New Delhi: The Philippines ambassador to India, Ramon Bagatsing, Jr., on Saturday said it appeared there was normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir, a day after he visited the Valley as part of the delegation of foreign envoys.
"It was a very informative trip and an eye-opener for me," news agency ANI quoted him as saying. "People were on the streets and shops were open. It appears there was normalcy, the way Srinagar was before August 5 (when Jammu and Kashmir's special status was revoked and Article 370 abrogated by the government).
Bagatsing said the delegation met people from several sections of society of Srinagar and Kashmir, including political leaders, civil society members and others. "It was a sentiment of moving on," he said. "For the youth, the message was very clear — how to get quality education, technical skill development programme and sports facilities."
The team of envoys arrived in the valley on Thursday where they interacted with select political representatives, civil society members as well as military top brass even as the government rejected criticism that it a "guided tour".
US Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster was among the Delhi-based envoys who spent around seven hours in Srinagar.
The delegation included diplomats from Vietnam, South Korea, Niger, Nigeria, Morocco, Guyana, Argentina, Norway, Maldives, Fiji, Togo, Bangladesh and Peru.
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