“Travel broadens horizons and mind…”, CM Omar responds to PM Modi

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who is on a two-day visit to Gujarat, continues to draw national attention through his efforts to promote tourism and engage with symbols of India’s historical legacy. His visit to the Statue of Unity and the Sabarmati Ashram has evoked praise from none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Responding to the Prime Minister’s social media post applauding his visit, Omar Abdullah wrote on X on Friday, “I’m a firm believer that travel broadens the horizons & the mind @narendramodi ji. It’s especially important for us in J&K as tourism is a crucial part of our economy & has the potential to gainfully employ lakhs of people. That’s why I & my colleagues are trying to convince more of our fellow Indians to visit J&K, especially after the tragic events earlier this year.”
The Prime Minister, in an earlier post, had remarked, “Kashmir to Kevadia! Good to see Shri Omar Abdullah Ji enjoying his run at the Sabarmati Riverfront and visiting the Statue of Unity. His visit to SoU gives an important message of unity and will inspire our fellow Indians to travel to different parts of India.”
As part of his Gujarat itinerary, Omar Abdullah visited the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad this morning. Reflecting on the experience, he shared, “My visit to Ahmedabad is now complete. I feel both humbled & privileged to have been shown around the Sabarmati Ashram of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. His teachings ring true even today & point us in the direction we should take, but seldom do.”
Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, he added: “True democracy cannot be worked by twenty men sitting at the centre. It has to be worked from below by the people of every village.”
The Chief Minister also took a symbolic step during his visit by trying his hand at the Charkha, a traditional spinning wheel used by Gandhi himself. “I was also able to try my hand with a Charkha. I had a very patient teacher who tried to teach me to spin cotton in the same way that Gandhi ji did decades ago,” he said.
Abdullah’s Gujarat visit forms part of a larger campaign to attract domestic tourists to Jammu and Kashmir and restore confidence in the region’s travel potential following recent setbacks.