Govt. concerted efforts have weakened ecosystem of terror — Anurag Thakur

New Delhi, Dec. 19 (PTI): Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Monday said concerted efforts by the government have weakened the “ecosystem of terrorism” with a pronounced reduction in incidents of violence in Jammu and Kashmir.

In a detailed statement, Thakur said the government has worked on the legal front by strengthening the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and also taken steps at the enforcement level by giving the National Investigation Agency a truly federal structure through amendments to the relevant law.

“The collective effect of these measures has been the weakening of the ecosystem of terrorism,” the information and broadcasting minister said.

Without naming Pakistan, Thakur said a neighbouring country is seen sheltering terrorists and propounding acts of violence.

He said that an era of peace has dawned on the northeastern region since 2014 as insurgency violence has seen a sharp decline of 80 per cent and civilian deaths have seen an 89 per cent drop.

This was achieved following the surrender of 6,000 militants since 2014, Thakur said.

“The government’s resolve against terror has been displayed time and again from surgical strikes to the Balakot air strike. The action by our armed forces has caused a significant drop in terrorist incidents in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

The minister said probe agencies have achieved a conviction rate of 94 per cent in cases of terror financing.

The government has worked to create an atmosphere of lasting peace across the north-eastern region through a series of peace pacts such as the Bodo Accord, Bru-Reang Agreement, NLFT-Tripura Agreement, Karbi Anglong Agreement and the Assam-Meghalaya Inter State Boundary Agreement, Thakur said.

He said the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) too has been rolled back from large parts of the northeast, including the whole of Tripura and Meghalaya, and 60 per cent of Assam.

The minister highlighted the government’s operations to bring Indian nationals back home after the coronavirus outbreak and from conflict zones in Ukraine and Afghanistan.

Thakur said India also offered a helping hand to foreign citizens under distress in strife-torn regions of South Sudan and Yemen.