Although, the security forces were given a free hand by the Modi Government to tackle terrorism in the valley, there still were some local hindrances. The abrogation of Article 370 paved way for the security forces to tackle and uproot all the possible hurdles and rivals.

Getting straight on to the facts and figures, as per the data released by the Ministry of Home Affairs, there has been a 73% drop in Martyrdom of Security Forces Personnel in Jammu and Kashmir since Abrogation of Article 370. Also, the number of Kashmiri youths joining terrorist ranks has dropped more than 40% since the abrogation. Doda, Tral and Srinagar have been declared “Terror Free” as each and every terrorist in these districts was searched and killed by the armed forces. Indian Security Forces have eliminated 136 terrorists this year, 110 of which were local Kashmiri and the rest were from Pakistan.

Security forces carried out several missions to eliminate the terrorists of Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Islamic State of J&K and Ansar Ghazwat-ul Hind. Adding to this, the entire ranks of Hijbul and LeT have been killed by the Security forces.

A Surgical Strike on terror funding; National Investigation Agency conducted raids across Jammu & Kashmir in 2019 and arrested Jammu-Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik, separatists Asiya Andrabi, Shabir Shah and Masarat Alam Bhat, and filed a charge sheet against them for criminal conspiracy and carrying out terrorist activities in the region. A former J&K MLA Rashid Engineer has also been named in the charge sheet.

In a supplementary charge sheet, NIA also has clearly established the role of the Pakistan High Commission in supporting separatists through financial channels and creating unrest in Kashmir.

After a delay of almost 30 years, trial resumed on the 11th of September, 2019 at a TADA court in Jammu against JKLF chief Yasin Malik for his involvement in the horrendous 1990 Indian Air Force personnel killings. Yasin Malik is currently in Tihar Jail in a separate terror funding case.

Ironically, senior leaders of Congress like PC Chacko have in fact lauded Yasin Malik for his “bravery” in not surrendering to the Government. Modi Government has undoubtedly empowered NIA to proceed against the devil Yasin Malik and several other separatists and terrorists.

A much needed “Operation Maa” was launched by the Indian Army last year. The basic objective of this mission was to ensure that youth indulged into terrorism by Pakistan-backed terror groups are brought back into the folds of mainstream society. Indian Army is counselling and rehabilitating local youth of the Valley who have chosen the path of terrorism. As the data says, more than 60 local youth have been pulled away from terrorism till now.

Large gatherings at funerals of terrorists were used for recruitment of youth into terrorist groups, this is now a thing of the past as now only a handful of close relatives are seen at burial grounds. Now terrorists are buried in the presence of few close relatives only. Whereas earlier such funerals used to attract a huge crowd. Security Forces have now started a policy of not disclosing the names of terrorists and not to handover the bodies to their relatives.

Abrogation of Article 370 and 35 A was a vital move for eradication of terrorism in the valley. This has had a positive impact on the state at several levels, there has been rise in peace, reduction in terrorism and cross border infiltration, negligible incidents of stone pelting, decreasing morale of the Hurriyat Conference and other political parties such as PDP and National Conference which were inducing hatred in the minds of local Kashmiri youth and making them against their own nation. Thus, it can be very firmly said that Modi Government has undeniably taken great steps in uprooting the terrorism and paving a way for development in Jammu & Kashmir.

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