Let not another city be added in the list of terrorist attacks. Let not more people lose their lives and limbs.” – Modi

published on July 29, 2008




Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi advocates





National consensus on Zero-tolerance to terrorism




 



Modi requests the Prime Minister for strengthening the Security and Intelligence Network across the country

 
1)Narendra Modi  reiterates his suggestion and insists for strong political will and national strategy to fight terrorism



2)Gujarat will fight it out, but the centre must help and lead



3)Gujarat’s security concerns being overlooked by the Centre

 
modi.bmpGujarat Chief Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today , gave a representation to the Prime Minister while meeting him during his visit to Ahmedabad and reminded him about his earlier communications suggesting strengthening of the security environment in the country. Shri Modi also said that the country can not be a mute spectator to irresponsible and inhuman acts of the terrorists and their organizational and logistical capacities to execute such acts. 
 
While referring to the recent incident of serial   bomb blasts at Ahmedabad he said that this is not a terrorist act in isolation. The terrorist activities have been increasing and spreading across the country. Ahmedabad’s incident is just an extension, just another target and a part of the larger design of the terrorists to infiltrate the country,   to destabilize it and to demoralize the people. Modi further said that it should not be difficult to recollect similar recent incidents at Bangalore and Jaipur. He also added that the mastermind of the terrorist activities is not within the boundaries of a particular state, nor within our country. Therefore, it is for the Government of India to take up the responsibility to unearth it and to combat. Otherwise, such incidents will keep happening in some or other part of the country.
 
Shri Modi further emphasized to the Prime Minister that the recent bomb blasts at Ahmedabad and simultaneous detection of live bombs and explosive materials at Surat show that the challenge is big and it is more real and critical than Government of India thinks. He expressed that the Government and the people of Gujarat are firm and committed to handle   this   challenge with a strong hand. We believe in “Zero Tolerance” towards terrorism, he said. He, however, requested the Prime Minister that Government of India should provide leadership in this fight. He further said that if the Union Government still fails to comprehend the seriousness of the challenge of terrorism, the nation will have to pay a very heavy price.
 
Reiterating his earlier requests to Government of India, Shri Modi wanted Prime Minister’s initiative in strengthening the security environment in the country including the States. He particularly drew the attention to several important issues like following:
 
1.The Central Intelligence agencies should not behave in a casual and routine manner that too in a reactive manner. Getting inputs and just passing on to the states will not serve the purpose. There has to be pro-active, sincere, organized, and continuous efforts to unearth the terrorist activities, networks and their designs.

2.There has to be a national consensus for zero-tolerance against terrorism and necessary political and administrative will has to be mustered to bring this spirit into action. 

3.We need to strengthen the legal provisions to fight terrorism. The POTA act has been repealed without any adequate alternative provisions to deal with terrorist acts and threats. Therefore, on the one hand, the states have been rendered helpless without any effective legal mechanism to deal with terrorism and on the other; different states have been dealing similar terrorist acts differently.

4.Gujarat had legislated the Gujarat Control of Organized Crime (GUJCOC) bill and had submitted to Government of India for Presidential assent which is pending since June, 2004. In absence of a central Act, Gujarat is left with no option but to implement the GUJCOC. The State of Rajasthan has also made similar provisions but the same is also pending for Presidential assent. The Presidential assent should be given forthwith to these legislations. In absence of this, serious incidents of terrorism like will have to be tried under ordinary laws which are meant for normal situations.

5.There is a need for modernization of the police force and intelligence machinery. The states have to be particularly assisted adequately by the Government of India if the terrorist acts are treated as national concern. In case of Gujarat, unfortunately, the grants in this regard have been reduced in spite of State’s good performance in physical and financial terms and in spite of Gujarat being a sensitive border state. 

6.Gujarat’s requests for strengthening of the Coastal security have not been taken seriously. The State has been repeatedly representing to strengthen the chain of Police Stations and to provide boats for effective surveillance of the coastal security.  Similar is the fate of Border Fencing which is being done in a casual manner.

7.Government of India should create an All India Intelligence Service just like IAS and IPS so that professionalism is inducted into the intelligence wing which will help the country on a long term basis.

8.Shri Modi said that he has been constantly drawing the attention of the Government of India to these issues through personal letters and in the national conferences. He emphasized that he had said this after Bangalore and Jaipur is reiterating this after Ahmedabad. But he expressed his anguish that that Government of India has not given any serious thought to any of his suggestions. He strongly said “Let not another city be added in the list of terrorist attacks. Let not more people lose their lives and limbs.” He further said that we have to act and the Union Government must be seen to be leading. He also offered his services on personal level as well as a Chief Minister in conceiving and formulating any strategies to fight terrorism. 

(Source: Gujarat Information Bureau, Gandhinagar)

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