NEW DELHI: The bygone year seems to have seen the back of bandhs and street violence in Jammu and Kashmir with ‘nil’ incidents of organised hartals and organised stone-pelting related to terrorism and separatism recorded until December 15, as against 52 hartals and 1,221 stone-pelting incidents in 2018, the year before the nullification of Article 370.
The home ministry, in a year-ender account of its actions and achievements, said terrorist-initiated incidents in J&K were down to 44 in 2023 (until December 15) from 228 in 2018. During the period under comparison, encounters fell to 48 from 189, civilians killed to 13 from 55 and security personnel fatalities to 26 from 91.
Tourism sector in the UT of J&K saw unprecedented growth in 2023 with more than 1.9 crore incoming tourists. Amarnath Yatra witnessed 4.4 lakh yatris paying obeisance at the holy cave, which is the highest figure in the last 10 years.
Nationally, the home ministry underlined the enactment of three criminal justice laws – Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam – as an important achievement, saying that it implemented PM Narendra Modi’s vision to end all vestiges of slavery by replacing British-era criminal codes and laws.
On the fight against terror, the MHA recalled the designation of four organisations – The Resistance Front (TRF), People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), Jammu and Kashmir Ghaznavi Force and Khalistan Tiger Force – as ‘terrorist organisations’ under UAPA in 2023. Seven terrorists were declared as ‘individual terrorists’ under UAPA. Also, Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party, Muslim League Jammu Kashmir (Masarat Alam faction) and Tehreek-e-Hurriyat were designated as ‘unlawful associations’ under UAPA for a period of five years as part of the Modi government’s ‘zero-tolerance policy against terrorism’.
The ministry made a mention of various peace pacts signed with insurgent groups as well as the settlement of inter-state border disputes in the north-east region. Border issues between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh were sorted out through an agreement signed in the presence of home minister Amit Shah in April. Also, tripartite pacts were inked with Dimasa outfits in April and with the Ulfa faction led by Arabinda Rajkhowa on December 29. For the first time, UNLF, a Valley-based Manipuri armed outfit, agreed to return to the mainstream by abjuring violence and declaring allegiance to the Constitution of India, the home ministry said.
The peace settlements, coupled with the complete removal of AFSPA from Tripura and Meghalaya and its partial lifting in Assam, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, have seen a 73% reduction in extremist incidents, 71% fall in fatalities of security forces and 86% decline in civilian deaths in the north-east region.
On the ethnic violence in Manipur that broke out in May, the home ministry said various remedial measures were taken including one-time special assistance of Rs 102 crore for running relief and rehabilitation schemes for those affected by the violence; and a Rs 89 crore grant for the scheme of complementary nutrition and hygiene support to people living in relief camps.
On the Left-wing extremism (LWE) front, MHA echoed Shah’s assurance that it would be completely uprooted in the next two years. Vacuum areas, the ministry said, have been shrinking as Maoist camps were eliminated in Barmasia and Chakarbanda in Bihar and Budha Pahad and Parasnath in Jharkhand. So far, 195 new camps of central forces have been established in LWE areas, with 44 more on the anvil. There has been a decline of over 52% in LWE violence and 69% in total deaths (including that of civilians and security personnel) during the period 2014-2023 as compared to the period 2005-2014.
On the sustained crackdown on drugs and narcotics trafficking networks, MHA said 10 lakh kg of drugs worth over Rs 12,000 crore was destroyed in 2023.