Terrorism a hydra-headed monster: PM

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday dubbed terrorism as a hydra-headed monster and asked the police to be abreast of developments to tackle this 'great danger.'

Addressing the Indian Police Service probationers at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy after inspecting the passing out parade of the 58th batch, the prime minister said: "The most dangerous threat today is terrorism. From an occasional footnote, it has become a hydra-headed monster. There are several strains of terrorism present, and you will need to keep abreast of developments in tackling this great danger."

Stating that today's terrorists are most sophisticated and have transnational linkages and adequate resources, Dr Singh said: "Both knowledge and determination are required if we are to succeed against these elements. Many of you are being posted to areas like the Northeast, Jammu and Kashmir, or states where Naxalites are active today."

"The problems in each of these regions are different. The nuances of each situation have to be appreciated and skillfully dealt with. All this will demand sensitive handling of these complicated situations on your part. Understand the reasons for disaffection and alienation and possibly, you will find some answers to your challenges. In the final analysis, see yourself as the guardian of all citizens, including the alienated. Try to bring the alienated back to the path laid down by law of the land," the prime minister noted.

Asserting that India is on the march and is being transformed beyond recognition and the society is changing at a pace never imagined before, he said:

"This is inevitably giving rise to tensions that are probably inevitable in a poor country trying to modernise itself. 

"Nearly 70 percent of our people live in rural areas. As such, the public administration in our country must have an in-depth knowledge and awareness of problems faced by our rural population. Particular attention ought to be paid to control caste based violence and atrocities against weaker sections."

The prime minister reminded the IPS probationers of their primary responsibility of maintaining public order and peace and enforcing the rule of law. "There are challenges to peace in numerous forms. There are subversive forces at work. Economic globalization and technological development have altered the nature of crime, giving rise to new forms of criminality," he said.

"Perhaps, even more than external aggression, we need to be concerned about internal security. In some instances there is of course an external dimension to the internal threat. But, it will be your responsibility to ensure internal security. You must all gear up to meet this challenge," Dr Singh told them.

Emphasizing the need for the police officers to adopt a humane attitude to all those who come in contact with them, he urged them to empathize with their problems and to be sensitive to their fears and aspirations.

Earlier, the prime minister inspected a guard of honour and a passing-out parade of the 78 IPS probationers, including 8 lady officers. NPA director Kamal Kumar said that apart from IPS probationers, police officers from Bhutan and Maldives had also undergone training at the Academy.