The state of Jammu and Kashmir, which existed till August 5, 2019, and was converted into a union territory afterwards, is a peaceful region now. Pakistan-sponsored terror tentacles that once had covered it seem under control. A UPA vs NDA data comparison also puts up some interesting facts to consider.
Data from SATP, a website collecting terrorism statistics, shows how the scale has come down during the NDA regime. During the UPA government, between 2004 and 2014, a total of 4,117 terror incidents were reported from J&K. That comes out to be an average of 412 a year. On average, 150 civilians were killed, and 116 security forces personnel were killed each year.
That significantly came down during the NDA years. The data available shows, that from 2014 to August 31, 2023, incidents of killings reduced by 69% to 128 annually. Civilian killings came down by 77%.
A higher clampdown on terror networks meant reduced terror activity and thus fewer security forces personnel killed. It came down by 50% during the NDA era.
Tightening the noose
An increased and effective security network has restricted the infiltration of Pakistan-based terrorists into the Valley. Its effect doubled with a crackdown on terror financing, that began after the abrogation of Article 370 sections, which has put an effective curb on the growth of local terrorism with separatist and terror funding networks crushed.
During the UPA era, over 4,200 terrorists were killed in J&K. In the NDA years so far, that figure is around 1,700. The numbers reflect the Government of India’s success. It has been able to break down the Pakistan-supported terror network in J&K.
This can be better gauged with the number of major terror incidents and other related data. Jammu and Kashmir saw 627 major terror incidents in 10 years, from 2004 to 2013. It came down by 49% during the last nine years and eight months of the NDA regime. On average, 348 arms were recovered each year, from 2004 to 2013. With enhanced security measures that gradually restricted the terror support network, from Pakistan and locally in J&K, it came down to 128 arms recovered during the NDA years. J&K saw on average six suicide attacks a year during the UPA era. That came down to four suicide attacks during the NDA years, data available till 2022 shows. The average number of explosions a year also came down from 96 to 42.
Abrogation of Article 370 sections: The death knell
The underlying cause was the presence of pro-Pakistan political voices in the Valley. While the state’s political leadership professed allegiance to India, its stance toward Pakistan was often viewed as “soft”. Parallel separatist organisations such as the JKLF, Hurriyat Conference, and Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) operated as support networks for terrorists, facing allegations of involvement in terror financing. They were also backed by a vast network of overground workers (OGWs) who provided shelter and logistical support to terrorists. Radicalisation, terror recruitment, and anti-India propaganda were their daily activities.
The path to peace demanded addressing the root cause – eradicating the “anti-India” network in the state that collaborated with Pakistan in financing, recruiting, and sheltering terrorist activities. On August 5, 2019, Article 370 sections were abrogated, ending Jammu and Kashmir’s special status. It became a union territory, separated from Ladakh, to be directly governed by the Union of India until conditions were conducive for establishing a legislative body.
During this period, all parties, and separatist leaders with ties to Pakistan were apprehended. Terror financing was effectively disrupted, and a comprehensive operation was launched to apprehend OGWs. According to a report from the Observer Research Foundation, over 900 OGWs have been arrested to date. The results were remarkable: a sharp decline in terror incidents after the dilution of Article 370, accompanied by a cessation of stone-pelting incidents.
According to a recent affidavit submitted by the Government of India in the Supreme Court, following the abrogation of Article 370 sections, terror incidents in the union territory have dropped by 45%, infiltration by 90%, stone-pelting by 97%, and security forces’ casualties by 66% when compared to the 2018 data. Hartal or calls for strike are a thing of the past.
After a gap of 34 years, a Muharram procession was organised in Srinagar on July 27, 2023, successfully without any terror incident. More than 25,000 Shia Muslims participated in it, reflecting and bolstering India’s peacekeeping efforts in an area that has been an integral part of it but shares disputes with Pakistan and China on its control.
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