The statistics presented by Union Minister Nityanand Rai in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday shows a conspicuous downward trend in terror-related incidents in Jammu and Kashmir over the past four years. The figures for militancy-related incidents plunged from 228 in 2018 to a record-low of 41 in 2023. Equally noticeable is the decrease in encounters, which dropped from 189 in 2018 to 44 in 2023. The improvement in the situation reflects in the decline in casualties of civilians and security personnel. From 55 civilian casualties and 91 security personnel fatalities in 2018, the numbers have come down to 13 civilians and 20 security personnel respectively in 2023.
The minister Rai also highlighted the government’s commitment to the holistic growth of J&K, saying projects worth Rs 58,477 crore across various sectors like infrastructure, education, healthcare, tourism, and agriculture have been turned around the region’s economy. Moreover, according to the data, J&K has attracted Rs 5,319.35 crore between 2019-20 and October 2023, which would make a redeeming difference to economy and generate employment.
That said, it is also true that the challenge of militancy remains very much there. Since 2021, the militancy has witnessed a conspicuous rise in Jammu region, where it had been non-existent for almost two decades prior to this. This has led to the killing of dozens of soldiers by the militants. And the fact that the militants who carried out these killings are mostly at large and their number remains unknown makes the future uncertain. It is likely that more violence is in store until the security forces track the militants down. So far, the extensive search in the jungles hasn’t yielded desired results.
But there is no denying the fact that overall militancy has been reigned in. And this is due largely to the reduction in the fresh recruitment of local youth. According to an estimate by Jammu and Kashmir Police, there are now only 40 locals among 111 active militants This marks a significant decrease from the 137 active militants recorded the previous year. This is the first time since 2015 that the ratio between foreign and local militants has altered in favour of the former, reflecting a drastic dip in the local recruitment, which earlier replenished the depletion in the militant ranks due to the killings. However, as the influx of the foreign militants shows, the effort seems to be to compensate for the setback to the local militancy. The coming weeks and months will be crucial as to how things will evolve on this score. Here’s hoping that the downward trend in the violence stays and lasts.
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