Author:
Publication: Organiser
Date: October 13, 2002
The Prime Minister Atal Behari
Vajpayee has called for keeping up the efforts of security forces to get
the better of terrorism. Speaking at the DGPs and IGPs conference in Delhi
recently, Shri Vajpayee said that Pakistan must be held accountable for
its continued sponsorship of terrorism in India and our diplomatic initiatives
should be intensified to remind the leading nations of the international
coalition against terrorism about their pledge in this regard.
Commending the various State police
forces, paramilitary forces, intelligence agencies and the Army for their
role in dealing with terrorism, the Prime Minister reiterated the Government's
commitment for the welfare of families of the policemen who laid down their
lives in the line of duty. Shri Vajpayee emphasised that police forces
must remain apolitical, neutral and free of sectarian; regional or any
other kind of bias.
Shri Vajpayee said that the relative
importance of internal security in national security has grown considerably
in the past two decades. In the early decades of Independence, issues of
internal security pertained mainly to law and order and were, largely,
local in nature in contrast, now the main threat to our internal security,
namely, cross-border terrorism, fuelled by religious extremism, draws its
ideological sustenance, organisational patronage and operational support
from outside our borders.' To overcome this challenge, we have to fight
our battle at various levels and with multiple means-diplomatically, politically,
ideologically and, of course, on the ground with intelligence and firepower,
he said. The last year has seen India making steady advances on all these
fronts. This has made our adversary grow desperate. And desperation is
leading it to become more and more dastardly in its losing war of terrorism
against India, he added.
"The terrorist attack on India's
Parliament, preceded by an attack on the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly building
in Srinagar, the carnage of innocent men, women and children in Kaluchak,
Kasim Nagar and, most recently, the bloody sacrilege at the Akshardham
Temple in Gandhinagar-all these show our enemy's desperation. Needless
to say, a good part of this desperation owes to the growing successes gained
by our security forties in turning the heat on terrorist outfits and infiltration
from across the border", the PM said.
While describing this phase of our
battle, Shri Vajpayee stated that "terrorism is breathing its last breath".
"This has been misunderstood, or rather literally understood, in some quarters.
The fact of the matter is that the world opinion has turned against terrorism
in an unprecedented manner. The barbaric incidents of September 11 have
opened the eyes of the global community to the grave threat that terrorism,
fuelled by religious extremism, poses to peace and stability in the world.
In Afghanistan, the world community has clearly seen what happens to terrorism
ultimately", said Shri Vajpayee.
The PM exhorted that worldwide terrorism
is being considered an evil per se, since the killing of innocent women,
men and children cannot be justified on any ground. It has also become
clear that terrorists are not social or political revolutionaries fired
by any noble, universal ideals. It is increasingly recognised that terrorists
have no religion and that they actually commit blasphemy when they commit
heinous crimes in the name of religion. Thus, terrorism has failed to find
any place in the conscience of human society. And what is rejected by society,
cannot have an enduring life. Those who continue to support it will doubtlessly
get isolated from the rest of humanity, he said. The PM remarked that in
this sense terrorism is breathing its last breath.
"Of course, before it actually dies
and disappears from the world as a political instrument, it will continue
to commit many more depredations. Therefore, we have to become more vigilant
against this menace, and more determined to stamp it out", he added.
The situation in Jammu and Kashmir,
he said, is at a turning point. He was confident that the State will leave
the nightmare of extremism behind and return to peace, normalcy and development.
"We have seen it happen in Punjab, where the police and security forces,
with the cooperation of the people, ultimately overcame the challenge of
terrorism, he pointed out.
"In Jammu and Kashmir, we had pledged
to hold free and fair elections to the State Assembly. The polling in the
first two rounds so far has borne out this commitment. There was widespread
fear-psychosis created by terrorist organisations backed by Pakistan. There
were killings of candidates and political activists, intimidation of voters,
calls for poll boycott. However, the people of Jammu and Kashmir braved
all this to once again demonstrate that the bullet cannot defeat the ballot
in a democracy", the PM said.
"This will, however, not put end
to jehadi terrorism in J&K. Therefore, our security forces will have
to continue their good work on the ground to get the better of terrorism",
said Shri Vajpayee.
