New Delhi: The Union Home Ministry (MHA) said that India's internal security in 2021 remained under control even as the principal focus of internal security remained on countering terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, improving the security scenario in North Eastern States, and combating Left Wing Extremism (LWE).
Home Ministry's annual report 2021-22 released on Monday categorized internal security into four segments including terrorism in the hinterland of the country, LWE in certain areas, insurgency in the North Eastern states, and cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.
The report said that the law enforcement agencies kept a close watch on the activities of fundamentalist organizations and groups having bearing on the security, peace, and public tranquility of the country and take action as per extant provisions of law, wherever necessary.
Apart from sanctioning Rs 1002.97 crore for the implementation of the NATGRID project, the MHA has also set up a terror funding and fake currency cell in National Investigation Agency (NIA) to conduct a focussed investigation of terror funding and fake currency cases.
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The report said that the Home Ministry also issued advisories and alerts for strengthening the security of religious places of the state and union territories, whenever any specific threat inputs are received. The MHA report said that there has been an overall 55 percent reduction in violent incidents (1136 to 509) and a 63 percent reduction (387 to 147) in LWE-related deaths in 2021 as compared to 2013.
In comparison to 2020, the year 2021 saw a decline of 24 percent (665 to 509) in incidents of violence and the resultant deaths by 20 percent (183 to 147). "Owing to improved LWE scenario, the list of LWE affected districts has been revised twice in the last three years. The number of LWE-affected districts was reduced to 90 in April 2018 and then to 70 in July 2021," the MHA said.
In 2021, LWE violence was reported from 191 police stations in 46 districts spread across 8 States as compared to 330 PSs in 76 districts spread over 10 States in 2013. The report further said that the majority of casualties among security forces in anti-LWE operations are caused by IEDs.
