NEW DELHI, March 19: The union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday expressed the confidence that the deployment of para-military forces in the trouble-prone Jammu and Kashmir and North-Eastern states would not be needed in the next few years.
This was the first time that a top level leader in the Narendra Modi government spoke about the centre’s moves for the restoration of peace in the trouble-prone areas in the country, particularly Jammu and Kashmir where terror activities were further intensified with the abrogation of the article 370 that gave the state a special status, and in the home-grown terrorists dominated North-East and the Naxal-infested areas.
Taking salute at the 83rd Raising Day parade of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) at the Maulana Azad Stadium in Srinagar, Shah praised the functioning of the force, the country’s largest paramilitary force, and said in his opinion the biggest task performed by the CRPF in J&K work was that had taken “decisive control” of the fight against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. “I believe the biggest achievement after abrogation of 370 is security forces having a decisive control on terrorism,” Shah said.
It was the first time that the Raising Day Parade of the CRPF was held outside the Force Headquarter in Delhi. “The resolve with which CRPF has been working in Kashmir, Naxal areas and Northeast, I’m confident that within next few years, in all three regions, we may not require use of CRPF and maintain complete peace in three regions. I’m confident. And if it happens, the whole credit goes to CRPF,” Shah said.
The CRPF has a huge presence in Kashmir. Around one fourth of its total manpower is deployed in the region to deal with militancy and law and order situation. Besides the CRPF and J&K police, the Army, BSF, ITBP and SSB is also deployed in Jammu and Kashmir in large numbers for counter terrorism and law and order duties.
The Article 370 was revoked by the Centre on August 5, 2019, and the state was bifurcated into union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The Home Minister said the situation in the region has improved and talked about democracy at grassroots level and investment of ₹ 33,000 crore in J&K. He also welcomed the efforts of the local administration in its crusade against corruption and taking developmental activities to new heights in the Union Territory.
(Manas Dasgupta)