The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Call for a mature political system to fight bigotry

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Sunday, Apr 06, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Call for a mature political system to fight bigotry

Staff Reporter

‘Political parties are trying to stoke regional chauvinism’

— Photo: K. Gopinathan

Need for reforms: Vijay Gore, President, FINS, Karnataka, and Vatsala Vatsa, Additional Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary, Home Department, at the forum in Bangalore on Saturday.

BANGALORE: A mature political system and an assertive government is needed to tackle internal security issues such as terrorism, naxalism and inter-State water disputes, said the speakers at the launch of Forum for Integrated National Security’s (FINS) Karnataka branch on Saturday.

Initiating a discussion on “Internal Security Challenges and Responses”, Lieutenant General V.M. Patil (retd) criticised the way political parties were trying to stoke regional chauvinism rather than develop nationalism. “Are we going back to the situation we faced during the British rule? We need to understand that there is scarcity of natural resources. A mature political system can help people lead a better life in our pluralistic society. We need to co-exist and protect nationalism,” Mr. Patil said.

Talking about emerging threats from neighbouring countries, Mr. Patil said the government needs to be firm in preventing illegal migration from Bangladesh that poses a grave threat to the country’s security. Political parties were dragging its feet in bringing reforms in administration and police, he said.

Former Director-General of Police of Punjab P.C. Dogra criticised the State Governments’ continued neglect of the police force who tackles internal security problems. “We play scant attention to police. Funds allotted for modernisation of the force is diverted elsewhere. The (police) are being dealt with in a medieval manner. They do not have proper vehicles, modern weapons and are denied decent living conditions,” he said.

Additional Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary to Department of Home Vatsala Vatsa pointed out that much needed to be done to develop a motivated police force and increase its efficiency to tackle terrorism and other acts of extremism. She said the Supreme Court’s observation on reforms in the police administration was yet to be implemented.

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