By IRNA,
New Delhi : Underlining the need to firmly deal with the divisive forces, India’s Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh Monday termed the recent communal violence in Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka as “most disturbing and dangerous”.
Dr. Singh said those who threaten communal harmony, integrity and peaceful coexistence deserve “very deterrent punishment”. He also said that an atmosphere of “hatred and violence” is being “artificially generated”.
Inaugurating the 14th meeting of the National Integration Council (NIC) began this morning in New Delhi, Prime Minister said: “There are forces deliberately encouraging such tendencies and also spawning militant outfits who engage in irrational violence. These need to be firmly dealt with”.
Noting that perhaps the most disturbing and dangerous aspect today is the assault on country’s composite culture, Singh said “today, we see fault-lines developing between, and among, communities.” Holding that there has been considerable debate in the country on ways to handle issues of sectarian and communal violence, he said, “there cannot be two views on the fact that such attempts must be thwarted with the full power of a state that is intent on protecting its democratic foundations.
“Those who threaten our communal harmony, integrity and peaceful coexistence deserve very deterrent punishment,” the Prime Minister said.
“We should not be provoked to suspend or subvert a democratic process in the search for solutions…It has also to be done in a manner that respects the Constitutional bounds of a federal polity,” the Prime Minister said.
He said that the responsibility of the political leadership was to preserve and promote the pluralistic and democratic framework.
Turning to the issue of terrorism, the Prime Minister said that terrorism and terrorist acts undoubtedly presented a “serious dilemma”.
“There can be no compromise with terrorism and terrorists have to be dealt with firmly,”he said adding at the same time it was important that in trying to counter terrorism wrong methods and means were 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. The means are as important as the ends. This is vital, as otherwise, it could lead to a major polarization in society,” he warned.
Meanwhile, in his introductory observations, the Union Home Minister Shivraj V. Patil said that the current communal and extremist situation in some part of the country has been included in the agenda to provide opportunity to the members to express their views on the issues.
The day-long meeting is being attended by UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Union Ministers and Chief Ministers.
The 14th meeting of the council comes in the backdrop of communal violence in Orissa, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir and Assam.
The council, which has 146 members including all the Chief Ministers, leaders of national/state parties and key Cabinet ministers, will also deliberate on ways to improve coordination between the Centre and the states in various spheres.
The last meeting of the NIC was held in New Delhi on 31st August 2005.