JK News Today
Jammu, March 21: Jammu and Kashmir has been pulled out of dark hours and put on path of peace , progress and prosperity,following abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.
Speaking in Rajya Sabha while replying to questions on ministry of home affairs that Amit Shah heads, he said on Friday that J&K is a transformed place because of bold decisions of the Modi government, especially abrogation of Article 370 and policy of zero tolerance of terrorism.
Union Home Minister stated that earlier, in Kashmir, terrorists would frequently infiltrate from a neighboring country, carry out bomb blasts and murders, and the attitude of the then central governments towards these incidents was lenient. They would remain silent, afraid to speak out, and were also fearful of losing their vote bank. He mentioned that after Shri Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister, a zero-tolerance policy against terrorism was adopted. He said, under the Modi government, no one has the courage to carry out bomb blasts in the country. After our government came to power, attacks occurred in Uri and Pulwama, but within just 10 days, we responded by entering Pakistan’s territory and carrying out surgical strikes. He further stated that, in the past, only Israel and the United States were the two countries that were always ready to protect their borders and military forces, and it was Prime Minister Modi who added the name of our great India to that list. It was from there that the policy of zero tolerance against terrorism was initiated.
Shri Amit Shah stated that the root cause of separatism in Kashmir was Article 370. He mentioned that due to political compulsion and vote bank politics, Article 370 continued for many years. The Home Minister said that on 5th August, 2019, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi abolished Article 370 in this very Parliament. He added that the framers of our Constitution had a vision that there should be one country, one symbol, and one constitution, and PM Modi fulfilled this dream. Shri Shah further stated that on 5th-6th August, 2019, a new era of one law, one symbol, and one leader began, and from that moment, the process of permanently integrating Kashmir with India began.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that in Jammu and Kashmir, Dogri, Hindi, and Urdu were granted the status of official languages of the state. To curb corruption, an Anti-Corruption Bureau was established, and all national laws were also adopted in the region. PM Modi also abolished the permit system at the Pathankot checkpoint, ushering in a new era of democracy, development, and prosperity. He mentioned that during the 33 years of the previous governments, cinemas were not allowed to open in the region, but under Modi government, they were opened. For 34 years, permission for Tazia processions during Muharram was not granted, but it was allowed during our time. Previously, it was very difficult to hoist the national flag at Lal Chowk, but now there is not a single house there where the Tricolor was not hoisted during the “Har Ghar Tiranga” campaign. He also mentioned that Formula 4 car racing took place in Srinagar, and the celebration of Krishna Janmashtami was held at Lal Chowk.
Shri Amit Shah stated that the Modi government took several steps that resulted in the near elimination of the number of Indian children joining terrorists. He mentioned that, ten years ago, there was glorification of terrorists and large processions were held, but under Modi government, not a single procession took place; those who were killed were buried at the place where they fell. He added that many relatives of terrorists were ruthlessly removed from government jobs. The government also imposed restrictions on giving government jobs, passports, and contracts to the supporters of terrorism and terrorists.
The Home Minister stated that between 2004 and 2014, there were 7,217 terrorist incidents, but from 2014 to 2024, this number dropped to 2,242. During this period, the total number of deaths decreased by 70%, the number of civilian deaths decreased by 81%, and the causalities of security personnel decreased by 50%. From 2010 to 2014, an average of 2,654 organized stone-pelting incidents occurred every year, but in 2024, not a single such incident occurred. There were 132 organized strikes, but now there are none. In stone-pelting incidents, 112 civilians were killed, and 6,000 were injured, but now stone-pelting itself has stopped. In 2004, there were 1,587 terrorist incidents, while in 2024, this number was reduced to just 85. In 2004, the number of civilian deaths was 733, but in 2024, it was reduced to 26, and the number of security forces’ deaths dropped from 331 in 2004 to 31 in 2024.
Shri Amit Shah stated that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved 63 projects worth ₹80,000 crore for the development of Kashmir in 2015. Out of these, ₹51,000 crore was spent, and 53 projects have been fully implemented. He mentioned that between 2019 and 2024, 40,000 government jobs were provided, 1.51 lakh OBC children were given self-employment opportunities through the Vishwakarma Yojana, 5,184 youth clubs are working on skill development, and 18,000 youths were provided with their own taxis.
He further said that by introducing an attractive industrial policy, ₹12,000 crore worth of investments have been realized on the ground in Kashmir, and MoUs worth ₹1,10,000 crore are currently being implemented. Shri Shah highlighted that in the entire 70 years before, only ₹14,000 crore worth of investment had come to the region, while in the 10 years of Modi Ji’s leadership, ₹12,000 crore worth of investment has already started yielding production. Tourism in Kashmir has also restarted, with a record 2.11 crore tourists visiting in 2023. He added that ₹250 crore has been invested in tourism.
The Union Home Minister stated that Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation of democracy in Kashmir. He mentioned that under the previous government’s rule, Jammu and Kashmir had 90 legislators and 6 MPs, but now there are 34,262 elected representatives in the region. He also highlighted that during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir, not a single bullet was fired, and 98% of the people cast their votes.
Shri Shah further stated that today, Jammu and Kashmir has AIIMS, IITs, and IIMs. There were only 4 medical colleges earlier, but now there are 15, along with 15 new nursing colleges. He added that there were 500 MBBS seats earlier, but they added 800 more, and out of 767 PG seats, 297 new ones were added. He remarked that those who sit with their eyes closed and wear dark glasses will never be able to see the development.
The Home Minister emphasized that they deal with terrorists by directly targeting between their eyes as soon as they are spotted. He affirmed that their government cannot tolerate terrorism or terrorists, as there is no place in the country for those who play with the blood of citizens.
