NEW DELHI: Emphasising on the internal security of the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said India needs to defeat threats arising from Naxalism — both “gun-toting and pen wielding.”
Addressing the Chintan Shivir of Home ministers of states, being held at Surajkund, Haryana, via video conferencing, the PM said, “In past few years, all governments have acted responsibly to demolish ground network of terror…We need to handle it by combining our forces. We will have to defeat all forms of Naxalism — be it gun-toting or pen-wielding, we will have to find a solution for all of them.”
Emphasising on creating awareness against fake news, the PM said a small piece of fake news can challenge law and order and people must check facts before forwarding messages on social media.
“For the safety and rights of law-abiding citizens, stringent action against negative forces is our responsibility. A small piece of fake news can kick up a storm across the nation…We will have to educate people to think before forwarding anything, verify before believing it..” Modi said. He said people must be made aware of mechanisms to verify messages before forwarding them.
Highlighting the importance of having a smart law and order system at par with advanced technologies, Modi said the agencies have to be 10 steps ahead of the crime world. “Today, the nature of crimes is changing. We need to understand the new-age technologies. We have entered the 5G era, hence we need to be more vigilant,” he said.
With 5G technology, PM said there will be manifold improvement in facial recognition technology, automatic number plate recognition technology, drone and CCTV technology.
“With the advancement in 5G technology, awareness is equally important. It is to be ensured that India’s law and order system becomes smart. Technology not only helps in the prevention of crimes, but also in crime investigation. We will have to be 10 steps ahead of the crime world,” he said.
The PM said there is a need to have a positive perspective. He called for improved synergy among the police stations with cooperation, rapport and a streamlined mechanism.
In order to improve the efficiency of the police and strengthen law and order, Modi said the interconnectedness between the police of different states is an important aspect.
“Law and order is not restricted to one state now. Crime is turning inter-state and international. With technology, criminals now have increased their power to commit crimes. Criminals beyond the border are misusing technology. Be it cybercrime or the usage of drone technology for smuggling of weapons or drugs, we will have to keep working on new technologies for them”, he noted
The coordination between agencies of all states and between central and state agencies is essential, the PM said. This Chintan Shivir of Home ministers is an excellent example of cooperative federalism. States can learn from each other, take inspiration from each other and work together for the betterment of the country, he said.
The next 25 years will be for the creation of an ‘Amrit peedhi’. This ‘Aamrit peedhi’ will be created by imbibing the resolutions of ‘Panch Pran’ — creation of a developed India, freedom from all colonial mindset, pride in heritage, unity and most importantly, citizen duty.
The two-day Chintan Shivir is being held at Surajkund, Haryana. Home Secretaries and Director Generals of Police (DGPs) of the states and Director Generals of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Central Police Organisations (CPOs) attended the meeting.
According to Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) statement, the Chintan Shivir of Home Ministers is an endeavour to provide a national perspective to policy formulation on internal security-related matters. The Shivir, in the spirit of cooperative federalism, will bring more synergy in planning and coordination between various stakeholders at the centre and state levels.
The Shivir will deliberate on issues like modernisation of police forces, cybercrime management, increased use of IT in criminal justice system, land border management, coastal security, women’s safety, drug trafficking among others, the statement added. (ANI)