Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

PM's closing remarks at the Chief Minister's Conference on Internal Security

"We have come to the end of a long and rewarding discussion. My colleague, the Union Home Minister has summed up the proceedings in a detailed manner.

The purposes of Conferences such as this one is two-fold. One purpose is to go into the details of specific problems pertaining to each state, to promote knowledge and information sharing between states so that we can learn from each other and to develop common approaches to tackling shared problems. The other and probably the more important - purpose, is to generate the necessary political consensus among the top leadership of the Centre and the States so that we stand united in our efforts to enforcing the rule of law, fighting terrorism and naxalism and maintaining public order. Conferences of this nature serve to send a strong massage that the political leadership of the country can rise above our political and party affiliations when it comes to facing national challenges, particularly those concerning internal security.

We are all duty bound to uphold the values in our Constitution and to provide a safe and secure environment for our citizens. This is an essential obligation and I am reassured after hearing all of you today that we take this obligation in full seriousness.

The opinions expressed in this room today have been varied and reflect the local realities in this vast country. I am happy that there is general agreement on the approach to tackling the problem of naxalism. Chief Ministers of states affected by this problem have been unanimous in their resolve to fight this menace. A wide range of alternative strategies have been suggested. All of them are of value and I am confident that the Home Ministry will discuss these ideas further with each of you.

I believe that given the unique nature of this problem, it is time to have a dedicated force just to tackle naxalism. Affected states must set up Special Task Forces on the Andhra Pradesh pattern and the Centre will provide assistance for this purpose. I would also urge the Home Ministry to also consider establishing a dedicated trained force at the Centre either as part of an existing force or as a separate one. Such a trained, dedicated force would go a long way in assisting States tackle naxalite groups.

Naxalite groups feed on the perceived lack of development. Correcting this requires a lot of effort. It requires motivated government personnel to work in affected areas, improved road and rail connectivity and better delivery of basic services. I will ask the Cabinet Secretary to chair a Task Force to promote coordinated efforts across a range of development and security activities so that we can tackle the naxal problem in a comprehensive manner.

Terrorism continues to be a major concern. It is incumbent on all of us to be ever alert to this persistent threat which cannot the easily wished away. Facing this problem will require patience, alertness, constant vigil, coordination between agencies, cooperation of common citizens and most importantly, high level intelligence gathering capabilities. Each state must enhance its ability to counter terror threats and if this involves incurring costs, we will help them. Every possible step must be taken to free our citizens from the shadow of terror.

Very often, terrorist acts are designed to promote communal discord. It is important that all of us should be alert to this danger. I draw satisfaction from the fact that the Indian people have not allowed terrorist acts to disturb communal harmony. However, we must remain ever alert and deal firmly with these elements who seek to fan communal tensions and strife. Our strategies for internal security must also make effective provisions to curb and control violence against scheduled castes and weaker sections of society.

We have discussed a large number of other security concerns, including those arising out of ethnic tensions and some forms of militancy. There is no single cause for any of these concerns and there is no unique solution. Some areas such as hill states have unique connectivity problems. The North East has problems related to ethnic diversity and poor connectivity. Some areas suffer from lack of development. In others, it is not development but disaffection among some groups which is a cause for concern. We need to address these concerns collectively. Yesterday, in the National Development council, I announced the setting up of a Task Force to study the specific problems of Hill states, including those in the North East. Hopefully, this will lead to an improvement in the economic and security situation in these states.

Many states have emphasized the need for better trained security forces. I am happy that the Home Ministry will consider setting up a specialized training facility for training police trainers from across the country. This facility will be a mother institution for improving the training capabilities of state police forces. This would be a step forward.

Many other suggestions have been made, I believe that the Home Ministry will take on board all your views and work with you to identify common approaches to tackling internal security problems.

In conclusion, I thank you all once again for participating in this conference. I believe that we are all firm in our resolve to fighting all extremist and terrorist activities and to providing our citizens a safe and secure environment. With this, I bring this conference to a conclusion."