The government informed Parliament on Tuesday that 2016 saw the highest number of youth joining militancy in Jammu and Kashmir in the past six years.
The Home Ministry said it was estimated that 88 Kashmiri youth joined militancy in 2016, the year when Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter with the security forces leading to a wave of unrest in the Valley .
Four-year high
It also said that last year as many as 119 infiltrations took place from across the border. This was a four-year high.
Earlier, the government had said that 87 security force personnel were killed in the State in 2016, the highest in eight years.
In written replies to two separate questions in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Gangaram Ahir shared data about Kashmiri youth taking up arms, infiltration attempts and the law and order situation in the Valley.
The data showed a steady increase in the number of youth taking up arms in the Valley from 2014 onwards as compared to 2011, 2012, and 2013. In 2010, 54 youth joined militancy while in 2011 the number came down to 23. It further dipped to 21 in 2012 and 16 in 2013, the reply said.
In 2014, the number shot up to 53 and in 2015, it reached 66 before touching the highest mark in six years (88) in 2016, the data showed.
Linked to infiltration
“The State of Jammu and Kashmir has been affected by terrorism sponsored and supported from across the border. The levels of terrorist violence in the hinterland of Jammu and Kashmir are linked to infiltration from across the border,” Mr. Ahir said.
The data on infiltration shows that about 121 terrorists had sneaked into the country in 2012, the highest in six years, followed by 119 in 2016.
“The counter terrorism efforts saw the best figures in 2010, when 81 per cent of infiltration attempts were thwarted by security forces, with only 95 terrorists entering the country as against 489 attempts,” the data said.
In 2011, 52 terrorists had crossed over against 247 infiltration attempts, while in 2013, 97 ultras managed to sneak in against 277 attempts, it said.
In 2014, 222 terrorists tried to enter the country, but only 65 could do it and in 2015, 121 ultras made such attempts but only 33 of them were successful, the data said.
“Under the surrender policy notified by the State government, since January 31, 2004 till date, 219 surrendered militants have benefited under the scheme,” Mr. Ahir said.
In response to a separate question, Mr. Ahir said the situation in Kashmir in the current year has improved to a large extent.
“The participation of youths in violence has ceased and normal activities are going on smoothly,” he said.
The data on law and order incidents reported since the killing of Burhan Wani on July 8, 2016 shows that 820 such events were reported in July that year and this declined to 747 in August, 535 in September, 179 in October, 73 in November and 36 in December. The number of such events stood at five in January, 49 in February and 27 in March this year.
“Barring some violence-prone pockets, the situation is at present normal. Efforts are afoot to bring the situation under control in these vulnerable pockets,” Mr. Ahir said.
The Minister added that miscreants were being dealt with strictly under the relevant laws and their mentors arrested and detained to prevent any untoward incidents.
