Our special correspondent
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NEW DELHI: While admitting the role of ‘saffron terrorism’ in several bomb blasts, the union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Wednesday asked the chiefs of police forces to remain vigilant to counter such a terror campaign.
Inaugurating a conference of chiefs of police forces of the country, Chidambaram said: “There is no let up in the attempts to radicalise young men and women in India. Besides, there is the recently uncovered phenomenon of ‘saffron terrorism’ that has been implicated in many bomb blasts of the past. We must remain ever vigilant and continue to build our capacity in counter-terrorism”.
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The minister also expressed concern over the maintenance of communal harmony in the country. “I am particularly dismayed by the fact that petty disputes and imagined slights trigger conflicts between communities and groups. The Scheduled Castes are especially vulnerable” the home minister said. He asked the police chiefs to remain vigilant. “At the first sign of communal or caste violence, you should depute senior officers to deal with the situation firmly and without fear or favour”, he stressed.
The minister said that the security situation was severely challenged by forces inimical to India both within and outside the country. “Contrary to perceptions in a section of the media – and, consequently, among sections of the people – the Indian State has been able to stand up to these challenges and face them with confidence and courage” he however said that there was no let up in the attempts to infiltrate militants into India.
He said that the attack on the German Bakery in Pune was indeed a blot.’ I sincerely hope that the suspects will be apprehended as soon as possible” he promised.
On Jammu and Kashmir, Chidambaram said that the security forces have been instructed to act with great restraint. The Centre has offered a dialogue with all sections of people and all political parties and groups in the state.
“I am afraid J&K is now caught in a vicious cycle of stone-pelting, lathicharge, teargasing and firing, leading to casualties. The security forces have been instructed to act with great restraint. The situation has not yet returned to normal. Nevertheless, amidst serious disturbances, 457,324 yatris completed the Amarnath Yatra, exceeding the number of 392,000 yatris last year”, Chidambaram said.
On the North East situation the minister said that in 2010 there have a dramatic decline in the number of incidents and in the number of casualties. “There have been only 464 incidents until August 15, 2010, as against 1,297 and 1,561 for the whole year in 2009 and 2008 respectively” he said.
The minister said that it was a matter of great satisfaction that a number of groups were engaged in talks with the Government of India. Among them are NSCN (IM), NDFB (PT), DHD (Nunisa), DHD (J), UPDS, ANVC, KLNLF, KNO and UPF. “We have appointed two Interlocutors: Shri R.S. Pandey to talk to the NSCN (IM) and Shri P.C. Haldar to talk to NDFB (PT), DHD (Nunisa), DHD (J), KLNLF, UPDS and ANVC, besides ULFA. It is my hope that ULFA will also formally come forward to begin talks with the Government of India and the Government of Assam” he said .
Lamenting the killing of innocent civilians by Maoists after naming them as police informers, the Home Minister said that the Government has called upon the CPI(Maoist) to abjure violence and come forward for talks but there has been no direct and credible response to the offer.
Ministry of Home Affairs, Mullapally Ramachandran, Ajay Maken, Rajiv Mathur, National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon, , Cabinet Secretary K.M. Chandrasekhar, and Home Secretary,
G.K. Pillai were also present on the occasion. The conference will be addressed by prime minister on Thursday.