Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Friday that the three major security hotspots that had become a "festering wound" for India — Naxalism, the Northeast, and Jammu and Kashmir — have been given "permanent solutions" by the Narendra Modi government. He confidently predicted that these regions will soon assimilate and become like the rest of the country.
Shah made these remarks in his inaugural address at the three-day annual conference of Directors General of Police (DGPs) and Inspectors General of Police (IGPs) in Raipur, Chhattisgarh.
The Home Minister called for launching a "360-degree attack" on narcotics and organised crime, demanding the creation of a system where drug traffickers and criminals do not receive "even an inch of space" in the country.
He asserted that security forces and the police are delivering strong blows to extremism, radicalisation, and narcotics by focusing on three key aspects: accuracy of intelligence, clarity of objectives, and synergy in action.
Shah said the time has come for state police forces to collaborate with the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), strike hard at narcotics gangs operating at state, national, and international levels, and ensure their masterminds are imprisoned. He also highlighted the ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI), noting that nationwide raids and arrests following the ban set an outstanding example of Centre-state coordination.
Underlining the Naxalism problem, which has persisted for 40 years, the Home Minister noted that the Centre has strengthened the security grid over the last seven years by constructing 586 fortified police stations. As a result, the number of Naxal-affected districts in the country has dropped significantly, from 126 in 2014 to just 11 today.
Shah expressed confidence that the country will be completely free from the menace of Naxalism before the next annual conference of DGPs and IGPs.
Shah said that once the three new criminal laws are fully implemented, policing in India will become the most modern in the world. He listed several legislative actions: the strengthening of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), making the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) more robust, the introduction of three new criminal laws, and the enactment of strong laws against narcotics and fugitive offenders.
The 60th edition of the closed-door conference is being held at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Raipur and will also see the participation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval, and the heads of central police organisations, including Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief Tapan Kumar Deka.
Held under the theme "Viksit Bharat: Security Dimensions," the conference aims to review progress and outline a forward-looking roadmap for building a "Surakshit Bharat" (Secure India). Detailed deliberations will cover left-wing extremism, counter-terrorism, disaster management, women's safety, and the use of forensic science and artificial intelligence (AI) in policing.
The conference, which will conclude on November 30th with an address by Modi, has also involved the heads of state home departments and several officers at the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) and Superintendent of Police (SP) levels to incorporate new and younger perspectives.
Also read: Constitution paves way for strong nation-building: Amit Shah
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