Nearly 77 percent decline in terrorism, encounters and deaths in Jammu and Kashmir in last 5 years: Home Ministry

New Delhi : The Union Home Ministry has told the Parliamentary Committee that there has been a huge decline in terrorist incidents in the country. The ministry said that by 2023, there has been a 77% reduction in terrorist incidents and encounters in the last five years. Additionally, a 75% decline has been observed in civilian deaths. The Home Ministry gave this information to the Parliament’s Standing Committee on Home Affairs. The committee is headed by BJP MP Radha Mohan Das Agarwal. The Home Ministry informed the committee about its achievements in various fields. These include left wing extremism, counter-terrorism, internal security, cyber crime, border management and disaster management.

According to the ministry, 30 security personnel made the supreme sacrifice during operations in 2023, while the number was 91 in 2018, a decrease of 67%. The incidents committed by terrorists were 417 in 2018, which came down to 94 in 2023. Although there has been a spurt in terrorist incidents and encounters in Jammu and Kashmir since the formation of the Omar Abdullah government, the data shared by the ministry is only till 2023.

The ministry reported that there was not a single incident of stone pelting and strike in 2023, which is a 100% decrease compared to 2018. Civilian casualties dropped from 55 in 2018 to 14 in 2023. After removal of Article 370, all central laws apply to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

According to the ministry, 2.11 crore tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir in 2023. Although Ladakh was made a separate union territory in 2019, the ministry highlighted the success of development plans involving both Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. These also include the Vibrant Village Program near the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The committee was told that except the northern borders, there is a proposal to create vibrant villages on other borders also.

In the fight against terrorism, the Home Ministry reported that 57 individuals have been declared terrorists since the amendment to UAPA. These include Dawood Ibrahim, JeM chief Maulana Masood Ansari, Lashkar chief Hafiz Saeed, Khalistan supporter Arshdeep Singh, Goldie Brar, Lakhbir Singh and Wadhwa Singh. A total of 22 organizations have been declared ‘unlawful associations’, while 45 organizations have been declared ‘terrorist organisations’.

Regarding Left Wing Extremism (LWE), the Committee was informed that incidents have declined by 73% in the last five years by 2023 and by 86% in 2023 compared to 2010. The number of LWE affected districts has reduced from 126 in 2014 to 38 in 2024. Similarly, the number of most affected LWE districts has reduced from 35 in 2014 to 12 in 2024.