Editor, JK News Today
JK News Today News analysis
Jammu, January 9, 2026: A very brief statement released after Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a security review meeting on Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, the stress was laid on the Modi Government’s commitment for lasting peace in the Union Territory- that automatically means elimination of terrorism of all forms and manifestations.
The complete reading of the officially released brief reveals that Home Minister has laid out target for the security agencies for the year 2026, where the march of normalcy and peace started in August 2019 has to be paced up , by January 2027 , all these targets will have to be assessed in the futuristic terms .Yesterday’s statement offers a glimpse into future of J&K envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah himself.
. There were certain known components that would lead to perfect peace in J&K that for the past over 35 years has been struggling t come out of Pakistan sponsored terrorism.
The statement reflected two things that despite best of the efforts of the security agencies in combating terrorism, the shades of the menace have not completely disappeared, and that there is need to preserve the milestones in peace-building in J&K since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. Two things can be read in consonance with each other, because it was only after the momentous decision of integrating J&K with the rest of the country with the removal of the constitutional and other obstacles that the process of peace-building started in real earnest in J&K.
And the very fact that Home Minister Amit Shah held a security review meeting on J&K in the opening days of 2026, underlines the importance that the Government of India accords high priority to the region. This might have been a periodic review of the security situation, but the underlined meaning is much more than mere having a relook at the counter-terrorism strategy and enhancing efforts to bring peace to the territory. It is work in progress for the lasting peace, which has far deeper meaning that is being understood.
The beginning of this year (2026) has brought with it the shadows of 2025, one of the most disturbed years since 2019 – Pakistani terrorists enacted gruesome massacre killing 26 innocent civilians, and mostly tourists- reversed physical and psychological gains. This caused incalculable damage, and in the later part of the year – November when Delhi blast conspiracy was traced to J&K. The 2025 needs to be corrected in the manner as was the pre- August 2019 period
The importance of the meeting cannot and should not be limited to the mere security review of the territory, which, of course, is a strategic necessity for the national security, both in the internal and external terms. Its importance lies in the futuristic approach that it underlined. The definition of peace has changed in the context of Kashmir. It is not the mere normalcy and irreversible peace, it is establishing of inner and external peace in which J&K moves on without any hindrance. It is to smoothen J&K‘s path for peace and future both.
Home Minister’s assertion that “under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Government of India is “committed to establish lasting peace in Jammu and Kashmir and completely eliminate terrorism,” and underscored the need for the continuation of counter-terrorism operations targeting terrorist infrastructure and terror financing in a mission mode, needs to be seen in the context of what should happen now onwards.
Terror infrastructure in J&K is operating on multiple fronts – infiltration from across the border – trained terrorists attempting to cross the LoC, International border, , through drones ; then there is broadcast of the Islamic extremism on social media – is the real threat . Bigger threat is emerging from the radicalization rooted in home schooling, and some of the events where communalism is used to score the political points. That is creating a new ecosystem of terrorism which is not visible in bombs and bullets, but continues to eat vitals of rationale thinking and the idea of India.
This needs to be neutralized. Ways and means are needed to detect and neutralize their radical and anti-national ideologies. The meeting must have paid attention to it and worked out strategy. The security agencies’ role in neutralizing this is very limited. It operates on a broad canvas; a very broad-based approach is the real answer. That is what will ensure lasting peace
