Noting that there was greater appreciation in the international community of the threat that exists to the region and the world from the terror emanating from Pakistan, government on Thursday said it would protect the people of the country from such acts of violence.
In her customary address to the joint sitting of Parliament, President Pratibha Patil termed the terror attack on Mumbai as an attempt to retard the country's economic progress and said this and terrorist incidents in various cities were assaults on all the values of the country.
"There is greater appreciation in the international community of the threat that exists to the region and the world from the terrorism emanating from Pakistan," she said.
The President said the nation faced multiple internal security challenges and the country witnessed terrorist attacks in several cities with growing levels of sophistication and assistance from outside the country and many innocent lives have been lost.
"The terrorist attack in Mumbai as well as the terrorist incidents in Delhi, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Bengaluru and Assam and before that on our Embassy in Kabul, were an assault on all the values that our country stands for," she said.
"The attack in Mumbai was deliberately planned to retard our economic progress. My government is heartened by the international support it has received after these attacks. There is greater appreciation in the international community of the threat that exists to the region and the world from the terrorism emanating from Pakistan," the President said.
Patil said the government has strengthened the country's internal security to protect people from mindless acts of violence and a number of steps have been taken in this regard which include establishment of National Investigation Agency and amendment of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
"These measures have strengthened the legal and investigative framework to tackle terrorist forces. While arming the internal security apparatus with these powers, all care would be taken to uphold legal procedures and prevent any misuse of such powers," she said adding a comprehensive plan has been drawn up to strengthen maritime and coastal security against threats from sea.
The President said Left wing extremism remained a major concern in several states and the government has adopted a holistic approach to tackle this problem in close coordination with the affected states through modernisation of police forces and better implementation of socio-economic development programmes for the most backward regions.
The President said the government has worked actively with the international community to address key global challenges of terrorism, energy and food security, climate change and sustainable development, global economic and financial crisis and the reform of international institutions, including of the UN, to reflect contemporary realities.
"The conclusion of an India Specific Safeguards Agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency and the decision of the Nuclear Suppliers' Group in 2008 to allow its members to enter into full nuclear cooperation and trade with India in nuclear material and technology marks the beginning of the end of 34 years of nuclear isolation and the technology denial regime that India was being subjected to," she said.
Patil said this has opened the way for our indigenous nuclear power generation programme to be reinforced by additionalities through international civil nuclear energy cooperation, thereby also contributing to the global fight against climate change.
"The opening of such cooperation with India is a vindication of India's impeccable record on non-proliferation and our long standing commitment to universal, non-discriminatory and comprehensive nuclear disarmament," she said.
The President said government's policies have ensured that even as India faces an economic slowdown along with the rest of the world, country's fundamentals are much better.
"India's domestic demand can inject fresh momentum to our economy. India's banks are well capitalised and face no threat that many banks face in other parts of the world. My government has taken a series of measures to stimulate our economy at this juncture," she said.
Patil said these have been expeditiously announced after discussion with stakeholders to address the problem of slow down in industrial growth exports and the services sector.
"These measures include increasing availability of liquidity and credit, reduction in taxes and duties, boost to infrastructure and special support to the worst affected sectors such as exports, micro, medium and small industries, housing and automobiles," she said.
The President said the long borders encompassing different geographical and climate conditions and terrains make it imperative to keep the Armed Forces in a state of full preparedness to face diverse challenges at all times.
"The modernisation programme of the Armed Forces is focussed on state-of-the-art technology, network centric warfare, and includes an Integrated Space Cell to deal with the challenges posed by the militarization of space," she said.
