New Delhi: Terming internal security as a
"critical" matter, India on Sunday expressed concern over
increased infiltration attempts from Pakistan recently and
said these threats shall be overcome "at all costs" with a
coordinated efforts between the Centre and states.
Inaugurating the Chief Ministers Conference on Internal
Security, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said, "Hostile groups
and elements operate from across the border to perpetrate
terrorist acts in the country. The state of Jammu and Kashmir
bears the brunt of the acts of these groups."
He said while there had been a marked decline in the
number of terrorist incidents from 2008 to 2009, "infiltration
levels have shown an increase in the same period. Recently,
there have been some incidents which are disturbing."
The Prime Minister referred to his recent meetings with
the Chief Secretaries where he had called for a coordinated
efforts between the Centre and the states to face the threats.
"...We are also aware that the Central government has much
more to do," Singh said and gave an assurance that there will
be "no let up in our commitment and our efforts."
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, in his opening
remarks, referred to the meeting of terror groups like
Lashker-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen in Muzzafarabad in
Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir on February four and termed these
groups as "dark forces" which are "implacably" opposed to the
country. He asserted that they would be defeated whenever
confronted.
"Their weapons are mayhem and violence; and their goal is
forcible annexation of Kashmir. Let me make it clear that
these dark forces will not succeed in their designs. We will
defeat them whenever and wherever we confront them,"
Chidambaram said.
The Prime Minister listed various threats to the internal
security in the country, including threats from across the
border, Naxalism and insurgency in North-east. "Each one of
these threats requires determination, hard work and continuous
vigilance to tackle. These threats to our society and country
constitute a challenge that we must and shall overcome at all
costs," Singh said.
Apart from coordinating efforts, he listed specific steps
which the states could take. "I would like to take this
opportunity to urge the Chief Ministers to create special
intervention units in their states to enhance the speed and
decisiveness of the quick response teams," besides developing
specialised commando forces in the states which could be
deployed to act as a deterrent to terrorist designs.
Singh said November 2008 terror strikes in Mumbai had
"made us painfully aware of the need to strengthen our coastal
security."
He said the National Committee on Coastal Security under
the chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary had been constituted to
adopt an integrated approach to the issue. "The Committee has
taken action to increase the level of patrolling and
surveillance along the Indian coastline and bring about
greater coordination between the various agencies that can
contribute to security along our coasts."
"The issue of multi-purpose identity cards with biometric
features to residents in coastal areas is expected to be
completed by September 2010. The process of registration of
boats and vessels has gathered momentum," Singh said.
In his speech, Chidambaram said there has been no
significant terrorist attack and no significant communal
violence in the last 14 months which was a matter of
satisfaction but that did not mean that the country was not
vulnerable to terror strikes.
"That, I hasten to add, does not mean that there has
been no violence or that we are not vulnerable to terrorist
attacks; or that there are no triggers for communal
disturbances.
"We must remain vigilant. We must continue the work on
enhancing capacity. And we must reform our institutions and
systems of governance in order to pre-empt terrorist threats
and prevent communal discord," he said.
Describing Naxalism as a grave threat, the Home Minister
said the Centre had announced that it would encourage state
governments to talk to Naxalites if they abjured violence but
the offer was scoffed at and spurned by the CPI (Maoist).
"Hence, in consultation with the Chief Ministers of
Naxal-affected states, we decided to boldly confront the
challenge thrown by the CPI (Maoist)," the Home Minister said.
Referring to the acute problem of manpower in state
police forces, Chidambaram said there was humongous vacancies
in the sanctioned posts. As on January 1, 2009, there were
1,53,428 vacancies which was expected to dip to 1,38,559 on
March 31 this year.
"In addition, there is Uttar Pradesh where there is a
peculiar situation. In December 2008, Uttar Pradesh had
sanctioned 2,04,021 new posts and I am informed that the
process of recruitment is underway. The vacancy position
reflects a very unsatisfactory state of affairs."
The Home Minister said based on the responses to the
questionnaire, sent by the Home Ministry to all states seeking
information under 15 heads, it was found that only nine states
and Union Territories have a separate cadre for intelligence
and only 16 states or UTs have accepted the scheme suggested
by the Intelligence Bureau to restructure the state special
branches.
"While nearly all states have set up QRTs, six states
have not yet set up anti-terrorist units," he said.
Later talking to reporters, Chidambaram said all state
governments and UT administrations, irrespective of political
parties, were on the same page.
"There is not a single discordant note today in the
conference. That itself is an achievement. It means that the
whole nation and especially those incharge of the governance
are responsible are responding in the only manner, the way
they should respond, namely in a spirit of unity.
"That itself, I think is a big message to all those who
challenge India's internal security," he said.
Asked to comment on the praise showered by Gujarat Chief
Minister Narendra Modi and two other BJP Chief Ministers, the
Home Minister said there was no new ideology in his Ministry
and its was the same that was there in the UPA I.
The ideology that is secular, non-discriminatory, pro
human rights and the ideology that favours strong measures to
be taken to counter any threat to India's internal security,
he said.
"If Chief Ministers of some States agree to the approach
of the Ministry of Home Affairs, it only means that all
States today are bound together as we are bound by the
Constitution that the matter concerning India's internal
security, there is no differences and there will be no
differences," Chidambaram said.
Asked whether there was any difference of opinion between
the Home and External Affairs Ministries, he denied it saying
"we assess threat to India's internal security. That is the
government's assessment in which the Home Ministry plays the
part, may be an important part, that is the government
assessment.
"The Government also makes an assessment of an overall
political external situation and decides to make certain
moves. That is again the government's assessment. I do not
think there is any contradiction between the two and I think
it is premature to draw the conclusions and certainly there is
no difference of opinion between the Ministry of Home Affairs
and the Ministry of External Affairs," he said.
"Both Ministers are part of the Cabinet Committee on
security and which is where the major decisions are taken,"
the Home Minister said.
PTI
First Published: Monday, February 08, 2010, 10:45