Terrorism and communalism pose major challenges: Narayanan

Hyderabad, Oct 25 (UNI) Describing terrorism and communalism as a ''major scourge'' National Security Adviser M K Narayanan today exhorted new IPS officers to adopt the right methods and means to overcome the threats.

Speaking after reviewing the ''Dikshant Parade'' of the 60th batch of the IPS probationers at the prestigious Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy, he said naxalism was the other threat facing the country. He advised them to avoid shortcuts or short-term remedies that could lead to unraveling of the inclusive social fabric.

He said, ''when religion and ethnicity are exploited to stir up divisions, the police is, perhaps, the single most important instrument to deal with such issues''.

Quoting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's observation at the National Integration Council(NIC) meeting, he said violence manifested in various forms were an assault on the composite culture of India, where various ethnic and religious communities had lived peacefully together for hundreds of years.

Mr Narayanan said all nations were beginning to recognise India for its inclusive society, liberal ethos and capacity for hard work and belief in austerity at a time when nations were confronted with new and emerging threats, specially in the context of the current global economic and financial crisis.

He said India had entered into strategically important partnerships with many countries and had been able to handle difficult issues such as terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction at one level and achieve energy security and food security at the other level.

The IPS officers had a major responsibility in modernisation of the police force, using state-of-the-art technology and instill in the force unstinted commitment to the rule of law, he added.

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