NEW DELHI: Apparently exercising caution in referring to rightwing groups, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has expressed concern over threats from various sources including religious fundamentalism while Home Minister P Chidambaram spoke about “new groups” that are suspected to be behind some terror attacks in recent years.
Addressing a conference of Chief Ministers on internal security both of them avoided any direct reference to right wing groups which have recently come under the scanner over their alleged involvement in cases like Malegaon, Samjhauta Express, Mecca Masjid and Ajmer blasts.
“…we all need to be conscious of the fact that serious challenges and threats — primarily from left wing extremism, cross border terrorism, religious fundamentalism and ethnic violence — still persist,” Singh said in his inaugural address.
The Prime Minister said he was happy to note that the National Investigative Agency, created in the aftermath of 26/11 Mumbai attacks, has gained much ground “in unraveling the activities of new terror groups” besides unearthing the Fake Indian Currency Notes networks operating from across the borders.
The Home Minister, who was complimented by the Prime Minister for better internal security situation, said “there are a number of modules operating within the country; and new groups have raised their heads that are suspected to be behind some terrorist attacks that took place in recent years.
“We cannot shy away from naming these groups or exposing their designs. Whatever their religious affiliations, I have no hesitation in condemning every group that resorts to terror as a means of advancing dubious religious causes or fundamentalist goals.
“Our policy in this regard is clear: every terrorist and every terrorist group will be pursued and brought before the law and punished,” Chidambaram said.
The Home Minister’s reference to saffron terror on an earlier occasion had created a controversy with BJP and RSS attacking him and some Congress leaders distancing the party from it.
Both the NIA and the CBI have made considerable progress in busting the terror networks being operated by members of the RSS and other small Hindu groups who are allegedly involved in bomb blasts at Malegaon in 2006 and the Samjhauta train blasts.
While listing the achievements of his ministry in maintaining the internal security of the country, there was a word of caution from Chidambaram.
“My biggest worry, however, is that we might slide into complacency and begin to think that ‘God is in heaven, and all is well with the world,” he said.
Stating that Pune and Varanasi should “jolt us out of complacency, the Home Minister added “…and the evidence that the NIA and CBI are discovering every day should serve as a wake-up call to the new sources of terror that threaten our security. .
Singh said there can be no let up in the government’s efforts in the fight against terrorism and communal violence.
“…we all need to be conscious of the fact that serious challenges and threats – primarily from Left-wing extremism, cross border terrorism, religious fundamentalism and ethnic violence – still persist,” he said.
The Prime Minister said as far as the Left-wing extremism was concerned, 2010 saw a decrease over the previous year in the number of incidents and causalities of security forces, though the number of causalities among civilians increased.
“Chhattisgarh, Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand continue to be a cause for concern in view of the level of violence.
The problems in Orissa and Maharashtra are also quite serious,” he said.
Asking the chief ministers to consider increasing the number of joint operations by state police forces with the assistance of central forces, Singh said in the fight against the Maoists, there is a need to have a greater coordination of responses and resources between the central and state forces.
Taking an apparent dig at civil society activists, Chidambaram said in 2010, Left-wing extremists killed 718 civilians of which 323 were killed after branding them as ‘police informers’.
“Unlike our security forces, the Naxalite cadres are not constrained by the rule of law or rules of conflict. In areas they dominate they act as judge, jury and executioner.
“I regret that no representative of civil society has called for an inquiry into the brutal and unlawful killing of civilians and other acts of depredation committed by the CPI (Maoist),” he said.
Describing as unfortunate the death of many young people in Jammu and Kashmir during protests and stone pelting incidents in the summer of 2010, the Prime Minister said the agitation generated a vicious cycle of violence in the Valley.
Singh said while the central and the state intelligence agencies were at work, there was a need to recognize the fact that the best, actionable and prompt intelligence on internal security often comes from the police stations.
“But people will come forth to give information to the local policeman, only when they see him as a friend. We need to closely examine the functioning of police stations and bring forth changes to make policemen truly people friendly.
We need to take three pronged action on community policing, police reforms and informed use of technology respectively to make this happen,” he said.
-PTI
