On February 1, 2011, Prime Minster Dr. Manmohan Singh addressed the Conference of Chief Ministers on Internal Security in New Delhi. Presented below is the full text of his speech:
"I am very happy to be amidst you today. This Chief Ministers’ Conference is a very important occasion to take stock of the internal security situation in our country and deliberate upon the possible strategies to meet the challenges that confront us in this area. It is a matter of satisfaction for us that the earlier meetings have proved useful, leading to a number of concrete steps.
I compliment my colleague the Union Home Minister and his team for their proactive role in matters of internal security. I must also take this opportunity to compliment the Hon’ble Chief Ministers for having ensured that by and large the internal security situation in the country remained stable. But, we all need to be conscious of the fact that serious challenges and threats – primarily from left wing extremism, cross border terrorism, religious fundamentalism and ethnic violence – still persist.
As far as left wing extremism is concerned, the year 2010 saw a decrease over the previous year in the numbers of incidents and casualities of security personnel. But, the number of casualities among civilians increased. Chhattisgarh, Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand continue to be a cause of concern in view of the level of violence. The problems in Orissa and Maharashtra are also quite serious. In the fight against Left Wing Extremism, there is a need to have much greater coordination of responses and resources between the central and state forces. I would request the participants in this conference to consider increasing the number of joint operations by state police forces with the assistance of Central forces.
To address local development issues in the Left Wing Extremism affected areas, the Government has recently approved an Integrated Action Plan for 60 selected tribal and backward districts. Under this scheme, substantial funds will be placed at the disposal of a district level committee of officials. I look forward to your views on the Integrated Action Plan.
As far as communal tensions are concerned, the situation that prevailed in 2010 gives us reason for satisfaction. I would like to mention here the tremendous restraint shown by all sections of our society in the wake of the court judgement in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suits. The response to the judgement by and large was mature, respectful and dignified. Otherwise also, no major communal incident was reported from anywhere in the country in 2010. There was a steep fall in the number of terror attacks also during the previous year, with only two incidents at Pune and Varanasi. While our people and security agencies deserve full credit in these matters, the importance of being constantly vigilant and on our guard cannot be over-emphasized. There can be no let up in our efforts if we are to succeed in our fight against terrorism as well as communal violence.
The highlight of the last year has been the change in the situation in the North-East. The trend of declining violence and casualties continued in 2010, and I have been told that violence is at its lowest levels in many years. I have repeatedly stated that the Indian Constitution is a remarkably flexible instrument, capable of accommodating a diverse range of aspirations. What is essential, however, is a genuine desire for peace and a willingness to abjure the path of violence. It is the commitment of our government, that if these two conditions are satisfied we will respond in full measure in considering the demands of various groups. There has been fruitful engagement with several groups in 2010 and we wish to deepen this process of engagement this year.
The summer of 2010 saw a troubled period in the state of Jammu and Kashmir in the form of protests, particularly by stone-pelters. This form of agitation generated a vicious cycle of violence. It is very unfortunate and sad that despite tremendous restraint shown by the security forces, many young people died and more than 1500 security personnel were injured. As we meet today, the situation in the valley has improved, following the visit of the All Party Delegation to the state, the subsequent announcement of the 8-point programme by the Government and a number of positive measures jointly initiated by the government of India and the state government of J&K. The team of interlocutors is also trying to reach out to the various sections of the people for opening a dialogue with them.
As you would recall, stone pelting by youth had drawn the attention of this house to the need to develop non-lethal techniques and capacities within central and state police organizations to respond to such forms of public protests and associated violence. I am given to understand that the Ministry of Home Affairs has prepared Standard Operating Procedures to this effect and these will be shared with the state governments during this conference.
As we look back at the past year, we can note with some satisfaction that the measures for strengthening our capacity to deal with internal security challenges which were initiated post November 2008 are now yielding tangible results. A total of 23 battalions of BSF, CRPF and SSB were raised in 2010-11. The National Security Guard has been strengthened by creating 4 Regional hubs at Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai, and 2 Regional centres at Hyderabad and Kolkata. Further operationalisation of Multi Agency Centre – Subsidiary Multi Agency Centre connectivity, modernization of state police forces, induction of trained and equipped manpower into the security forces, strengthening of infrastructure and creation of training capacities, are some key areas which saw further consolidation in the last one year. Government has also accepted the recommendations of the 13th Finance Commission and we have agreed to devolve an amount of more than Rs 2000 crore as grants-in-aid to the states over a period of five years for the training of police personnel and for strengthening police infrastructure. I am sure this will be a very useful initiative.
In order to secure our borders, the work on the Integrated Check Posts at Attari, Raxaul and Jogbani is progressing well. The coastal security initiative gathered good momentum in 2010 with 71 out of 73 coastal police stations being made operational. A total of 183 interceptor boats have been delivered. Substantial funds have been given to Arunachal Pradesh, particularly for development of border areas, porter and mule tracks and administrative centres in remote areas. The state government should expedite implementation of the scheme by setting up a joint implementation machinery with Ministry of DONER, MHA and the Planning Commission.
I am happy to note that the National Investigative Agency, that was raised after the 26/11 terror attack gained much ground in unearthing the Fake Indian Currency Notes networks operating from across our borders and in unraveling the activities of new terror groups.
While the central and the state intelligence agencies are at work, we need to recognize a very significant fact that the best, actionable and prompt intelligence on internal security often comes from the police stations. But people will come forth to give information to the local policeman, only when they see him as a friend. We need to closely examine the functioning of police stations and bring forth changes to make policemen truly people friendly. We need to take three pronged action on community policing, police reforms and informed use of technology respectively to make this happen.
The Centre and the states should work together to formulate guidelines for community policing. I am told that the Kerala Police recently organized an international conference on the subject. We need more such discussions to learn from international experience in community policing. Bridging the gap of mistrust that exists between the police and community will go a long way in collecting actionable intelligence. This also brings me to the idea of involving the academia and professionals, who are experts in the field of data mining and cyber security, in policing.
I am given to understand that training of officers is receiving more focused attention now. This should bring about better human development. But, much more efforts need to be put in the refresher training or for that matter in the reorientation of our cutting-edge police officers and men as it is they who are the ones whom the members of public get in touch with on a daily basis. Till such time we cannot upgrade their skills and bring about a change in their behaviour and attitude – an attitude of ‘service of the people’ – we will not succeed in our efforts to set up a truly people-friendly and professionally competent and very good police force in our states and our country.
Here, I would also like to emphasize the need for our police officers to be specially sensitive to the problems faced by the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minorities, women and elderly citizens. It is a shame for all of us that atrocities against the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes still continue to exist in our country. It is the duty of our police officers to ensure that no case of atrocity against these under privileged groups goes unpunished. Like the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, most of the women in our country also do not have a voice. They are often at the receiving end of violence which our society condones and sometimes even sanctions. I would expect the State Governments to be alive to the need of protecting our women against violence by doing their very best to ensure punishment to the perpetrators of such violence.
We cannot continue to police our society with archaic laws and policing systems. We are aware that many Police Commissions have made various recommendations on police reforms. I urge the states to seriously look into this aspect.. I would like the Ministry of Home Affairs to carry forward this exercise to its logical conclusion in the Union Territory of Delhi during the coming years so that Delhi Police becomes a model for other state police forces to emulate.
Let me end by wishing the deliberations of this conference all success. I look forward to your recommendations. May God be with you."
Source: Official Website of the Prime Minister of India
On January 6, 2009, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh addressed the Conference of Chief Ministers on Internal Security in New Delhi. Presented below is the full text of his speech:
"We last met to discuss internal security issues in December 2007, a little over a year ago. The twelve months that have passed since then have been a difficult period for us. The security situation has, if anything, become even more complex. Many predictions made a year ago have unfortunately turned out to be true. In some cases the scale and magnitude of terrorist attacks appear to have been stepped up exponentially. In the prevailing circumstances we cannot afford to take a partial or segmented view. A holistic approach to our security concerns is definitely called for.
During the past year, we faced a severe challenge from terrorist groups operating from outside our country. Many of them act in association with hostile Intelligence Agencies in these countries. The attempt has been to exploit our vulnerabilities, and at times they do succeed as is evident from the terrorist attack in Mumbai. Our problems are compounded by the fact that we have a highly unpredictable and uncertain security environment in our immediate neighbourhood. The Governments in some of our neighbouring countries are very fragile in nature. The more fragile a Government, the more it tends to act in an irresponsible fashion. Pakistan’s responses to our various demarches on terrorist attacks is an obvious example.
We face multi-dimensional challenges of different kinds, but the most serious threats are those posed by Terrorism, Left Wing Extremism and insurgency in the North East. Left Wing Extremism is primarily indigenous and home-grown. Terrorism, on the other hand, is largely sponsored from outside our country, mainly Pakistan, which has utilized terrorism as an instrument of State policy. Insurgency in the North-East exploits disparities in income and wealth but it is also sustained by the sanctuaries provided to the leaders of insurgency movements in the neighbouring countries. There are, hence, fundamental differences in the way we need to view the internal security challenge and deal with the three threats that I had mentioned.
In the previous meeting it had been mentioned that terrorists were enlarging the canvas of threats. Increasingly, their concentration was on attacking economic, infrastructure, and iconic targets, apart from political, military and security ones. Mention had also been made of the fact that the sea route was now being exploited and explored as an alternative to land routes. It had, therefore, been suggested that there should be greater vigilance along our coast line and better monitoring of maritime activity in our territorial waters. The terrorists who carried out the attack on Mumbai on November 26, 2008 used the sea route, and managed to evade our coastal surveillance.
Calculating and responding to security challenges of this nature is in itself a complex exercise at the best of times. It becomes even more challenging in the circumstances I have just now mentioned. Our security calculus is a matrix of many imponderable factors, but there are two fundamental and underlying aspects, i.e., protecting the territorial integrity of the country and ensuring our internal security.
A strong sense of nationhood is important to withstand both these types of threats. Our nation is clearly united in our determination to defeat both external as well as internal security challenges. Our determination and sense of nationhood derives from our inheritance of a great historical experience of a multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multi-caste and multi-lingual society. To-day, even as Pakistan engages in whipping up war hysteria, our nation remains steadfastly united and, if anything, the process of national consolidation is becoming stronger.
Dealing with internal security problems does not alter this dynamic. The situation may appear challenging and it is challenging but it is by no means beyond control. Concerns may exist that our defence mechanisms to thwart the numerous threats are inadequate. There may be criticism that the range of the instruments that we possess to deal with internal security threats, are not sufficiently sophisticated. Clearly, there is need to review the effectiveness of our set up for the collection of technical signalling and human intelligence. The training and equipment provided to our security forces also requires a careful review. I will admit that a great deal more can, and needs to, be done. Both the Centre and the State Governments must attend to this national task with speed, efficiency and utmost commitment.
Our external policies have been dictated by a desire to have a supportive neighbourhood. Unfortunately, we cannot choose our neighbours, and some countries like Pakistan have in the past encouraged and given sanctuary to terrorists and other forces who are antagonistic to India. We have tried to minimize the impact of such hostility by erecting certain defences. We have fenced our border along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, from where the vast majority of the infiltrations into India tended to take place. We are currently fencing our border with Bangladesh, from where also a number of infiltrations have been reported.
Consequent upon this, those in charge of the terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan have resorted to other stratagems to infiltrate terrorists into India. Infiltration is occurring via Nepal and from Bangladesh, though it has not totally ceased via the Line of Control in J&K. We are aware that the sea route is another option that is now being exercised. A few interceptions have taken place, though we failed to intercept the 10 Pakistani terrorists who came by sea from Karachi on November 26.
The terrorist attack in Mumbai in November last year was clearly carried out by a Pakistan-based outfit, the Lashkar-e-Taiba. On the basis of the investigations carried out, including the Agencies of some foreign countries whose nationals were killed in the attack, there is enough evidence to show that, given the sophistication and military precision of the attack it must have had the support of some official agencies in Pakistan.
We are aware of the existence of different concentric circles of terrorism which impact on our security. The Mumbai terrorist attack fell into the category of one carried out exclusively by a foreign based outfit. There are other concentric circles of terrorism that often involve a combination of external forces backed by internal elements. There are still others which are essentially indigenous in character.
Recent patterns of terrorist incidents also suggest that increasingly the attacks have a pan-Indian and trans-national aspect. The terrorists are able to fashion new techniques and employ new skills. There is growing emphasis on ‘mass casualty attacks’. Terrorist communications have become state-of-the-art. Use of the Internet and Voice Over Internet Protocol connectivity, gives the terrorists greater anonymity and makes detection difficult for the authorities.
Attacks today are again less random than previously. In the case of Mumbai, a definite link can be discerned between our economic and security interests. Targetting of foreigners, specially from the West, was obviously intended to convey an impression that India was unsafe as a destination for the West and Western investments. We need to effectively counter this impression. We need to ensure that another major terrorist attack does not take place on our soil. We must implement the policy of ‘Zero Tolerance of Terrorism’ with total commitment.
Few countries have suffered so frequently or faced so much violence at the hands of terrorists as our country. During the past year, there have been terrorist attacks in Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Surat, Assam, Mumbai and some places in U.P. and these show higher levels of sophistication with each attack.
What makes terrorism particularly threatening at this moment is the impression of vulnerability combined with the display of greater sophistication in techniques and methodologies of terrorist outfits. The challenges before us are to demonstrate that we have both the capability as well as the sophisticated instrumentalities to anticipate and overcome the shifts and changes in terrorist methods. We cannot, therefore, afford to conceptualize narrowly. We must not react merely to immediate events.
This is the underlying message contained in the Home Minister’s letter inviting you to this Meeting. It is important at this juncture to demonstrate our combined will, and that we are effectively galvanizing the internal security system to deal with future terrorist attacks. Technology is empowering non-state actors across the globe and it is necessary for us to come up with a comprehensive strategy that combines the best of technological and human capabilities within the country to defeat terrorism in all its manifestations.
The Home Minister has already outlined a number of steps that have been taken in recent weeks to erect additional mechanisms to counter future terrorist attacks. The main message is that we need to break down barriers to information-sharing between the various agencies.
What I would add is that we need better intelligence and perhaps, more importantly, sophistcated assessment and analysis of the intelligence that is available. Complaints are often heard that the intelligence provided by the Agencies is not actionable. All intelligence produced is actionable, though it may not always be specific. It depends on the capability and ingenuity of those who assess the information to further develop and convert the fragmentary pieces of intelligence into a complete whole and for those who have to act on it to possibly pursue each and every lead.
Getting information early in time is vitally important and we need to encourage the setting up of an elaborate information system at the village, block and district level to report on any and all untoward events and incidents. Mobile telephones today provide opportunities for easy communication. Even our fishermen out at sea can use mobile telephones to report any untoward incident in our territorial waters. We must understand that no counter-terrorist action can hope to succeed unless it is based on the cooperation of the community and hence the importance of an expanded community policing system in our country. I would request the Chief Ministers to personally attend to this vital task.
The information available from diverse sources, thereafter needs to be properly channelized to reach a common point such as the recently revitalized Multi-Agency Centre in Delhi for collation and analysis. It will, hence, be necessary to establish Centers locally, at the State and lower levels across the country, to collate all the available information which might have a bearing on a potential terrorist situation. Other countries which have a federal structure similar to ours, like the United States, do have such centers spread across the country to coordinate local level responses to terrorism.
A large empirical data base will not yield results without using techniques such as structured analytic methodologies to convert the mass of information into actionable intelligence. Applications such as Threat Assessment Modeling and Artificial Neural Networks will have to be added to the existing analytic techniques. Three Dimensional Modeling of Critical Infrastructure is a new aspect that needs to be introduced. In several situations, we could even think of a Virtual Operations Centre.
I recently had occasion to mention in Parliament that the time had come for us to establish a permanent Crisis Management Group to handle the fall-out of major terrorist attacks anywhere in our country. This is now being established. We have also begun the process of strengthening maritime security against asymmetric threats from the sea. We have coordinated measures to plug loopholes in regard to our air space. The process of augmenting and strengthening our counter-terrorist forces has also begun.
What we hope to achieve is closer scrutiny and attention as well as a more rapid response to new and emerging threats. Our aim is to achieve the concept of total security.
Additionally, I would here also like to refer to the danger from Left Wing Extremism. Naxalite groups do pose a challenge, though of a different nature. Left Wing Extremism has been in vogue for four decades now, but the danger is that over time the nature of the movement has substantially altered. From an ideologically driven movement it has been transformed into one in which the military ethos has become predominant. The CPI-Maoist is perhaps the only militant organization in the country which has its own Guerrilla Army, though, as yet, this is of modest proportions. It is perhaps the only militant body to-day which has a rigid organizational structure. They also have some rudimentary capabilities to manufacture arms. They show increasing sophistication in the way they carry out attacks. They also do not seem to have any dearth of new recruits to the movement.
Quite a few States in the country are affected by Left Wing Extremism, notably Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. As the movement spreads, and becomes more energized and active, we must ponder deeply on how best to effectively deal with it. This is so, as the movement still retains a modicum of ideological appeal. It is still able to garner support from among members of Civil Society and Civil Liberties organizations. It still attracts sections of the youth. Choosing the right methods and adopting a proper strategy are therefore important so that the action we take does not give a greater fillip to the growth of the movement.
Finally, I would like to say that Terrorism should not be conceptualized solely in military terms. While taking all the measures necessary to prevent terrorist attacks, we must simultaneously ensure that the concept of terrorism is delegitimized through better investigation and superior intelligence. We must convince the world community that States that use terrorism as an instrument of foreign policy, must be isolated and compelled to abandon such tactics. We must engage vigorously in debates to press the point that ‘soft’ support for terrorism cannot any longer be endorsed. We must demonstrate that an alert pluralistic and secular society such as ours is the best defence against terrorist onslaughts. Terrorism, Naxalism and Insurgency in the North-East, Hon’ble Chief Ministers, constitute major challenges for our national security establishment. We need to mobilize all our wisdom, knowledge and experience to meet these challenges head on. I am confident that our nation has the resilience and will power to emerge victorious in this fight. I wish you all success in your deliberations."
On December 20, 2007, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh addressed the Conference of Chief Ministers on Internal Security in New Delhi. Presented below is the full text of his speech:
"We met yesterday in the National Development Council to discuss the development challenges facing our nation and the new pathways we need to chart if we are to attain our development goals. Today, we are here to discuss the internal security challenges facing our nation and the steps we need collectively to take if we are to provide the necessary environment for growth processes to play out fully. I would like to thank all of you present here and Shri Shivraj Patilji for this opportunity to discuss the internal security situation.
In many ways, development and internal security are two sides of the same coin. Each is critically dependent on the other. Often, the lack of development and the lack of any prospects for improving one’s lot provide a fertile ground for extremist ideologies to flourish. A large proportion of the recruits to extremist groups come from deprived or marginalized backgrounds or from regions which somehow seem disaffected by the vibrant growth in many other parts of the country. I had mentioned yesterday that I am concerned about the unevenness of our development process and the various development divides that are opening up in the country – the inter regional divide, the rural-urban divide and the inter-sectoral divide. These divides and disparities lead to disaffection, large-scale migration, and also to discord. I notice that in many cases, internal security problems arise out of the uneven development and we also need to address this issue if we are to make any long-term headway in combating extremist ideologies and extremist elements.
At the same time, development cannot take place in the absence of a secure and stable environment. In the last sixty years, we can as a Nation, justly be proud of our record in upholding the rule of law and maintaining public order. But, there are regions where the absence of a peaceful, secure environment has become a major hurdle in improving their prevailing economic conditions. State agencies find it difficult to run schools, healthcare services and PDS systems. Construction of essential infrastructure like roads, railways, electricity lines, telecom lines, irrigation systems and drinking water facilities is slowed down or stopped because of inadequate security. Such an atmosphere then is certainly not conducive to investment or rapid economic development.
Such regions get trapped in a vicious cycle of a poor law and order situation coupled with slow economic development. One situation feeds on the other and it becomes increasingly difficult to pull these areas out of the rut they are caught in. I have dwelt on this at length to emphasise that there are no easy solutions to the internal security challenges we face. They cannot be seen only through the prism of law and order nor can they be solved through a pure policing approach. The internal security challenges we face need your personal attention and leadership. It is only then can they be addressed in a coordinated and comprehensive manner. I urge all the Chief Ministers present here to reflect deeply on the internal security problems that the Home Minister has highlighted and work out credible responses to those challenges.
As we survey the national security scenario, there are a few aspects which are a cause of concern. I wish to highlight a few of them. Left Wing Extremism continues to affect many districts of our country. Just a few days ago, we had a major incident of a jailbreak in Chhattisgarh. This was not an isolated incident. Not a day passes without an incident of Left Wing Extremism taking place somewhere or the other. Over the last year, the activities of naxal groups have revealed new aspects. They seem to have developed the capability in some areas to launch frontal attacks on police forces and establishments. They are certainly targeting all aspects of economic activity. They are targeting vital economic infrastructure so as to cripple transport and logistic capabilities and also slow down any development activity. This helps them sustain their ideology of deprivation and neglect. They have even managed to eliminate some important political leaders and their associates in some States.
There also seems to be a consolidation of various groups with better coordination and better strike capabilities. Although the notions of a red corridor from Nepal to Andhra Pradesh are exaggerated, we have to admit that they have achieved some degree of success in enlarging their areas of militancy. In some States, they have also got involved in local struggles relating to land and other rights. I have said in the past that Left Wing Extremism is probably single biggest security challenge to the Indian state. It continues to be so and we cannot rest in peace until we have eliminated this virus.
We need a coordinated response to this challenge. The answers to the problem are well known. We need to cripple the hold of naxalite forces with all the means at our command. This requires improved intelligence gathering capabilities, improved policing capabilities, better coordination between the Centre and the States and better coordination between States and most important, better leadership and firmer resolve. Improving policing capabilities requires better police infrastructure, better training facilities, better equipment and resources and dedicated forces. I notice that there are large vacancies of police personnel across most States. I hear that there were only three staff in the Dantewada jail where the jailbreak took place. Inadequate, ill equipped, ill trained, poorly-motivated personnel cannot take on the naxal extremists who are increasingly better equipped and organized. We need to fill vacancies as a matter of priority. I would also urge States to establish specialized, dedicated forces to fight Left Wing Extremism. These forces should be led by capable, highly motivated officers who can imbue the necessary fighting spirit in their personnel. The Home Ministry will provide all possible assistance to these forces. States also need to consider joint operations and joint mechanisms for effective police operations in appropriate cases.
While tackling naxal groups militarily, we also need to choke their support infrastructure. Forest operations, tendu patta operations and contractors in interior areas are particularly vulnerable to extortion. I wish to know from you about steps that can be taken to reduce the funds flow to naxal groups. We also need to ensure that essential economic infrastructure is protected and the tempo of development activities is increased. I know this is easier said than done, considering the risks that are involved. But, we need to devise both protection mechanisms as well as incentives for ensuring that naxal groups do not succeed in their attempts to derail processes of development. We also need to wean away the youth from naxal ideologies. I am told that a coordinated effort has begun in eight districts in four States. This is only a beginning. We need such a response across the entire affected area.
While Left Wing Extremism may be restricted in its scope to some regions, the larger problem of terrorism affects merely all States equally. Terror attacks may have happened so far only in some locations. But the reach of terrorists is such that no one can say that they are fully immune from such attacks. In the current year, we have had high profile terror attacks in Hyderabad, Rajasthan, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. Terrorists are able to use a wide range of materials and are able to organize coordinated strikes. They are able to network across States and even international boundaries. Intelligence agencies warn of further intensification of violent activities by terrorist groups. While the actual perpetrators of terrorist violence may belong to a few known organizations, we need to guard against their attempts to recruit local sympathisers and local support.
I would like to stress that we need to be firm in our resolve to combat terrorism in all its aspects. The key to success in fighting terror is intelligence – and intelligence needs to be precise and capable of being acted upon. This requires better coordination between central and State agencies.
The other aspect I notice is the increased focus of terrorists on soft targets. These include transport systems – as we saw in Mumbai, public places – as we saw in Hyderabad and Punjab and religious shrines – as we saw in Ajmer. We need to improve our surveillance and preventive systems to reduce the probability of terror attacks. This is a cost – but a cost we must learn to bear for the sake of the safety and security of our citizens. We also need to make citizens our partners in this battle as it will be impossible for police and intelligence agencies to cover all locations and situations. Often, it is the early warning given by citizens which has prevented major catastrophes.
In this context, the issue of investigation and prosecution of cases of terror having inter-state or international linkages also needs to be considered in a pragmatic manner. The proposition now appears to be that we are not talking about specifying any crimes as ‘federal crimes’ to be investigated by a federal agency. The suggestion is to set up a Consultative Mechanism to decide on a case-to-case basis whether investigations need to be done by a designated agency. Or have collaborative arrangements in the framework of a concurrent jurisdiction. I would urge you to consider these options seriously.
The problems of the North Eastern States and Jammu & Kashmir are unique. They suffer from poor infrastructure and communication facilities. It has been our sincere attempt to improve these facilities so that these states too can benefit from our booming economy. But, these States have vulnerabilities on the internal security front which we need to address. Each State has its specific nuances and characteristics and we cannot generalize the problems. There are many regional and tribal demands which need to be addressed systematically. If not done so, they can lead to disaffection and law and order problems. While there has been an improvement in the overall situation in all these States, Manipur and Nagaland appear particularly vulnerable. Extortion seems to be a frequent occurrence. We need to put an end to this. We need to enforce the rule of law and create a respect for the State apparatus. We need much better leadership at all levels so that militancy is curbed and people feel secure. National considerations and requirements should take over-riding priority. I wish to hear from the Chief Ministers of the North Eastern States, their perception of the situation and how they propose to handle the delicate situation that prevails some of their States.
Before I conclude, I wish to draw your attention to a simple but more fundamental issue. This is the need to improve our entire police apparatus. I believe that citizens should see policemen as their friends. It should be our common endeavour to improve routine policing, policing which affects the day-to-day life of our citizens, policing which gives them a sense of security and comfort, policing which makes women and children feel safe and secure, policing which keeps the old out of harm’s way, policing which tackles petty menaces. This is the normal expectation that our people have from the police. You need to guide your police forces to achieve these simple but basic objectives.
This requires undoubtedly greater investment in our police forces. This is not wasteful investment. This is an investment in our future. We need top class police forces across the length and breadth of our country, forces which can meet our people’s expectations. Apart from finances, the most critical aspect is training and capability improvement. You must invest in the human resources you have. We will support you from the Centre. I will request the Hon’ble Home Minister to consider setting up a specialized training facility for training police trainers from all over the country. This facility can become a centre of excellence which will be the foundation for improving training capabilities of all State police forces. It could have the best training talent and expertise and can be a most effective instrument for professionalising our police machinery all over the country. It can become the node for modernization efforts in training and for inducting modern techniques into our police forces.
This is an important conference. You have greater knowledge of ground realities and the efforts needed for improving internal security. I look forward to hearing from you your views on this very important subject as a guide to collective decision making processes which will add to the sense of security that all our citizens desire as their fundamental right."