Thaindian News

New Delhi, Sep 16 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday termed the recent blasts in Mumbai and Delhi as “grim reminders of the grave challenge” from terrorism to India’s security, even as he described the national security situation as “uncertain”.

“The security environment in the country continues to be uncertain,” Singh said addressing the director generals and inspector generals of police from all over the country who have gathered here for a two-day annual conference.

“The recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai and Delhi are grim reminders of the grave challenges posed by terrorism to our national security,” he added.

The July 13 Mumbai blast killed 27 people and injured 125. The blast outside the Delhi High Court Sep 7 claimed 14 lives and injured over 90.

The prime minister said the 26/11 terror strikes in Mumbai in 2008 had showed that terrorists used latest technologies for communication and real-time information sharing.

“We have to, therefore, remain one step ahead of our adversary. With this in mind, connectivity has been established between subsidiary multi-agency centres and the state special branches,” he said.

He hoped that the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) will enable seamless retrieval and dissemination of data, critical to the task of anticipating and pre-empting terrorist attacks.

Manmohan Singh also noted that over the last one year, left-wing extremism had claimed the lives of many innocent people and police personnel, and called for “a huge collective and coordinated effort” from both the central and the state governments against it.

“The home minister (P. Chidambaram) has already briefed you on the large resources that have been deployed by the government of India in dealing with the problem of left-wing extremism.

“There have been some successes on the ground. But if we seek a decisive change in the situation, then a huge collective and coordinated effort is required, both by the centre and the states, acting in concert,” he told the conference.

Stressing on the “crucial” role of the director generals of police in leading the anti-Maoist effort, Manmohan Singh urged that more focused attention be given to this problem and in trying to give a sustained thrust to developing process in the affected areas.

Referring to his recent meeting with collectors of 60 Maoist-affected districts, he said they had informed him that “there is a ray of hope for the development of these areas, “provided we show flexibility and innovation in implementing our development agenda”.