Insurgency-related incidents reduced by 89% in NE: Union Min Anurag Thakur

Agartala: Union Minister for Sport and Youth Affairs Anurag Thakur on Friday said insurgency-related incidents in the Northeast region reduced by 89 percent in recent years and civilian killings due to such armed movements also recorded a sharp decline.

The Union Minister was addressing a gathering of youth at the Yuva Samvad @2047 organised by Nehru Yuva Kenda Sanghatan in Agartala.

“In the Northeast, the insurgency-related incidents reduced by 89 percent after the BJP came to power at the Centre. Civilian killings due to such armed movement also declined by around 90 percent in this region. The Armed Forces Special Power Act was also withdrawn from a vast area of the Northeast and normalcy has been restored. In Tripura as well, peace accords were signed with insurgent groups to bring peace and tranquility across the state,” the Union Minister said.

Recounting the sacrifices of freedom fighters for India’s freedom struggle, the Union Minister urged the youth to contribute their bit to nation-building.

“Today, I want to recall the contribution of freedom fighters like Saheed Bhagat Singh, Chandrasekhar Azaad, and Veer Savarkar who sacrificed their lives to free India from the clutches of British rule. Today’s youth need not sacrifice their lives. I want them to contribute in whichever possible manner they can to nation-building. You have to be aware of your rights but you should consciously perform all your responsibilities towards the country,” Thakur claimed.

The Union Minister also informed the gathering that Y20 talks would be held in all the colleges and universities of Tripura and the views of India’s youth will be documented and presented before the world leaders during the G20 summit in September.

Thakur also appealed to the youth to be cautious about whom they were going to vote for and said that the “ballot is stronger than the bullet”.

“Today’s youth need to raise its voice against social prejudices, crime, radicalism, pollution, and other key issues hindering India’s growth. For years, Tripura was ruled by communists and under their government, the state only backslides on all the development parameters. In the first five years, the BJP laid the foundation for Tripura’s development and if elected for the second term, the state will scale new heights of development with new zeal and enthusiasm,” he claimed.    

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