Security environment uncertain,blasts reminders of challenges

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the security environment in the country continues to be uncertain and that the recent terror attacks in Mumbai and Delhi.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday said the security environment in the country continues to be uncertain and that the recent terror attacks in Mumbai and Delhi are grim reminders of the challenges posed by terrorism to our national security.

Speaking at the three-day conference of Directors General of Police and Inspectors General here,Singh also pointed out that there were reports of cross-border camps for terrorists being reactivated. There are reports of cross-border camps for terrorists being reactivated,and of attempts to induct fresh batches of militants into the country, he said.

He also talked of the need for the security apparatus to be one step ahead of terrorists. He said human intelligence capabilities needed improvement. The grassroots information and intelligence collection systems that have traditionally been a part of policing have languished or fallen into disuse in some places… The role of a vigilant and effective beat constable can be vital in checking the activities of networks,which otherwise operate under radar. Some reorientation in the functioning at these cutting edge levels is necessary and the role of community policing should be emphasised, he said.

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Talking about the Naxal problem,Singh said a huge collective and coordinated effort was required both by the Centre and the states to achieve a decisive change in the Naxal situation. There have been some successes on the ground. But if we seek a decisive change in the situation,then a huge collective and coordinated effort is required both by the Centre and the states acting in concert, he said.

Saying that the government was trying to give a fresh thrust to development processes in the Naxalite-infested areas,he said that during his meeting with the collectors of 60 Naxal-affected districts he was told that there is a ray of hope for the development of these areas,provided we show flexibility and innovation in implementing development agenda.

I am hopeful that with these changes and the setting up of Specialised India Reserve Battalions,that will assist directly in these development efforts,there will be some positive difference on the ground, he said.

He asked security agencies to take urgent steps in removing a perceived bias against minorities as it would be otherwise inimical to effective policing. The existence of such a perception is inimical to effective policing,which must necessarily draw upon the confidence and cooperation of all sections of the population it serves.

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Sometimes our security forces have to perforce serve in unfamiliar areas far away from their homes. They dont have adequate understanding of local sensitivities and sometimes of the language as well.

The PM also said the government was trying to address the shortage of manpower in state police forces on a war footing. At the meeting of the National Integration Council last week,the need for a well-trained and equipped force to deal with riots was underscored. The Rapid Action Force has been discharging such a function with distinction, he said.

He expressed satisfaction over the peaceful summer in J&K,stating that while the process of broad-based consultation had been initiated to find honourable settlement,there is no room for complacency on the security front in the state.

We have initiated a process of broad-based consultation to find a way forward in Jammu and Kashmir. We need to give the processes of dialogue and democracy a chance to secure a just and honourable settlement that meets the aspirations of all sections of the people, he said.