NEW DELHI, Sept 8:
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today expressed satisfaction over the work of police and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir, saying their efforts have resulted in “significant decline” in number of operating terrorists in the State.
“Notwithstanding recent pressure for infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir, the collaborative efforts of police and security forces have led to a significant decline in the number of operating terrorists as also in terrorist violence in Jammu and Kashmir,” Singh said at the annual conference of police chiefs here.
The Prime Minister said improvement in the security environment resulted in a successful Amarnath Yatra this year and a record number of tourists visited the State.
“The State has also successfully conducted the panchayat elections and is now poised to take up the responsibility of conducting elections to the urban local bodies,” he said.
With indications of terror groups making attempts to infiltrate into the country through sea route, Singh pitched for a comprehensive maritime policy to maintain vigil along the coastal line.
Singh spoke about threats from terror groups and said the police forces were still in the process of developing capabilities to take pre-emptive action in respect of terrorist threats especially in the hinterland.
He said while there were increasing infiltration attempts across the Line of Control and International Border, indications were that terrorist groups are maintaining their ability to use the sea route.
“In Jammu and Kashmir, we are beginning to see increasing infiltration attempts, across the Line of Control and even the International Border. There are also indications about terrorist groups maintaining their ability to use the sea route. Vigilance, therefore, needs to be exercised not only on our land borders but along the coast line as well.
“The comprehensive scheme of Maritime Domain Awareness to be led by the Navy would help strengthen coastal vigilance, whereas deployment of more permanent border obstacles and better sensors could improve the situation along the land borders,” he said.
Though Singh did not name any terror outfit at the meeting organised by Intelligence Bureau, ten terrorist of Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Taiba outfit had used sea route to infiltrate and attack Mumbai in November 2008 that left over 160 people dead.
On terror threats in the hinterland, the Prime Minister said, “We are still in the process of developing capabilities to take pre-emptive action in respect of terrorist threats.
The Prime Minister said his Government was working on a robust cyber security structure that addresses threat management and mitigation, assurance and certification, specially building capacity and enhancing research.
Calling upon private players to join in the plan of the Government, Singh said, “Our country’s vulnerability to cyber crime is escalating as our economy and critical infrastructure become increasingly reliant on interdependent computer networks and the Internet.
“Large-scale computer attacks on our critical infrastructure and economy can have potentially devastating results,” he said
He also called for devising a strategy to counter the propaganda carried out in social networking sites and said while working on a plan to counter it, a careful examination needs to be done that it does not infringe on the rights of freedom of expression of the people.
“The use of bulk SMSes and social media to aggravate the communal situation is a new challenge that the recent disturbances have thrown before us. We need to fully understand how these new media are used by miscreants.
“We also need to devise strategies to counter the propaganda that is carried out by these new means. Any measure to control the use of such media must be carefully weighed against the need for the freedom to express and communicate,” he said.
He expressed hope that police forces would be able to work out effective strategies to deal with these tendencies and asked the top brass of the police to dedicate themselves to planned technological upgradation of their forces.
There are many emerging areas where the police forces need to develop new expertise which include controlling use of new media by miscreants to spread rumours and falsehood.
On terror threats in the hinterland, the Prime Minister said, “We are still in the process of developing capabilities to take pre-emptive action in respect of terrorist threats.
“Realignment of operational approaches, training of police personnel and more effective collaboration among States and between States and the Centre should form part of our overall strategy of dealing with the menace of terrorism,” Singh said.
Speaking on Left Wing Extremism, he said there was an ability of Naxals to gradually increase their numbers, enhance their ‘military potential’, and entrench themselves in some areas of the seven affected States “is and should be a cause of worry.”
Acquisition of indigenous capacity for fabrication of hardware and the ability to ideologically sway sections of society into raising a clamour about violation of human rights only adds to the complexity of the situation.
“The paramilitary forces have to play an important role in minimising the loss of lives due to the use of IEDs and preventing exploitation of inter-State boundaries by Left Wing Extremists,” Singh said, adding the State police forces on their part must ensure that Naxals are apprehended are prosecuted quickly and effectively.
He also asked Naxal-affected State to improve the police-population ratio, strengthen police infrastructure and equip their police forces with better weapons, better communication systems and better training.
Singh expressed concern over the recent communal clashes in various parts of the country especially in Northeast and said, “the ethnic disturbances of the North East assumed a national dimension with the flight of people belonging to the North East from various towns of South and Western India.
“This further strained the communal situation in the country, which was already showing some signs of deterioration, particularly in the States of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala,” he said and asked police forces to re-orient themselves and make attempts to marginalise “overtly intolerant and aggressive” elements of the society. (PTI)
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