'Facts are facts': NSA Doval says terrorism in India has been countered; calls J&K 'theatre of proxy war' for Pak

NEW DELHI: National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on Friday said that terrorism has been controlled in India and that the last major terror incident in the country — outside Jammu and Kashmir — took place in 2013.Speaking at the Sardar Patel Memorial Lecture on Governance, Doval said: "The facts are facts, and they cannot be disputed. Terrorism in this country has been effectively countered. We had a major incident of terrorism on July 1, 2005, and the last one in 2013 in the hinterland. Except for Jammu and Kashmir, which had been a theatre of a proxy war or a covert warfare for Pakistan, which is a different ballgame, the whole country has remained secure from terrorist attacks. Efforts were made. People were arrested. Explosives are recovered."Doval said that no terror attacks have taken place in the hinterland even though "enemies" have continued their activities. He also said that left-wing extremism has reduced sharply since 2014."Enemies have remained very active, but fortunately, and it's more of a good fortune in the country that we can say that we have had no terrorist incident in the hinterland. The left-wing extremism has reduced to less than 11 per cent areas than what existed in 2014. Most of the districts which had been declared as left-wing prone have been declared safe," he said.He added that India has managed to build deterrence, meaning it can respond to national security threats when needed."It is not sufficient to say that we have taken sufficient security measures. What is equally important is that we are able to make every Indian feel secure, both from internal and external forces. While we can deal with them effectively in accordance with government laws and policies, we can create deterrence that credibly convinces them we have the will and the strength to respond to any threat in a manner best for our national security," Doval said.He also spoke about the need to support the marginalised and stressed on women’s safety."There is also a very special need to care for the deprived, the weak, and the marginalised, and to give them a sense of empowerment. The security of women is extremely important. The need for protection, safety, giving a sense of equality and empowerment to women is necessary for good governance in the modern-day world," he said.