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War on terror : Sonia cautions UPA on polarising society

	September 25, 2006

Faced with the dilemma on the terrorism and internal security fronts - between the need for tough action to reassure the people that the Government is doing everything possible to check the menace and the danger of alienating the minorities, who often bear the brunt of anti-terrorist operations, the Congress appears to be trying to steer a middle course. The message came through in the speeches of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the 7th Conclave of Congress Chief Ministers held in Nainital, in the northern state of Uttrakhand.



Reflecting the party’s concern at the danger of the Muslim community turning its back on the Congress because of their alleged targeting by the security agencies in the drive against terrorist elements, party president Sonia Gandhi said while there is need for tackling terrorism with firmness, tough action should not lead to polarisation of society. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that it is wrong to accuse minority communities of terrorist sympathies. An entire community cannot be put in the dock for the crimes of a few individuals.



Sonia Gandhi said, an effective police force free from social bias and political pressure was essential to deal with any organisation that disturbed communal harmony but for it to be effective, such action must also sensitise and mobilise local communities.



“Tough anti-terrorist action should not lead to polarisation of our society. While recognising that there can be no compromise on internal security, we must make sure that no community feels itself under siege or an automatic target of suspicion,” Sonia Gandhi said in her inaugural address to the two-day conclave on Saturday, Sept. 23.



Addressing the conference, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said an underlying sense of insecurity among Muslims was one reason why communal sensitivities continued to remain high even as communal tensions seemed to decline.



“It arises presumably from the erroneous linkage - made by the West - of treating the actions of a few as typical of the community as a whole, thus tarnishing the community’s image. On our part, every care is being taken to dispel any such notion.”

Dr. Singh pointed out a “great weakness” of the law-enforcing mechanism in lining up the entire population of a locality for questioning. “It shows that the local police is out of touch with the residents and that it has failed to gain their confidence.”



The Prime Minister said there is apparently a strong case for increasing the number of personnel from the minority communities in the police and intelligence apparatus and for redeploying officers from the community in sensitive areas in larger numbers.



Both Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh made a mention of other facets of internal security including the situation in the northeast and Jammu and Kashmir, border management, the Naxal problem and police reforms.



Sonia Gandhi said the Congress always advocated dialogue with Pakistan and while welcoming resumption of the peace process, she echoed Dr. Singh’s sentiment that the party continued to have serious concern over terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of the country by Pakistan-based outfits.





PM warns of more terror attacks



Expressing concern at the growing activities of externally-sponsored terrorist outfits in the country, Dr Singh warned of these being further intensified and involving greater use of “fidayeen” elements. The Prime Minister said the involvement of external terrorist groups had grown over the years. There is unlikely to be any let-up in their activities in the coming days with more religious and economic places being targeted by them.



“The concern is that there could be a further intensification involving greater use of fidayeen elements and targeting of a wider range of religious, economic and sensitive objects,” he told the chief ministers while asking them to step up vigil against any such attacks.



In addition, Dr Singh said, they had also received disconcerting reports suggesting the existence of a number of “terrorist modules” and “sleeper cells” in certain urban areas, which provide the necessary back-up support to foreign terrorist outfits.





Priority to agriculture



The other issue in focus at the Congress Chief Ministers’ conclave was the situation resulting from the less than optimum progress on the agricultural front, reflected in the need to import wheat after a number of years and the phenomenon of farmers committing suicides in almost all parts of the country when not able to repay their debts.



Party president Sonia Gandhi said, prime agricultural land should not normally be diverted to non-agricultural uses. She also wanted farmers to be made stakeholders in projects that come up on land acquired from them. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said, there is need for increasing agricultural production, be it foodgrains, pulses, edible oils or vegetables. He said as the economy grows and people become more prosperous, the demand for agricultural products is bound to rise. “We cannot rest on past laurels; we need to achieve new breakthroughs, scale new heights.”



Sonia Gandhi said, Industry requires land, no doubt. But this must be done without jeopardising our agricultural prospects. Farmers must get proper compensation when their land is purchased. Could farmers also not become stakeholders in the projects that come up on the land acquired from them ?”



Observers say, the Congress leadership’s deliberations on agriculture are meant to collectively address the crisis in the country’s farm sector.



Land reforms, consolidation of land holdings, protection of the interests of share croppers, small and marginal farmers and freeing agricultural markets from unnecessary regulations are the measures required to achieve this, the Prime Minister said.



Asking the Chief Ministers to execute reforms in agricultural products marketing without delay, and adopt a holistic approach to farm production, input supply, post harvest management and food processing, Dr. Singh suggested whether States could have district level agricultural plans and set achievable annual goals.



Sonia Gandhi suggested that agriculture should be the focus of the 11th Five-Year Plan. Without massive public investment and far-reaching reforms in public delivery systems, agricultural growth cannot take place on a scale the country needs, she said.



She said this could only be achieved by significant increase in productivity and yields consistent with ecological sustainability, with technology playing a key role. She said the objective must be to improve profitability of farmers, provide non-farm employment to rural youth, carry out reforms in agricultural marketing, and give land rights and access especially to scheduled castes/tribes and women.