India raises terrorism at NAM, calls for collective response

Margarita Island, Sep 16: Terming terrorism as the "biggest enemy of human rights", India today asked the 120-member NAM to set up a "Working group on terrorism" to safeguard world peace, stability and prosperity.

Calling for "zero tolerance" on direct or indirect support to terrorism at the 17th NAM Summit here in Venezuela, Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar said, "Terrorism threatens the contemporary architecture of world stability, based on respect for sovereignty."

"We must not be so naive as to believe that terrorists do not have a political objective. "Terrorism is the biggest enemy of human rights. The subjugation of terrorists is, therefore, protection of human rights," Akbar said, adding that terrorism remains the biggest obstacle to development.

The NAM response to terrorism, said Akbar, must be as unambiguous as it was once about 'apartheid and colonialism'. Naming the terrorist groups like ISIS, Hizbul Mujahideen, and JeM, Akbar called on the NAM nations, the biggest nation grouping outside the UN, to set up a "NAM Working group on terrorism".

Criticising state support for terrorist groups who wants to establish 'empires of destruction', Akbar said: "Governments which think they can pay lip service to sanity at a NAM summit, and continue to arm, shelter and exploit terrorists in a war by other means, when they return home will learn that you can not sup on poison and hope to live."

Akbar also called for passing of 'Venezuela declaration' for an early convention on international terrorism and asked member nations to support 'urgent reforms' in the UN Security Council. The 17th NAM summit, which started on Tuesday and will end on September 18.

PTI