NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said that the security, development, and sovereignty of India have consistently faced three major challenges – terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, left-wing extremism, and insurgency in the northeast.
Responding to a discussion on the workings of the Ministry of Home Affairs in the Rajya Sabha, Shah pointed out that between 2004 and 2014, there were 7,217 terrorist incidents, but from 2014 to 2024, this figure dropped to 2,242.
During this period, the total number of deaths fell by 70%, civilian deaths decreased by 81%, and casualties among security personnel were reduced by 50%. He also mentioned that from 2010 to 2014, an average of 2,654 organised stone-pelting incidents occurred annually, but in 2024, not a single such incident took place.
"There were 132 organised 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," he informed the Rajya Sabha.
Citing further data, he said that the number of civilian deaths stood at 733 in 2004, but by 2024, it had dropped to just 26. The number of security forces' deaths fell from 331 in 2004 to 31 in 2024. Amit Shah also stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had approved 63 projects worth Rs 80,000 crore for the development of Kashmir in 2015. Of these, Rs 51,000 crore had been spent, and 53 projects were fully implemented.
He highlighted that between 2019 and 2024, 40,000 government jobs had been provided, 1.51 lakh OBC children had been offered self-employment opportunities through the Vishwakarma Yojana, 5,184 youth clubs were engaged in skill development, and 18,000 youths had been provided with their own taxis. He said that an attractive industrial policy had attracted Rs 12,000 crore worth of investments in Kashmir, with MoUs worth Rs 1,10,000 crore currently being executed.
Shah contrasted this with the situation in the previous 70 years, when only Rs 14,000 crore worth of investment came to the region, emphasising that in just 10 years of Modi’s leadership, Rs 12,000 crore in investment had already begun to yield results. He also noted that tourism in Kashmir had revived, with a record 2.11 crore tourists visiting in 2023, and Rs 250 crore had been invested in tourism.
The Union Home Minister further stated that Prime Minister Modi had laid the foundation of democracy in Kashmir. He pointed out that under the previous government, Jammu and Kashmir had 90 legislators and six MPs, but now the region boasts 34,262 elected representatives. He also highlighted that during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir, not a single bullet was fired, and 98% of the population had cast their votes.
Shah concluded by mentioning that Jammu and Kashmir now has AIIMS, IITs, and IIMs. While there were only 4 medical colleges previously, there are now 15, along with 15 new nursing colleges. He added that the number of MBBS seats, which stood at 500 earlier, has been increased by 800, and 297 new postgraduate seats have been added to the existing 767. He remarked that there are those who "sit with their eyes closed and wear dark glasses".