India, June 12 -- For more than a century, the idea of a railway to Kashmir remained a dream postponed by wars, terrain, and political hesitation. Now, with the completion of the Katra-Baramulla section of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), India has stitched together one of its most difficult geographies with steel, stone, and unshakable will.

It is a quiet but profound moment in India's relationship with Kashmir - a moment when the promise of inclusion is made tangible, and the long shadow of distance is finally lifted. That the rail link now stands completed - after nearly four decades of construction - is testament to what sustained political commitment, technological daring, and ground-level grit can achieve.

This h...