As Jammu and Kashmir battles cross-border terrorism, a growing narco network and the challenge of reviving tourism after the Pahalgam attack, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha says in an interview that the administration is pursuing a hardline security and anti-drug strategy while pushing rehabilitation and public outreach. Excerpts:
It has been one year since Operation Sindoor. It was meant as a deterrent, yet infiltration attempts continue. Has it achieved its objective?
The objective of Operation Sindoor was clear, and the way our armed forces achieved it has very few parallels. Some people ask why India did not go further despite having the upper hand. I would ask them to look at the wars currently being fought elsewhere in the world…
I believe Operation Sindoor has worked as a deterrent. Infiltration attempts continue – including with the backing of the Pakistan State – but our security forces are fully alert… This is the same Kashmir where local militant recruitment once ran into three digits… it has come down to single digits. Not a single top commander of known terror groups is alive. Those infiltrating don’t survive for long.
The security spotlight has shifted towards Pir Panjal and the Chenab region. Has become the principal theatre of militancy in J&K?
Earlier, our focus was concentrated on Kashmir, so our adversary tried to open a front in Jammu. After some initial setbacks, we strengthened the security grid… The encounters in Kathua, Udhampur and Kishtwar, including the killing of top Jaish commander Saifullah, show that the situation is now under control.
How serious is the narco-terror nexus in J&K?
Investigations into several cases, including examination of forward and backward linkages, have made it clear that the network is being run from across the border. In J&K, drug smuggling and terrorism are directly connected. The money generated through narcotics eventually reaches terror groups… Over the past few years, we have achieved significant control over terrorism. We cannot allow narco-terror networks to reverse those gains.
What steps are being taken to stop the flow of drugs from across the border?
We have identified vulnerable border areas. In Kupwara, Tangdhar and Keran are sensitive; in Baramulla, Uri; in Bandipora, Gurez. In the Jammu region, Kathua, because of its proximity to Punjab, along with Samba, Rajouri and Poonch are vulnerable. Some consignments are also coming through courier networks… Drone-dropping is another challenge…
We are approaching supply-chain disruption comprehensively and using technology. For instance, airport-like scanners have been installed in Tangdhar, and similar facilities will come up in Keran and other areas. We have also reviewed postings in border districts. Officers repeatedly posted in vulnerable areas have been transferred out. Those suspected of links with smuggling networks are being proceeded against.
You are leading padyatras across J&K against drug abuse. What kind of response are you seeing?
We began the anti-drug campaign in Kashmir in 2021. Initially, the focus was on law enforcement and seizures, but we began receiving information that more and more young people, including girls, were falling into drug addiction. That is when we decided to work simultaneously on three fronts – disrupting the supply chain, creating awareness and rehabilitation.
For awareness, we created a portal where families can confidentially seek help… More people are now sharing information about peddlers in their localities.
The public response has been unprecedented. I have travelled through eight districts in Jammu… Youth, women, religious leaders, academics, political workers, sportspersons… everyone has joined the padyatras. In several places in the Valley, people told us they had never seen such crowds for a social campaign.
On the enforcement side, since April 11, hundreds of drug peddlers have been arrested, their properties attached and major seizures made. We are now displaying lists of top smugglers in police stations… One small-time smuggler approached an SSP and complained, ‘Sir, I was caught with only 30 grams.’!
We have also prepared an SOP under which a person caught in drug trafficking may face not just criminal charges, but also cancellation of documents such as Aadhaar, passport and driving licence.
Critics say the focus is on enforcement, but rehabilitation infrastructure remains inadequate.
I admit that we do not yet have enough rehabilitation centres. Expanding such infrastructure overnight is not possible, so we have reserved beds in medical colleges and district hospitals. We also shut down some fraudulent rehab centres. Our aim is to establish rehabilitation centres in every district…
When the baton of the police, the authority of the administration and the cooperation of society come together, results come faster and have a lasting impact. People must understand the damage drug abuse causes to families and society. This battle cannot be won by enforcement agencies alone.
There has been criticism over demolition of houses belonging to suspected drug peddlers.
In my public meetings, I repeatedly tell people that if even one innocent person has been wrongly targeted, they should inform us immediately… the responsible officer will face consequences. But whenever I ask people whether our action is justified, they say it should be even stricter…
Tourism is recovering, but operators say occupancy is still only around 30-40%… How are you trying to restore confidence after the Pahalgam attack?
Tourism had reached record levels in J&K in recent years. After the Pahalgam attack, there was naturally a decline, but the sector is now recovering. Many new hotels have come up. In border villages, we promote homestays.
Some adventure tourism sites remain shut because infiltrating groups from Pakistan take shelter in forests and mountains… But the Special Operations Group of J&K Police has formed dedicated squads trained for prolonged deployment and jungle warfare in the higher reaches of Pir Panjal to neutralise these terrorists. Nearly 90% of tourist sites are already open, and the remaining ones should reopen by next week…
Tourists should note the spontaneous protests by local people after the Pahalgam attack… Such a response was unprecedented after Independence… Confidence has returned and tourists are coming back in large numbers.
J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has argued that terrorism cannot be tackled if the elected government is kept out of the security loop. He has also criticised the ‘dual authority’ arrangement of the CM and LG in J&K.
The administrative framework of Union Territories is not something new in India. I understand the sentiments of people in J&K… As far as security is concerned, the people of the country know what the situation in J&K used to be earlier and how many innocent lives were being lost. I do not want to say much beyond that.
On restoration of statehood, the PM has already given an assurance. The Union Home Minister has said that delimitation will come first, elections second, and statehood at the appropriate time… People should remain patient.
Young people in J&K often speak about unemployment, drug abuse, alienation and online radicalisation in the same breath. Does the administration see these as interconnected challenges?
I do not subscribe to the theory that unemployment or poverty automatically leads to terrorism. Many parts of the country have far greater poverty than J&K. It is difficult to find a thatched hut here. Unemployment is far higher in other states. Yet people there do not turn towards terrorism.
As far as employment is concerned, there are multiple avenues. Government jobs are only one option, and in J&K there is over-employment in government. We are also encouraging self-employment through various Central and UT schemes. Programmes such as Back-to-Village, Lakhpati Didi and the new industrial policy have created employment opportunities. Compared to the rest of the country, the youth here have better employment.
At the same time, there is certainly an attempt by our neighbouring country to radicalise youth. Police are cracking down.
