Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha asserted on Saturday that while security forces and government entities strive to eradicate terrorism, it is also crucial for community members in the Union Territory to take a proactive role in this initiative.
Speaking at a public event, Sinha highlighted that terrorism has significantly diminished across India, now confined to select regions. “Terrorism has been substantially reduced in other parts of the country. North-East India is largely terror-free. The left-wing extremism or Naxalism has shrunk to a few districts, and I am optimistic it will be eliminated in the coming months,” he stated.
He pointed out the persistent threat of terrorism in areas of Karnataka, Kerala, and particularly Jammu & Kashmir, underscoring that complete eradication of this menace is crucial. “Terrorism is the biggest obstacle to development and job creation. Security forces and the administration are fulfilling their roles, but the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir must also contribute. They should avoid any actions that might inadvertently encourage such activities. This leads to many complications,” he emphasized.
In his address, Sinha noted that the overall situation in J&K has witnessed considerable improvement. He described street violence and stone-pelting as incidents relegated to the past. “Educational institutions and businesses operate now just like those in other parts of the country. Notably, no high-ranking commander from any prominent terror group remains operational, and there has only been a single local recruitment into terrorist ranks this year,” he added.
Discussing the external factors impacting terrorism, Sinha criticized Pakistan’s continuous support for terror activities. “Despite our progress on several fronts, we face a neighbor persistently inclined towards creating chaos. Rather than engaging in nation-building after the partition, Pakistan initiated hostilities, attacking J&K right away. They lost four direct conflicts and now seek to wage proxy wars by radicalizing individuals,” he remarked.
Reflecting on the human impact of terrorism, he observed that over 40,000 lives have been lost due to these violent acts. “How long will this continue? While the government and security forces have their duties, the responsibility also rests with the populace. Citizens must step forward to put an end to this,” he concluded.
Without mentioning specific identities, Sinha mentioned that certain individuals echo sentiments akin to those of the terror outfit ‘The Resistance Front (TRF)’ and warned against such parallels. “When we create narratives that mirror those propagated by groups like the TRF, it inflicts significant harm. If our statements resonate with TRF social media posts, then it is undoubtedly perilous,” he cautioned.
