Terror threats to be overcome at all costs: India

Terming internal security as a "critical" matter, India today expressed concern over increased infiltration attempts from Pakistan recently and said these threats shall be overcome "at all costs" with a coordinated effort 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 effort 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 the Lashkar-e-Tayiba 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 Mmnister 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 the 26/11 terror strike 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 had 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 in charge 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 previous government. 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.