Collective Approach Needed to Fight Terrorism:JJ

New Delhi, Feb 23 (UNI) Army Chief General JJ Singh today stressed the need to combat terror collectively as a compartmental approach to the problem bore no fruit.

''Fighting terrorism needs a collective approach as approaching it in a compartmentalised fashion will not achieve the desired success'', the Army Chief told a gathering of security analysts here.

Pointing out that India's approach to tackling terrorism was markedly different from that of Western nations, Gen JJ Singh emphasised the need for a ''humane yet firm'' approach to tackling terror -- best exemplified by the prevailing concept of the Indian Army namely ''An Iron Fist In A Velvet Glove''.

Addressing the Valedictory Session of a two-day seminar on 'Emerging World Order: Implications for the Security Calculus of the Extended South Asian Region' -- organised here by the Indian Army, Gen JJ Singh observed that globalisation had emerged as a powerful driver in shaping A New World Order.

He further reminded the international audience that non-military factors were equally important in the shaping of A New World Order.

These, he said, included the availability of energy resources or lack of them; a holistic view of the environment and how to conserve the depleting natural resources; demographic changes and the harnessing of younger elements of the population, especially in developing countries; economic factors; poverty alleviation measures in developing countries; good governance and a host of social and cultural factors, besides the security and economic factors.

Earlier, the second day of the International Seminar commenced with a Keynote Address by wellknown Security Columnist Dr C Raja Mohan who spoke on 'A Rising China : Impact on the Emerging World Order'.

Besides, two Plenary Sessions held during the day were respectively chaired by former Defence Secretary Ajai Vikram Singh and noted security analyst Air Commodore Jasjit Singh.

The two-day seminar, organised by the Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS) -- on behalf of the Indian Army, had a large number of eminent security analysts, including several foreign delegates, taking part.

The delegates comprised serving and retired civil and military officers, ex-Chiefs, security analysts, Ambassadors/High Commissioners, defence attaches/advisers, and academicians besides mediapersons.

The countries represented included Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Japan, Indonesia, Israel, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Tajikistan from Asia; Botswana, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa from Africa; and Brazil, Chile and the United States from the Americas.

Among the European countries participating were France, Germany, Russia, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.

UNI