2023 was a mixed bag for Kashmir: While, on one hand, the year witnessed a sense of normalcy being strengthened in Kashmir, on the other, the militancy has reared its head again in the Jammu division, This makes the turn of the year a particularly fateful occasion: it evokes both hope and a deep sense of foreboding. The hope is for one more peaceful year. The foreboding is about a possible spike in violence as was the case recently in Poonch where first five army personnel lost their lives in an ambush by militants and later three civilians from the adjacent area were allegedly killed in Army custody soon after being picked up for questioning. That said, 2023 was a year when all predictions of a turn for worse in the situation proved wrong. There has no doubt been some conspicuous rise in violence. Around 121 persons including 21 local militants, 52 infiltrators, 29 soldiers, 4 policemen, 14 civilians, and a BSF personnel were killed in Jammu and Kashmir this year.
The J&K Director General of Police RR Swain highlighted an 80 percent decrease in the recruitment of local youth by terror ranks in 2023, attributing it to the collective efforts of the Police and other security agencies working together to break the cycle of violence in the union territory. According to police figures, only 22 local youth joined militancy in 2023 compared to around 100 last year. The DGP Swain said that 113 militants from different groups have been killed in anti-terror operations in 2023. Providing details the DGP said that there are 31 local identified militants active across Jammu and Kashmir. “27 local active terrorists belong to Kashmir zone while 4 from Jammu areas.”
2023 saw a boom in tourism with again over one crore visitors making their way to the union territory. The Amarnath pilgrimage saw more people too. Last year, 3 lakh people visited the cave shrine. This year, it was 4.5 lakh. According to the tourist officials, this is the highest number of tourists Kashmir has received so far, beating by far even the pre-turmoil period record. This has given a substantial leg up to the Kashmir economy, otherwise laid low by the turmoil and the successive lockdowns of the previous two years.
It is also true that 2023 saw zero hartal and as a result, zero disruption of the businesses and the academic session. The schools for the first time remained open for the entire duration.
However, normalcy has not paved the way for the anticipated restoration of democracy and the subsequent statehood. This despite the fact that the delimitation process and revision of electoral rolls has long been completed. This has effectively cleared decks for holding the Assembly polls in the UT. But considering that the general elections are being held this, there is hope that the Assembly polls in J&K will be held this year only, as also directed by the Supreme Court. Here’s hoping that all our dire prognostications for the year ahead come untrue and the efforts are made towards ushering in genuine peace. Happy New Year to our esteemed readers.
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