Intelligence mechanism needed to foil terror acts: Prez

OUTRAGED BY TERROR: The President was inaugurating a two-day conference of Governors in New Delhi.

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New Delhi: Observing that trans-border intervention fuelled the threat of terrorism and Left-wing extremism, President Pratibha Patil on Tuesday said an institutional mechanism needs to be evolved to seamlessly share intelligence on real-time basis to foil their attempts.

"The big challenge facing us is the battle against terrorism, Left wing extremism and insurgency. Outfits with varying goals have been waging a long and ensuring warfare against the State with some forming a mutually supportive grid in this proxy warfare," she said inaugurating a two-day conference of Governors in New Delhi.

The threat to country's security and integrity was also posed by "intervention by trans-border elements", she said adding adding that Left wing extremism was fast becoming a vexed problem.

Referring to the serial blasts in the national Capital, the President said the emerging phenomenon of "metro-terrorism" has given a new dimension to subversive activities and was a matter of grave concern.

The conference, being held against the backdrop of several terror attacks in the country, is being attended by Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and senior Cabinet ministers. It would discuss threadbare the internal security environment in the country.

The Centre and the state governments have to deal firmly with those who follow the path and culture of guns, the President said stressing that the country needs to modernise the police force with greater investments in cyber and technical intelligence, communication systems and forensic capabilities.

"There is need for an institutional mechanism to seamlessly share intelligence on real-time basis to foil the attempts of terrorists and Naxalities," she said adding that a healthy police-population ratio needs to be maintained.

Patil also suggested enlisting the support of ex-servicemen who have experience in handling "inimical forces".

She also pointed out that some of the affected states, particularly in the North East, have a reduced strength of constabulary, insufficient number of police stations and stagnation in fund allocations. "All this has a crippling effect on the efficacy of the law and order machinery," she said.

Noting that the Naxalite problem was also related to neglect, deprivation and disaffection of the downtrodden, she said the issue should be tackled by sensitising security personnel to exercise maximum possible restraint and show respect to local sentiments but without showing any leniency to disruptive and separatist elements.

Referring to communal and social strife in some states which vitiated social harmony, Patil said there is need to exercise vigil to prevent such happenings.