“I welcome all Chief
Ministers and other distinguished participants from States to this very
important annual conference on internal security.
We are meeting today in the
aftermath of the brutal and inhuman attack by Left Wing Extremists on Congress
leaders and workers and their security personnel in Chhatisgarh a few days
back. Such violence has no place in our democracy. The Centre and States need
to join hands to ensure that such events do not recur. I have noted from the
agenda papers that there is a separate session on Left
Wing Extremism in this conference and I would urge you to
make good use of this opportunity to come up with some concrete measures to
deal with the very grave threat of Naxalism.
I must point out here that
the challenge of Naxalism has received our serious attention for quite some
time now. We have adopted a two-pronged strategy to deal with the challenge: conducting
proactive and sustained operations against Maoist extremists; and, addressing
development and governance issues in Left Wing Extremism affected areas. A
number of measures have been taken as part of this two-track strategy. These
include strengthening the security apparatus, improving road connectivity in 34
most Left Wing Extremist affected districts, relaxation of norms of various
development schemes in the affected areas, and the Integrated
Action Plan for 82 selected tribal and backward
districts.
We have achieved some
successes too. In the last couple of years there has been a substantial
reduction in the number of incidents and deaths caused by Left Wing
Extremist groups and an increase in the number of
Naxalite surrenders. But, major violent attacks by Naxalites like the recent
one in Chhattisgarh are setbacks that have occurred periodically. The Centre
and States need to work together to eliminate such large-scale attacks.
The Central Government on
its part has already started taking steps in this regard. The Cabinet
Secretary, the Home Secretary and my office have been involved in an exercise
that would lead to a further strengthening of our defensive and offensive
capabilities against Left Wing Extremists. I hope that the State Governments
will cooperate fully with us and add to the effectiveness of these efforts.
I must also emphasize here
that the two-pronged strategy that we have followed so far needs to be
strengthened and pursued with rigour. Even as we intensify our efforts to strengthen
the security and intelligence apparatus in areas affected by Maoist
violence, we should be able to ensure that people residing in Left Wing
Extremist affected areas are able to live in an environment of peace and
security and derive full benefits of our development efforts.
To build a broader national
consensus on the strategy to tackle the Naxalite challenge, Government has
convened a meeting of all political parties on the 10th of this month ( June ).
The year 2012 saw a
significant improvement in the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir. Our
strategy to prevent cross-border infiltration by militants and our intelligence
based counter-terrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir have resulted in a decline in
the level of terrorist violence by about one-third in 2012
as compared to 2011. In fact, terrorist violence parameters in 2012 have been
the lowest since the upsurge in terrorist activities two decades ago. The
record inflow of tourists and pilgrims during 2012 also points to an improved
security situation in the State.
The implementation of
several infrastructure projects in Jammu and Kashmir is progressing well. The
Himayat and Udaan Schemes which
aim at providing additional gainful employment to the youth
have
also achieved a fair measure of success. These are all welcome developments.
The security situation in
the North East continues to be complex,
with insurgency, extortion and agitations being the main disruptive elements in
the hands of the insurgents. However, there has been considerable progress in dialogue
with several insurgent and ethnic separatist groups in the North-Eastern
region. A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed with both factions of Dima Halam
Daogah of Dima Hasao in Assam. Three Metei
insurgent groups have signed a Memorandum of Understanding
in February 2013. Talks with the National Socialist Council of
Nagaland are continuing. The
Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) has been set up as an
autonomous body in August 2012 to administer the Gorkhaland region and ensure
its all-round development. The Centre is committed to providing financial
assistance of Rs 200 crore per annum for three years for
projects aimed at developing the socio-economic infrastructure in the GTA areas.
We are committed to
undertaking and bringing to a satisfactory conclusion dialogue with all groups
and organizations which are willing to give up violence to seek solutions
within the framework of our Constitution. We are equally firm in our
determination to continue assisting the States of the North-East to enhance
their law and order enforcement capabilities, so that the people of the
North-East enjoy the normal fruits of democracy and development.
I also wish to take today`s
opportunity to draw your attention to two other issues relating to our internal
security that require special attention. The first is the increase in number
and intensity of incidents of communal and sectarian violence during 2012 as
compared to the previous year. I am sure that all of us agree that maintenance
of communal harmony in our country is critical
for our continued growth and prosperity. It is absolutely imperative that we
deal very firmly with communal forces of all types. Simultaneously, we also
need to recognize and address the special needs of minorities and weaker
sections of our society, particularly Scheduled Castes and
Scheduled Tribes.
The second issue which
requires our collective action is that of crimes against women and children. We
have recently enacted several laws providing stringent punishment for such
crimes and more sensitive treatment of victims during investigation and trial.
These include the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013; The Sexual
Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act,
2013 and the Protection
of Children from Sexual Offenses Act, 2012.
We also need to put in place
institutional mechanisms to ensure the safety and security of women and
children, particularly in the urban context. Such mechanisms include
sensitization of police personnel, particularly at levels with which the victim
comes into contact, setting up dedicated help-lines, measures for safety at the
work place, and so on. I would urge all of you to explore how these outcomes
can be best achieved.
Capacity building and
modernization of State Police Forces are
absolutely essential for meeting the emerging challenges to internal security
which range from terrorism to urban policing. The Centre remains committed to
supporting States in this regard. The scheme for modernization of State Police
Forces has been extended for a further period of five years with a total outlay
of about Rs. 12,000 crore. An amount of Rs. 433 crore has been additionally
provided for Mega City Policing in the
six cities of Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad
and Hyderabad.
We are also committed to
improving border management and coastal
security. Greater focus and priority than before is
being given to the work of fencing and construction of additional Border
Outposts along the India-Bangladesh border, the construction and up-gradation
of roads along the India-China, India-Nepal and India-Bhutan borders as well as
the development of integrated check posts on the India-Pakistan and India-Nepal
borders. We are also continuing implementation of the Border
Area Development Programme and of Phase II of the
Coastal Security Scheme.
The need for coordinated
effort by Central and State agencies to deal with terrorism and other security
challenges, irrespective of whether they are internal or external in origin,
has been emphasized in all earlier conferences of Chief Ministers on internal
security. In view of the criticality of this requirement, I would urge you once
more to explore how we can achieve even better coordination between the Centre
and States.
I also believe that time has
now come to view the challenges of terrorism, communal violence
and Left Wing Extremism in a holistic manner. I
think each one of us needs to be completely objective in our approach to these
issues, acting in national interest rising above narrow political and
ideological divides. I would appeal to all political parties and all sections
of society to work together to find effective ways and means of meeting these
grave challenges.
Let me end by wishing this
conference all success. I look forward to receiving your valuable suggestions
on how to further strengthen the internal security of our country.”
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