New Delhi, September 16
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today termed the security environment in the country as “uncertain”. Mentioning recent incidents of Mumbai and Delhi, he said the cross-border terror camps were being re-activated. He asked for improvement in human intelligence gathering capacities.

Addressing DGPs of various states, he asked them to debate how these matters could be resolved. Today was the second day of three-day DGPs’ conference here.

He said Left wing extremism had also claimed lives of many innocent persons and police personnel over the past one year. Several steps have been taken to address the problem. “There have been some successes on the ground. But if we seek a decisive change in the situation, then a huge collective and coordinated effort is required both by the Centre and the states acting in concert,” he said. The role of DGPs in leading that effort was crucial and “I urge that more focused attention be given to this problem,” he added.

Earlier, Director of the Intelligence Bureau Nehchal Sandhu elaborated on various successful operations carried out to evict Naxal-leaders from various areas.

The PM talked about broad-based consultations to find a way forward in Jammu and Kashmir. Dialogue, he said, was needed to secure a just and honourable settlement that met aspirations of all sections of the people. Despite these positive developments, there is “no room for complacency on the security front in J&K”, he said. He told police chiefs that there were “reports of cross-border camps for terrorists being reactivated, and of attempts to induct fresh batches of militants into the country”.

Touching upon the very core of policing, he said, “Our human intelligence capabilities need to be improved.” The role of a vigilant and effective beat constable could be vital in checking the activities of terror networks. He said constabulary was the mainstay of the police force, constituting about 87 per cent of their total strength. Improving the image of the constabulary was, therefore, critical to building public trust in the police forces.