Union Home Minister Amit Shah, addressing the Rajya Sabha on Friday, emphasized the significant decline in terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) following the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. Shah stated that Indian youth's involvement with terrorism in the region has nearly ended, and the glorification of terrorists—once common—has ceased.

He highlighted that under previous administrations, large funeral processions for terrorists were held, and their families often received government jobs. Now, terrorists are buried at the site of their deaths, and relatives or sympathizers have been removed from government positions to send a strong message.

Shah credited the Modi government's "zero-tolerance policy" against terrorism for these changes, citing a 70% reduction in deaths due to terrorism and a sharp decline in terror incidents in J&K—from 7,217 incidents between 2004 and 2014 to 2,242 between 2014 and 2024.

Civilian deaths dropped by 81%, and security forces' casualties decreased by 50%. He also noted the elimination of organized stone-pelting incidents, which previously averaged over 2,600 annually.

Shah criticized earlier governments for their "soft" stance on terrorism, accusing them of prioritizing vote-bank politics. He contrasted this with the Modi administration's decisive actions, including surgical strikes and airstrikes following the Uri and Pulwama attacks.

Shah reiterated that Article 370 had been a root cause of separatism in Kashmir and praised its removal as fulfilling the vision of India's Constitution makers.

The Home Minister also highlighted developmental milestones in J&K post-Article 370 abrogation, such as increased employment opportunities, cultural events like Diwali celebrations at Lal Chowk, and peaceful elections without violence or booth rigging.

Shah reaffirmed the government's commitment to eradicating terrorism across India by implementing sustained measures against insurgencies in J&K, the Northeast, and left-wing extremism.

IT News