New Delhi, Oct 21: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said significant success had been achieved in curbing terrorism in Kashmir, asserting that peace had been established in the region and an environment conducive to development had emerged.
Addressing the Police Commemoration Day event at the National Police Memorial in New Delhi, Amit Shah as per Kashmir Convener said Kashmir, the Northeast and areas affected by Left-Wing Extremism had witnessed a significant improvement in the security situation, making them ready to compete with the rest of the country in development.
He said the remaining months of 2026, along with 2027, 2028 and 2029, would be devoted to a coordinated nationwide campaign against drugs.
The remarks assume significance for Jammu and Kashmir, where security agencies have continued to focus on counter-terrorism operations and the dismantling of networks supporting terrorism. Shah, however, did not announce any specific new measure for Kashmir in his address.
On the security situation in the Union Territory, Shah said significant progress had been made in curbing terrorism, adding that peace in the region had created conditions for development.
He also said the Northeast had moved towards peace following several agreements and the surrender of arms by thousands of people.
Shah credited security forces with the elimination of decades-long Naxalism by March 31, 2026, praising the Chhattisgarh Police, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and its CoBRA battalion for their role in counter-insurgency operations.
According to Shah, more than 3,600 security personnel and around 13,700 civilians were killed in violence associated with Naxalism between 1981 and March 2026.
The Home Minister also highlighted the role of CAPF personnel in maintaining internal security during elections, festivals, protests and border-related duties, often while remaining away from their families.
Referring to the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly elections, Shah said security personnel had ensured that the polls were completed without a single fatality, describing it as a significant achievement.
He said electoral violence had been eliminated in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, while West Bengal had witnessed such violence for a long time.
The annual Police Commemoration Day event was held in memory of 10 police personnel killed in an ambush by heavily armed Chinese troops at Hot Springs in Ladakh on October 21, 1959.
Shah presided over the ceremony, which included a joint parade of Central Armed Police Forces and Delhi Police. He also paid tribute to police personnel who had laid down their lives in the line of duty.
Earlier, Intelligence Bureau Director Mahesh Dixit said 154 police personnel had lost their lives in the line of duty during the previous year, taking the total number of police personnel killed in service since Independence to 36,852.
Dixit said, following a recommendation by the Prime Minister at the DGP conference, CAPFs and central police organisations would organise commemorative events at the National Police Memorial from October 22 to 30. Similar programmes would be held by police forces across the country.
As part of the nationwide anti-drug campaign, Shah flagged off a motorcycle rally involving around 90 police riders from various states and Union Territories, CAPFs and other central police organisations.
The rally, themed “Fight Against Drugs”, is part of an initiative under which riders will travel to Ekta Nagar in Gujarat to participate in the Ekta Parade on October 31.
Addressing the families of police martyrs, Shah said their loss could never be compensated, but the country remained grateful for their sacrifices.
He said the National Police Memorial, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018, honours police personnel who have sacrificed their lives in the service of the nation.
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