Dedicating a fleet of e-buses to the people of Jammu, Union Home Minister Amit Shah claimed on Thursday that a new era of peace has begun in Jammu and Kashmir. This is marked by a sharp decline in incidents of terrorist violence and civilian killings after the abrogation of Article 370. Shah mentioned that the Narendra Modi government is also rigorously cracking down on terror financing, sealing and freezing the assets of terrorists. Additionally, several terrorist organizations have been outlawed to intensify the crackdown on them.
During the event conducted via video conferencing, Shah handed over appointment letters to Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS) officers and compassionate appointees. In his address, the Union Home Minister credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership for transforming Jammu and Kashmir, once "known for terrorism," into a burgeoning tourism hub.
"I want to inform you that there has been a 66 percent reduction in terrorism-related incidents. There has been an 81 percent decline in civilian killings and a 48 percent decrease in security forces' casualties after the scrapping of Article 370," he announced to the gathering.
"This indicates that a new era of happiness, peace, and normalcy has begun in Jammu and Kashmir," he added. Sharing related statistics, Shah mentioned that 2,654 organised stone-pelting incidents occurred in Jammu and Kashmir in 2000, but no such incidents took place in 2023. "As many as 132 organised shutdowns occurred in 2010, but there were none in 2023. A total of 112 civilians lost their lives in stone pelting in 2010, but no civilian lives were lost in stone pelting in 2023. Additionally, a total of 6,235 civilians were injured during that period (2010)," he added.
The minister highlighted that terror financing has also been curbed in Jammu and Kashmir. "Properties are being sealed and attached, and many terrorist organisations have been banned to curb their activities," he said. Emphasising the investment potential, Amit Shah mentioned that Jammu and Kashmir received investments worth Rs 297 crore in 2019-20, which increased to Rs 2,153 crore in 2022-23. "Nearly 6,000 crore of investments are in the pipeline. This demonstrates progress," he added. Jammu and Kashmir's Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) has increased from Rs 1 lakh crore in 2014-15 to Rs 2,27,927 crore in 2022-23.
Shah further appealed to the youth of Jammu and Kashmir to enroll themselves as voters and become part of the democratic setup of the country. "The youth of Jammu and Kashmir, who carry computers in their hands instead of stones, are connected and contributing to the progress of Jammu and Kashmir. Over 7 lakh youths have taken part in sports, and this is significant," he said. Shah mentioned that 173 projects have been completed under the Smart City Mission, and homes for 1,45,000 people have been allocated within a very short period from 2019 to 2024.