The Prime Minister and the Home Minister have comprehensively traced national security scenario in the crucial Chief Ministers’ meeting chaired by the Prime Minister. Touching on a number of aspects related to internal and external security of the country, the PM described the policy of his Government in meeting the challenge. He talked about militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, Left Wing Extremism — Naxalites and Maoists, insurgency in North East, border issues and much more. Though the Prime Minister did not elaborate extensively on any one aspect of security scenario yet he conceded that the overall situation was complex and had to be dealt with firmness and clarity. Obviously, the Prime Minister was speaking on security issues under the lingering shadow of the recent Left Wing Extremist attack in Chhatisgarh in which a number of Congress leaders and workers were killed or injured.
His overall approach of meeting the challenges to internal security was that on issues of national interests the States and the Union had to pool their efforts and chalk out the parameters of a common policy and action. Specifying the Chhatisgarh incident, he said that the efforts of the Government in containing violence had received a setback and renewed efforts with changed strategy had to be inducted to get rid of this menace. PMO has already begun to work on new strategy of meeting the challenge on the ground and addressing economic and social backwardness of areas where Naxalite and Maoist menace is located. The part of revised strategy of meeting this threat left to the States is now to be synchronized.
The Prime Minister reflected on the issue of security of women and children in the country and was just short of saying that this had brought great disappointment. He referred to the amendments made to the criminal law code making punishment against sexual harassment more stringent.
Reflecting on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, the Prime Minister said that the scale of violence in the State had come down in comparison to the year 2012 which was the record low in last two decades and half of turmoil. There was substantial increase in the number of tourists and pilgrims to the shrines of Mata Vaishno Devi and Shri Amarnathji which shows that the state was gradually limping back to normalcy. Prime Minister is of opinion that some crucial developmental projects have been brought to completion in the State and some more are under execution. In particular he said that the schemes launched by the Centre for eradicating unemployment among the youth of the State were proving effective and the policy of imparting training in skills for employment had proved beneficial to the youth.
Though the speech of the Prime Minister was a mix of difficulties and possibilities in the realm of internal security, the Home Minister minced no words in laying bare the involvement of Pakistani intelligence agency in fomenting violence and terror in our country through its perfidious acts of instigating some anti-social elements. He said that the infiltration structure in PoK was intact. It is a different matter that our border security forces and intelligence agencies were disallowing them the opportunities of sneaking into our side of the line. The picture of the Pakistan-based jihadis trying to derail law and order in our country through their subversive activities is grim and serious by any means. For example the Home Minister gave a short peep into the latest communication equipment these jihadis have obtained for use against us. It is alarming. They are establishing global linkages and use the Internet for planning and chartering their tactical operations.
He made sensational revelations about ISI trying to revive Khalistani insurgency through some of the hardcore criminals and convicts in Punjab. Sadly, some extremist Sikh elements in foreign countries were supportive of ISI’s nefarious designs against our country. It was alarming to note that large quantity of RDX has been clandestinely smuggled into our side of the border and it was to be used by the subversives to disrupt life in our country. Many of these modules have been busted.
Yet another facet of a blatant inimical act perpetrated against our country by Pakistan’s lawless intelligence sleuths is of printing fake Indian currency and smuggling it into India. There is evidence showing that the fake currency is manufactured through highly sophisticated process. This is to strike at and weaken the Indian economy. Large funds are being passed on to the jihadi organizations covertly through hawala, clandestine transshipments along Bangladesh and Nepal border and through the Western Union. The Home Minister said that Nepal and Bangladesh borders are being used by jihadi and anti-India elements for ex-filtration and infiltration.
With this picture profiled by the Home Minister of the country, one cannot feel satisfied that we are in a real happy position in the context of internal security. The Home Minister has rightly said that though steps are being taken from time to time to upgrade and streamline our defence strategy but much more remains to be done. The country is passing through a critical phase in terms of security arrangement. At least reflecting the situation as it is does give an indication that the Union Government is fully seized of the challenge before the country. Sharing these concerns with the Chief Ministers in a formal meeting of considerable importance is the right thing done by the Prime Minister. He is absolutely right in saying that the challenges to national integrity have to be met by all irrespective of difference opinion on other issues.
Hopefully State Chief Ministers will seriously take the observations made by the Prime Minister and the Home Minister on important national security issues. Let us not mince words in saying that the security scenario in no way brings us solace. The country is faced with the dual threat, physical as well as economic. The neighbours on our east and west have formed a nexus to destabilize our country. They are trying to inflict wounds on us wherever and whenever they can. India’s social structure is under threat. In these circumstances, unity and convergence of opinion on major security issues connected closely to national interests are of paramount importance. This is the time when Indian leadership of all hues and colours needs to submit to imperatives of national security. During the wars against our adversaries in the past, the nation demonstrated exemplary solidarity and overcame the threat. We need to repeat that solidarity here and now when serious challenges are looking straight into our eyes.
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