Indian PM vows to fight terrorism
India celebrated Saturday the anniversary of its independence from
British rule with a vow to eradicate terrorism from its soil in the wake
of last year’s devastating militant Islamic attacks on Mumbai.
India was boosting its security to prevent assaults such as the
carnage in the country’s financial capital last November in which gunmen
killed 166 people, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said.
“After the horrific terror attacks in Mumbai last November our
government has taken various steps and our intelligence agencies and
security organisations are being strengthened,” Singh said in an address
to the nation from the heavily guarded Red Fort in the Indian capital.
“We will succeed in eradicating terrorism from Indian soil,” Singh
added from behind a bullet-proof screen at the Mughal-built fort.
The annual Independence Day address marks the end of British rule in
1947 and partition of the subcontinent into mainly Hindu India and
Muslim-majority Pakistan, a split that has caused endless tension in the
region.
Singh did not mention India’s rival Pakistan by name but reiterated
that India wants to live in peace and harmony with its neighbours.
Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan, which have fought three wars, two
over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, began a peace process in
2004 that was put on hold after the Mumbai attacks.
India says “official agencies” of Pakistan abetted the attackers who
arrived by sea and targeted two hotels, a congested rail station and a
Jewish centre.
Islamabad rejects the allegations but accepts the attackers were
Pakistani citizens and says it is making efforts to bring the plotters
to justice.
In restive Indian Kashmir, where an insurgency against New Delhi’s
rule has been underway for two decades, troops killed four Muslim rebels
on the eve of the Independence Day celebrations.
On Saturday, a strike called by separatists paralysed the
Muslim-majority region as they described the festivities as a “black
day”.
Singh also pledged to crack down on Maoist insurgents who have set up
base in nearly half of the country and who say they are fighting against
the exploitation of landless farmers.
“People who think they can rule with the power of the gun
underestimate the power of Indian democracy,” Singh said.
New Delhi was under a huge security blanket with armed commandos
guarding the imposing sandstone fort where cabinet ministers, diplomats
and guests were invited to hear Singh’s speech. Police barricades
blocked roads.
The prime minister also sought to allay fears that patchy monsoon
rains, which have led to drought in many parts of the country, could
lead to food shortages in the nation of more than one billion people.“We
have adequate stocks of foodgrains and all efforts will be made to
control the rising prices of foodgrains, pulses and other goods of daily
use,” Singh said.But the premier described putting India’s economy back
on its blistering annual growth path of nine percent as “the greatest
challenge”.
Growth slipped to 6.7 percent in the last financial year to March due
to the global economic slump and economists forecast expansion of around
six percent or lower this year.
“Restoring our growth rate to nine percent is the greatest challenge
we face,” Singh said.
While six percent growth looks strong compared with anemic rates in
the US, Japan and Europe, India says it needs to return to nine percent
expansion or higher to reduce widespread crushing poverty.
-AFP
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