Kashmir Impulse Desk
New Delhi, Oct 21
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday praised security forces for their contribution to curbing militancy in Kashmir and called for a nationwide campaign to eliminate drug abuse and trafficking by the end of 2029.
Speaking at the National Police Memorial in New Delhi on Police Commemoration Day, Shah paid tribute to police personnel killed in the line of duty and said their sacrifices had helped strengthen India’s internal security.
“Significant success has been achieved in curbing terrorism in Kashmir,” he said.
Shah also said the country had made progress in addressing three longstanding security challenges: militancy in Kashmir, unrest in the northeastern states and Left-Wing Extremism.
He said the government had set March 31, 2026, as the date by which Naxalism would be eliminated, and cited the sacrifices of more than 3600 security personnel and nearly 13,700 civilians over the period from 1981 to March 2026.
The minister praised the Central Reserve Police Force, its CoBRA battalion and Chhattisgarh Police for their roles in operations against Naxalism.
He also commended the Central Armed Police Forces for their work during elections, protests and border-security operations.
Shah said the Home Ministry had set December 31, 2029, as the target for making India free of the drug menace, calling on police forces to support the government’s “Nasha Mukt Bharat” campaign.
Drug trafficking and abuse threatened future generations and could provide financial support to organisations with anti-national intentions, he said.
He flagged off a nationwide motorcycle rally carrying an anti-drug message. About 90 riders from several states and Union Territories, central armed police forces and other central police organisations took part in the launch.
The rally is part of a campaign culminating in the Ekta Parade-2026 in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat.
Shah also recalled the events of October 21, 1959, when 10 Central Reserve Police Force personnel were killed while resisting an attack by Chinese troops in the Hot Springs region of Ladakh.
The date is observed annually as Police Commemoration Day.
He said the National Police Memorial, inaugurated in 2018, honours the service and sacrifice of police personnel killed in the line of duty.
