Home Minister's Visit

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer)
Representational Photo

The home minister Amit Shah's three-day visit to J&K comes at a time when the situation in the union territory has been most normal in years. That is, except the parts of Jammu where militancy has reared its head in recent years – albeit the violence that has emanated from it has remained peripheral to daily life. Most of the disturbance has been confined to the border areas or the hills. The UT's cities, towns and villages have by and large remained peaceful.

In Kashmir on the last day the visit, Home Minister on Tuesday directed security forces to ensure“zero infiltration” and complete eradication of terrorism, Chairing the meeting attended by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, senior Army commanders, paramilitary chiefs, and intelligence officials, Shah stressed unified action and seamless coordination among security agencies to eliminate terrorist threats, especially in the Jammu region.

Earlier in the day, Shah reviewed the progress of developmental projects in the Union Territory and met with top civil administration officials, including Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Chief Secretary Atul Dulloo. He also held a one-on-one meeting with the chief minister before the broader review.

Incidentally, on the same day, the three more separatist organizations pledged allegiance to the Constitution, a development highlighted by the home minister in a social media post. He termed it an endorsement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a“Naya Kashmir” free from violence and hatred.

It was a packed day for the home minister, during which he also visited the family of DySP Humayun Bhat, who was martyred in an anti-terror operation in September 2023, accompanied by the LG and CM.

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That said, while the home minister expressed satisfaction with the prevailing normalcy in the UT, especially in the Valley, he isn't oblivious to the persisting challenge of the militancy. To address this, he has outlined technology-driven 26 initiatives including anti-drone technology, tunnel identification and electronic surveillance to plug the Line of Control with Pakistan.

In a conspicuous omission, the home minister didn't talk about restoration of J&K statehood, nor about talks with Pakistan. However, while the centre has often held out assurances about reinstating statehood, it has been resolute about not engaging Pakistan unless the latter stops fomenting violence in the UT. And as the steady pacification of Kashmir shows, the centre doesn't now even feel the need to reach out to Pakistan except on its terms. This marks a profound transformation in the situation of the UT, something that hardly seemed to be imaginable just a few years ago.

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