Pointing out terrorism as the main scourge of the modern world needs to deal with innovative ways and latest techniques, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called the police and security agencies to be more prepared for such an eventuality, suggesting to have anticipations that scales of terrorist attacks would grow in future.
Addressing the large gathering of top cops at the concluding day of the two-day conference of Directors General of Police (DGPs), Singh said that many terrorist attacks have been prevented owing to tight vigil of the security, but a single incident calls into question the capability and the capacity of the government and its various agencies.
Pointing at the time is not on our side, Singh said we can not afford a repetition of the kind of terrorist attacks that have recently taken place in Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Surat, Guwahati and at other urban centres.
“I hope that this conference will find ways and means not only to deal with the problem of terrorism but also improve the techniques needed for this purpose,” he said.
Indirectly referring to the Batla House shootout, the PM said most of the criticism of cops was motivated but emphasised the need for them to reach out to religious and ethnic minorities. “You must face up to the reality that many are convinced that the police is less than fair. This is so even when policemen die in the line of duty.”
He asked the police to have a proper understanding of the complex forces that are at work in India. “You will come under attack from those sections of society which are determined to undermine India's liberal ethos, but this challenge has to be met and met effectively, and in performing your responsibilities and duties you will have the fullest support of our government.”
In contrast to the Home Minister Shivraj Patil, who on Saturday suggested the police at the same platform that not to reveal the information to media before completing the investigations, Prime Minister advised the police to go along with media.
“An appropriate media policy, which could assist the police in gaining public confidence, through informing the public about what it needs to know and avoiding random or baseless speculation, is thus very important,” Singh said.
Another major challenge before the police has come up in the form of Left wing extremism— perhaps the most serious internal security threat that we face. The virus of communal violence that threatens the secular fabric of our society needs to be checked effectively in time, to save our age long multi-religious, multi-ethnic and multi-caste society. Singh said that we need to guard against the new danger posed by the spread of fundamentalist and extremist ideas.
The PM also said that a Task Force chaired by National Security Adviser (NSA) should come out with a roadmap within 100 days detailing steps to be taken immediately and over next several months for translating proper networked/net-centric security architecture into reality.
He also suggested setting up a Standing Committee of DGPs, comprising five state DGPs on ration basis, to advise government on police & related legal matters.
The Prime Minister, at last, stressed on the ‘closer supervision’ at every level of the police hierarchy would yield better results.
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