not merely a geographical land but a living laboratory of Buddhist culture and compassion," Shah said, speaking after the inauguration of the sacred holy relics exposition of Tathagata Buddha and the 2569th Buddha Purnima celebrations at Jivetsal in Leh during his two-day visit to Ladakh.

Calling Ladakh a land of compassion, he said this land has preserved and nurtured knowledge. "Whenever Buddhism faced crises, this land worked to protect the teachings of Buddha. And when peace returned, it helped to expand and carry forward that preserved wisdom," he added.

"Unless one internalises knowledge and makes it a part of oneself, liberation is not possible. Knowledge is incomplete without spiritual practice, while spiritual practice without knowledge is blind. Therefore, the union of spiritual practice and knowledge is the right path. Even after all this, if there is no moral discipline, one cannot lead a truly wise life. The basis of a life of wisdom is moral discipline," he said.

Shah said it was through Ladakh and adjoining routes that the teachings of Tathagata Buddha, which originated in India, spread to China and several other countries.

"The message that emerged from the land of Ladakh has become a guiding force for many people around the world to take their lives forward. The presence of these sacred relics in Ladakh reminds us that India's civilisation has, for thousands of years, given the message of peace and coexistence," he said.

He said that in a diverse region like Ladakh and Kargil, this message becomes even more relevant. "This heritage still tells us today that amidst conflict and unrest, only the path of peace and compassion can provide solutions."

He said the return of the relics on Buddha Purnima had enhanced the significance of the festival for the people of Ladakh.

"These sacred relics have come to Ladakh after 75 years. It is as if Buddha himself is present here today," Shah said, adding that followers of Buddhism and people of other faiths in Ladakh and Kargil would draw spiritual energy from the relics.

Highlighting Ladakh's role in the spread of Buddhism, Shah said Kashmir was once an ancient centre of Buddhist studies, Mahayana philosophy and Buddhist art, from where Ladakh first came into close contact with Buddhism.

He said Emperor Ashoka's envoys laid the foundation of Buddhist influence in Ladakh through Kashmir and Gandhara, while Mahayana Buddhism expanded in the region during the Kushan period between the first and third centuries CE.

The Silk Route linking Kashmir, Leh, Yarkand, Khotan and Tibet became a channel not only for trade but also for ideas, monks, manuscripts and artistic traditions, Shah said.

He added that later, Tibetan influence between the seventh and tenth centuries further enriched Ladakh through Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions.

Stressing the relevance of Buddha's teachings in modern times, Shah said the message of peace, compassion and the middle path was even more important today than it was 2,500 years ago.

"Amid conflict and unrest, only the path of peace and compassion can provide solutions," he said.

Shah also appealed to the Ladakh administration to ensure complete arrangements so that followers of all faiths, especially Buddhists, could visit and pay obeisance to the relics.