NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday said governments in South Asia had a “moral duty” to take firm action against terrorism in the wake of Nov. 26 attacks in Mumbai.
Addressing the International Conference of Jurists on “Terrorism, Rule of Law and Human Rights” here, Singh said that the terrorist strikes in India were aimed at weakening the “fabric of our nationhood”.
“In our region there is today growing awareness that terrorism and extremism pose a threat to democracy and development,” Singh said.
“Governments and authorities in our region and elsewhere have therefore a moral duty to act firmly and quickly,” he said.
Although Singh did not mention Pakistan, the reference seemed apparent as Indian security agencies have blamed Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba for the Mumbai attacks that left 200 dead, including nine terrorists.
Speaking in the Indian Parliament on Thursday, Singh said the international community had to be galvanized into “dealing sternly and effectively with the epicenter of terrorism, which is located in Pakistan.”
In his speech yesterday, Singh urged “peace-loving and democratic forces” around the world to join the fight against extremism and intolerance. He said terrorist attacks on cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Jaipur had hurt India’s democracy.
“When democracy is challenged in India it is a challenge to the human spirit the world over,” Singh said.
“The time has come for all of us to unite and speak as one in defense of our democratic inheritance.”
Earlier on Friday, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Mahmoud Qureshi complained that India was not cooperating in joint investigations and asked for credible information and evidence relating to the Mumbai attacks.
Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan said that governments have limitations in restraining “non-state actors”. “Yet another practical constraint that has been brought to the fore with the Mumbai attacks has been the question of holding governments responsible for the actions of non-state actors,” said Balakrishnan.
“While one can say that there is a moral duty on all governments to prevent and restrain the activities of militant groups on their soil, the same is easier said than done,” added the chief justice.
Balakrishnan argued: “Several terrorist groups are able to organize financial support and procure weapons even in Western nations where it is perceived that policing and criminal justice systems are relatively stronger than the subcontinent.”
The chief justice made the observations while dealing with various possible legal responses to the “doctrinal and practical challenges” posed to the international legal community by the phenomena of terrorism.
The chief justice censured TV news channels for round-the-clock, unfettered coverage of the terrorist attack and the ensuing hostage crisis saying it might provoke desire for retribution amongst common masses against a particular community.
“I must state that the symbolic impact of terrorist attacks on the minds of ordinary citizens has also been considerably amplified by the role of pervasive media coverage,” he said, adding: “One of the ill-effects of unrestrained coverage is that of provoking anger amongst the masses.”
— With input from agencies
