NEW DELHI: Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha on Monday said that two dates June 6, 2025, and August 5, 2019, will hold historical significance in the region's integration with the rest of India, marking it as "physical and emotional unification".

Speaking at the launch of photojournalist Ashish Sharma's new coffee table book, Reimagining Jammu and Kashmir: A Pictorial Journey, Sinha said the two dates would play a pivotal role in restoring an "unbroken flow of life" to the Union Territory, which had remained "stagnant for the past seven decades."

Addressing a packed hall at Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA), Sinha drew a parallel between the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, and the completion of the Kashmir-to-Kanyakumari railway link on June 6, 2025.

"August 5 will always be remembered as the day Jammu and Kashmir were fully integrated constitutionally. Likewise, June 6 will be remembered for the physical unification when the last link in the Kashmir-Kanyakumari railway corridor was completed," he said.

On June 6, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unfurled the national tricolour on the Chenab Bridge, the world's highest railway arch bridge, connecting the northernmost stretch of India's national railway network.

He also shared the update on X and said, "Delighted to launch 'Reimagining Jammu & Kashmir' a coffee table book by Photojournalist Ashish Sharma. Under leadership of Hon'ble PM Sh Narendra Modi Ji, J&K has regained its identity of 'Paradise' post 2019 & Ashish's watchful photographic journey captures that transformation." The LG, in his address, highlighted the efforts made by the J&K administration, under the guidance of Prime Minister Modi, to build not "temporary" but a lasting peace in the Union Territory.

He emphasised that his guiding principle, which he has also communicated to the security forces in the Valley, is "Begunah ko chedna nahi, aur gunheghar ko chodna nahi" (the innocent should not be harassed, and the guilty should not be spared).

"Our mission and vision should be the same, centred around the common man... and if we follow this principle, the common man will also stand with us," he explained.

While acknowledging that Pakistan continues to engage in nefarious activities, including the Pahalgam attack on April 22, Sinha stressed that separatism, stone-pelting, and shutdowns have become things of the past in the Valley.

Sinha claimed that the number of locally recruited terrorists has dropped to its lowest ever at just eight.

"Only eight local terrorists are currently active in J&K. Yes, Pakistan has been sending infiltrators from outside, which led to incidents like the Pahalgham attack," he added.

On the occasion, Sinha also lauded the efforts of Ashish Sharma behind the coffee table book, which he noted remarkably showcases J&K's extraordinary journey and unprecedented growth across all sectors.

"Books are documents of the time, especially coffee table books present progress through captivating photographs. We can see J&K is on the move through Ashish's camera," he concluded.

He asserted that J&K's industries, start-ups and agriculture sectors have witnessed "rapid growth" over the five successive years.

"Youth are fulfilling their dreams through entrepreneurship & around one million availed opportunity of self-employment within 4 yrs & it has been ensured that no section of society is left behind," he added in his post.

Former union minister Meenakshi Lekhi and IGNCA president Ram Bahadur Rai were among the eminent personalities present at the book launch.

Published by Bloomsbury, the 226-page book "Reimagining Jammu and Kashmir", priced at Rs 2,999, celebrates the region's rich cultural heritage, iconic landmarks, and hidden treasures, while also highlighting its evolving and dynamic present.

An accompanying photo exhibition is on display from June 16-25 at Darshanam'“I gallery of the IGNCA, the statement said.