NE security situation concerns PM
Source: The Sangai Express / PIB and agencies
New Delhi, November 23 2013 :
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh today said that the security si-tuation in the North-East continues to remain complex, with insurgency, extortion and agitations being the main dis-ruptive elements.
Close on the heels of the Union Home Minister expres-sing his concern over the in- creased targeting of non-locals in the State, Prime Mi- nister Dr Manmohan Singh said that increased targeting of non-Manipuris in Manipur is among the areas of considerable concern which needs tackling the issue with collective resolve and firm determi- nation.
Prime Minister Dr Man-mohan Singh was addressing the concluding session of the three-day annual conference of DGPs in New Delhi today.
Asserting that the security situation in the North-East continues to remain complex, with insurgency, extortion and agitations being the main disruptive elements, Dr Singh said "Persistent efforts on part of the Government have resulted in considerable pro-gress in the dialogue with in- surgent and ethnic separatist groups" .
Further, the susceptibility of Lower Assam areas and Karbi Anglong region of the State to ethnic and communal tensions, the growing mistrust between tribals and non- tribals in Bodo areas, the Ga-ro insurgency in Meghalaya, the increasing targeting of non-Manipuris in Manipur are areas of considerable concern, he said while adding, "We need to tackle all these issues with collective resolve and firm determination" .
The Prime Minister further warned of likely attempts by terror outfits to disrupt the forthcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
"The security forces also need to be careful and measured in their response to militant attacks as well as law and order disturbances," he said.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also stressed the need to put in place institutional mechanisms to ensure the safety of 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," he told the gatherings of top police officials of the country.
He also asked the police chiefs to show leadership in ensuring women's safety and in providing such crimes against women.
Dr Manmohan emphasised on the need to ensure that se-curity apparatus and intelli- gence sharing platforms such as the Multi Agency Centre (MAC) constantly hone their skills to stay ahead of the ne-farious designs of these ter- rorist outfits.
Like Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and IB Chief Asif Ibrahim, the PM also alerted against misuse of the social media and SMSes to fan violence during the recent disturbances in Muzaffarnagar, and in 2012 when disinformation spread through these means led to a mass exodus of people belonging to the NE from sou- thern States like Karnataka.
He called for finding creative solutions to prevent mis- use of the social media which do not unreasonably curb the freedom of expression and the ease of communication.