Click to play videoNew Delhi: BJP-ruled states on Monday raised their concern over non-inclusion of terrorism in the agenda of National Integration Council (NIC) meeting.
"I am shocked to find that the issue of terrorism didn't find any mention in the agenda, though it has direct bearing on the national integration. The Government is playing vote-bank politics. It doesn't want to mention terrorism and doesn't know the difference between extremism and terrorism," Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi said while addressing the NIC meeting.
"A stringent law is required not only to punish the perpetrators of terrorism, but also to prevent our educated being drawn in to terrorist ideology," Modi added.
He said it was neccessary not only to put down such forces with an iron hand, but also to prevent India's educated youth from being drawn into terrorist ideology. He said terrorists have targeted relatively developed centres and urban localities to weaken the growth and progress while spreading insecurity among the citizens.
"These forces need to be tackled with a strong and united political will or else the nation would pay a heavy price," he stated.
He also noted that rise of terrorism with educated youth involving in terrorist attack does not augur well for communal harmony and called for national consensus to isolate such people, groups and the so-called intellectuals supporting these elements in the name of protection of human rights. He regretted that some people indulge in talking about vulnerability of particular sections of the society while the focus should be on safety, security and dvelopment of all.
"The individuals and organisations showing leniency towards the terrorists and disruptive elements need to be identified and isolated. A clear line must be drawn between those who do and those who do not support our fight against terrorism. This also can be very demoralising for the security forces," he added.
Calling for an early approval to his state's GujCoc, he said, "A stringent law is required not only to punish the perpetrators of terrorism, but also to prevent our educated being drawn in to terrorist ideology."
On religious conversions, the Chief Minister said mass religious conversions by coercion and allurement must be checked to ensure peace in the society.
He concluded his address by saying, "Communal peace is often disturbed in the society because of such activities. Let the religious groups profess and practice their respective relgions and refrain from forcible conversion."
Modi's counterparts - BJP Chief Ministers from Uttarakhand and Karnataka - too dwelt upon terrorism in their address demanding a special law to be enacted to deal with the menace of terrorism effectively.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister, B C Khanduri demanded a special law for terrorism.
"The Government of India should immediately enact a law in line with POTA and provide all institutional and infrastructural logistics and support to all state governments for the enactment and implementation of state laws in this regard," he said.
He added that terrorism is a monster that needs to be crushed by a national resolution. "It should be crushed at all cost, where ever and in what ever form it exists or appears," he said in his speech.
Suggesting a tough stand on terrorism, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa said that terrorism is a threat to India's unity and integrity. "It is high time we set aside all other considerations and tackle this terror threat unitedly. The centre has to show the way in this major task of preserving the unity and integrity of this great country," he said.
PM TAKES ON BJP-RULED STATES
In a veiled attack on the saffron forces blamed for the anti-Christian violence in Orissa and Karnataka, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had one Monday said that the "most disturbing and dangerous" aspect now is the "assault" on the country's composite culture.
"Recent tragic events in Orissa, Karnataka and Assam have pained all right thinking persons. There are clashes between Hindus, Christians, Muslims and Tribal groups. An
atmosphere of hatred and violence is being artificially generated. There are forces deliberately encouraging such tendencies and also spawning militant outfits who engage in irrational violence. These need to be firmly dealt with. There is, at the same time, real need for better understanding of the forces at work," he said in his opening remarks at the National Integration Council meeting.
On terrorism - which BJP chief ministers complained had not been included in the agenda - the PM said that there can be no compromise with terrorism and terrorists have to be dealt with firmly.
"At the same time, it is important that in trying to counter terrorism, wrong methods and means are not adopted. Any impression that any community or sections amongst them are being targeted or that some kind of profiling is being attempted should be avoided. This vital, as otherwise, it could lead a major polarisation in society," Singh said.
The Prime Minister appeared to be doing a balancing act by referring to the recent ethnic violence in Assam along with the attack on Christians in the NDA-ruled Karnataka and Orissa but made it clear that "the process of governance needs to be strengthened and the rule of law maintained, but in a manner that brings hope and succour to the poor and needy".
Against demands from UPA for imposition of President's Rule in Orissa and a ban on Hindu outfit Bajrang Dal and VHP, Dr Singh said those who threaten communal harmony, integrity and peaceful coexistence deserved very deterrent punishment.
"In doing so, we need to be bound by the framework of our Constitution and the political democratic process that enables us to reconcile differences through dialogue. We should not be provoked to suspend or subvert a democratic process in the search for solutions," he said.
The Prime Minister said it was not by accident that these incidents were increasing in the society and there was a need to collectively consider whether "short-term narrow political ends are driving some of us to encourage forces of divisiveness that are today threatening the unity of our people".
"There is no politics that has a right to assert over the rights of the common man or the integrity of the nation," he said reminding the political leadership of the responsibility to preserve and promote the pluralistic and democratic framework.
"We need to isolate and fight those who promote divisiveness. The common citizen in this country wants peace and harmony in society," Singh said.
In his opening remarks, Home Minister Shivraj Patil had said that the Government would use all the just, legal and effective means and methods to achieve victory over the menace of communal violence and disturbances and the divisive forces threatening national integration.
Among those in the audience were Cabinet Ministers, Chief Ministers, leaders of national and state parties including Sonia Gandhi, Rajnath Singh and eminent personalities from various walks of life.
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