Response to terror attack will be decisive: Chidambaram

NEW DELHI - Identifying cross-border terrorism as a prominent challenge faced by the country, Home Minister P. Chidambaram said Saturday that India’s response will be swift and decisive if it faced a terror attack.

Speaking on ‘Human Rights, the Common Man and Contemporary Exigencies’ at a convention of Congress-affiliated lawyers here, Chidambaram identified poverty and Maoist violence as other big challenges facing the country.

Referring to terrorism, he said India was as vulnerable as any other country in the world.

However, he added that challenge for the country was that source of terror lies across our border. They have support of state so their capacity to reach India is quite high.

The minister said that the country should build capacities and strengthen security forces to defend itself. He also said that everyone should take minimal precaution to prevent an act of terror.

If there is an act of terrorism, our response will be swift and decisive. We will prevail, he said.

He added that security forces will be able to take out Maoists from most parts under their control in the next two-three years.

Referring to people who term Maoist’s cause as just, he said nothing can justify violence.

Chidambaram said the government was determined to fight Maoists but it had asked security forces to observe greatest amount of restraint and not to fire till fired upon.

There has been no collateral damage, no bloodbath, he said.

The minister said the security forces were fighting almost with one hand tied to the back.

He said the country needs to grow at nine percent for 15-20 years to be able to make a substantial dent in poverty. He said the Congress-led government had achieved this rate of growth for four years and no other party could deliver such sustained high growth.

He also called upon the lawyers to fight social evils such as child marriage, dowry harassment and criticised khap panchayats in Haryana for laying down orders concerning marriages.

Referring to legislative measures initiated by the Congress-led government, including right to information, right to education, right to work as part of National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) and right to food under the proposed National Food Security Act, he said these steps showed wisdom of the Congress leadership.