Terrorism confined to few pockets in India, local recruitment in J-K sharply down: LG Sinha

Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has said that large parts of the country have been freed from terrorism and, barring a few pockets, most of the northeast is now terrorism-free.

Sinha maintained that local terror recruitment has sharply decreased and terrorists hiding in rugged terrain, mountains and dense forests will be eliminated soon.

"Large parts of the country have been freed from terrorism. Except for a few pockets, most of the northeast has become free of terrorism. The threat of left-wing extremism and Naxalism—those who once imagined creating a corridor from Hyderabad to Nepal—has now been confined to just two or three districts," Sinha said.

Sinha, who was addressing the strategic management forum conference on policy making and strategic planning for achieving Viksit Bharat by 2047 at IIM Jammu, said the nature of terrorism, however, has changed, with educated and well-informed people getting involved in it.

"In Karnataka, a small part of Kerala, and Jammu and Kashmir, I believe that the task of eliminating terrorism cannot be carried out by the security forces alone. Along with the security forces, society and certain wings of the administration must also contribute," he said.

Referring to the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, Sinha said that not a single top commander of terrorist organisations operating in the region is alive today. “Local recruitment into terrorism has seen a sharp decline. Hardly one or two youths are being recruited now,” he said.

He, however, accused Pakistan of continuing to push terrorists across the border through infiltration. “People have developed confidence that they will no longer follow the path of terrorism. Those who have come from across the border are hiding in forests, and I assure you they will be eliminated. No matter how long it takes, they will not survive,” Sinha said.

The lieutenant governor also stressed the need to end the divisive “insider-outsider” narrative. “Those spreading such narratives are creating hurdles in the development process,” he said.