26/11, Pathankot airbase attacks signify tectonic shift for India: Rajnath Singh's message to Pakistan

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh

Jaipur: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday targeted Pakistan for failing to curb export of terror to India.

Speaking at a counter-terrorism conference here, Rajnath said when certain states use terrorism as an instrument of their foreign policy, the challenge to tackle it gets compounded.

“Most of the terrorist attacks in India emanate from Pakistan... it will have to show some sincerity and take concrete steps to rein in various terror groups operating against India from its soil,” Rajnath said without mincing his words.

The Home Minister stated that for India, the November 2008 Mumbai terror attack and the recent strike on Pathankot airbase have signified a tectonic shift.

“In the recent attack on the Pathankot airbase, there was a conscious effort to target sensitive assets of the country and to cause large-scale casualties.

“Our security forces and intelligence agencies not only prevented any damage to our capabilities and assets but achieved it with minimum casualties,” the minister stated.

He, however, added, “If Pakistan takes concrete action against terrorists operating from its territory, it will not only improve bilateral ties between the two countries but also bring peace and stability to the South Asian region.”

“India will stand by Pakistan if it takes decisive action against terrorists and their organisations,” Rajnath added.

Rajnath said terrorism has no religion because religions do not allow crimes against humanity.

“Terrorism is a crime against humanity,” he told the conference, adding, “I firmly believe that terrorism is a by-product of a perverse mind and this perversion has no love for human beings or humanity”.

Rajnath rued that the world still has not agreed on one definition of terrorism.

“Unfortunately, while the world acknowledges the threat of terrorism, there is no consensus even on the definition of terrorism.

“They make perverse distinction between good and bad terrorists. The world must accept the reality without any loss of time that there is no good terrorist,” Rajnath said.

“As we struggle to arrive at a consensus on relatively simpler issue such as the definition of terrorism, terror groups are becoming deadlier by the day. From traditional forms of terrorism, we are now witnessing cyber terrorism, narco terrorism and bio-terrorism,” Rajnath said.

He stressed that cutting funds' supply line to terrorists is a big challenge.

“We want to disrupt the line of funds to terrorism,” he told the conference.

Talking about India-specific challenges, Rajnath said, “We are a country with multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-ethnic society. These conditions are actively utilized by anti-national elements.”

“To counter such threats we need to undertake sound, preventive and responsive security measures,” he added.