Centre, states to overcome challenges of internal security:HM

New Delhi, Aug 17 (PTI) Announcing a two-pronged
strategy to deal with naxals, India's Home Minister P
Chidambaram Monday said the Centre and the states would act
together to overcome all challenges posed to internal
security.

At the conference of chief ministers on internal
security, he also said some state governments in the northeast
allowed themselves to bend before insurgent groups, making the
fight against insurgency much more difficult.

"We will talk, we will act, we will restore order and we
will undertake developmental activities" in naxal-hit areas,
he said adding the affected states have resolved to confront
and overcome the challenge of the CPI(Maoists).

Explaining the two-pronged approach, he said first the
territory under naxal dominance would be freed from the
Maoists and then development activities would be carried out.

The Home Minister said since the 26/11 Mumbai attacks the
country has faced no terror strike but "it does not mean that
the threat of terror has vanished or receded."

"It is better intelligence and better preparedness that
helped us thwart potential terror attack. We have cracked
several terror modules and made several significant arrests,"
he said.

Chidambaram said the Centre had commended to the states
the idea of raising a state industrial security force on the
pattern on the Central Industrial Security Force.

"There are multiple benefits in raising such a force and
I would request state governments to respond to the
suggestion," he said.

The Home Minister said the states as well as the central
government share an onerous responsibility to ensure the
welfare of the people.

"You (Chief Ministers) have the constitutional power and
responsibility in respect of matters relating to 'public
order' and 'police'. However, increasingly, jurists and the
general public have emphasised the constitutional duty of the
central government to protect every state against internal
disturbance," he said.

Underlining the need for the central and the state
governments to work together in a spirit of partnership, he
said the conference could demonstrate a resolve to overcome
the challenges to internal security.

The Home Minister said "we will encourage state
governments to talk to the naxalites -- both individuals and
local units -- on condition that they give up their
misconceived armed liberation struggle".

Referring to the problem of insurgency and militancy in
India's northern state of Jammu and Kashmir, he said the
situation has shown perceptible improvement.

"Militancy has declined, even while agitational politics
is on the rise. The Centre has offered every support to the
new government (in J-K) to maintain law and order, focus on
development and find political solutions through dialogue,"
Chidambaram said.

In the Northeast, he said, insurgency remains a grave
threat and the Centre, along with the state governments, was
ready to draw up state-specific strategies to deal with the
militant groups in the three most affected states of Assam,
Nagaland and Manipur.

"In the last few months we have refined our policy
stance: the law will be applied strictly, ceasefire agreements
will be enforced in letter and spirit, and we will talk to any
group only if it abjures violence, lays down arms and offers
to surrender," he said.

Highlighting the key role of police forces to deal with
internal security challenges, he said it is the policemen and
policewomen who will help the country to win these battles.

"To that policeman and policewoman, this conference must
send out a clear message that government at every level is
duty bound to provide them every kind of support - monetary,
material and moral," he said.

Admitting that police reforms have been neglected for too
long, Chidambaram said vacancies in the police is quite
alarming. PTI