Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, on Saturday said security forces had achieved decisive control over terrorism in the Union Territory, where the dream of Pandit Prem Nath Dogra and Syama Prasad Mukherjee had finally been realised.
“Both Mr. Dogra and Mr. Mukherjee opposed the idea of ‘dou nishan, dou vidhan aur dou samvidhan’ [two symbols, two heads and two Constitutions]. In fact, Mr. Mukherjee laid down his life fighting for the cause. It was under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the dream of ‘Eik Nishan, Eik Pradhan, Eik Vidhan’ has finally been achieved,” Mr. Shah said, while speaking at the 83rd Raising Day of the Central Reserve Police Forces (CRPF) in Jammu.
He said the security forces gained control over terrorism in J&K after the reading down of Article 370.
“The security agencies’ decisive control over terrorism is one of the biggest achievements in J&K,” the Home Minister noted.
Mr. Shah said the reading down of Article 370 also saw marginalised communities such as Dalits, women and Paharis, which were kept away from the path of progress, being part of development in J&K.
Praising the Lieutenant-Governor’s administration for the successful implementation of Central schemes, Mr. Shah said, “J&K has received ₹43,000 crore investment, which is the highest since 1947. Construction of roadways has gained record pace. The L-G administration deserves all the praise for this.”
The Union Minister also counted the panchayat elections as one of the major achievements in J&K.
“Since PM Modi came to power in 2014, J&K has witnessed big changes in minimum time. Democracy has been taken to the grassroots level with 33,000 representatives villages across J&K, besides the tehsil and district level elections,” he noted.
He added PM Modi’s $5 trillion economy dream could only be realised if the internal security improved and issues were addressed.
‘Key role’
“The CRPF has a crucial role in maintaining the country’s internal security. The force has already been successful in establishing peace in J&K by defeating Pakistan-backed terrorism, in Naxal-affected areas and in the northeast. I am hopeful all these areas will see complete peace very soon, and the credit for that will go to the CRPF,” Mr. Shah remarked.
Recalling the episodes of Hot Springs in Ladakh on October 21, 1959, and India-Pakistan War of 1965 in Kutch, Mr. Shah said, “CRPF’s bravery and valour, as they defended the country and its land till the last drop of their blood, still acts as motivation for our forces. The sacrifice of the CRPF jawans is written in golden letters and will be remembered for centuries to come.”
Mr. Shah said around 2,340 CRPF jawans had laid down their lives since the inception of the force. He stressed the need to identify the challenges and adopt the latest technology to make the 3.25 lakh-strong CRPF “an effective force in the country”.
Mr. Shah said the government’s decision to celebrate the raising days of the Central Armed Police Forces in different parts of the country was taken so that the personnel got to absorb and mix with the different cultures of the country. He also praised the CRPF for ensuring free and fair Assembly and Lok Sabha polls across the country.
The Union Minister said the setting up of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) had also resulted in a sea change in the way riots were controlled in the country. “The RAF has been able to control riots by using minimum force,” he added.
