Acknowledging that internal security was one of the key challenges for the country, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday said the police and law enforcement agencies need to go “far beyond conventional responses” in facing terrorist threats. Superior intelligence capabilities, a better police and greater discipline are crucial to improve the internal security machinery, Singh said. He also referred to inter-state and trans-national ramifications of crime and suggested a discussion on federal crimes and the centre-state dimension of internal security administration.

He also referred to the recent cases of vigilante justice in Vaishali and Bhagalpur as he addressed the country’s top cops at the National Conference of Director Generals and Inspector Generals of Police. “We are seeing many incidents of vigilantism and of citizens taking law into their own hands, particularly in Bihar,” he said. Some of these could be due to personal frustration but this also “arises out of dissatisfaction over the functioning of the law enforcement and justice system”, the Prime Minister said.

Speaking about the “formidable challenges” on the internal security front, he referred to the Hyderabad blasts, the Naxal attempt to kill former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Janardhana Reddy, violence in the Northeast and the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. He called for “greater discipline, lesser politicisation and zero corruption” in the police to deal with these challenges.

While he spoke of terrorism becoming a global phenomenon of our times, he tried to draw attention to some home truths like the neglect of law and order on “matters which directly impinge citizenry”. Pointing out that people want a secure environment, Singh said their concerns centre around harassment by local criminals or gangs, goondaism, dadagiri, kidnapping, extortion, eve-teasing and child abuse. “As we get more urbanised, these offences are increasing. White collar crime too is seeing a rise,” he said.

... contd.