New Delhi, Feb 16: Deeply committed to national security, the Government was pursuing a two-pronged approach of reaching out to disaffected sections of the society while dealing firmly with terrorists and other anti-national forces, President APJ Abdul Kalam today said.
The approach had won improvement in the law and order situation across the country, especially in Jammu & Kashmir and the North- Eastern states, the President told a Joint Sitting of both Houses of Parliament here marking the commencement of Budget Session 2006.
The number of incidents of civilians killed and persons kidnapped in both J&K and the North-East had registered a decline during the past year, said the President in his almost 45-minute-long address in the Central Hall of the Parliament House Complex.
Meanwhile, the ruling United Progressive Alliance Government was engaged in talks, including at the highest level, with a large number of political groups in both regions, said the President.
‘’These talks have progressed in a constructive manner and have contributed to relieving the sense of alienation among some of our people,” President Kalam said.
Acknowledging that there has been improvement in the law and order in Jammu and Kashmir and the North-East and the government was engaged in talks, including ‘’at the highest level” with political groups from both the regions, Dr Kalam assured them that their grievances, ‘’real or imaginary,” would be addressed. ‘’At the same time, my government is steadfast in its resolve to combat terrorism, militancy and extremism and to uphold the rule of law,” he said.
Expressing ‘’deep distress” over the terrorist attacks in various parts of the country, including Delhi and Bangalore, he said the government would ‘’act without fear or favour in bringing the guilty to book and will wage a relentless war against terrorism. We will work with all those committed to this battle from across the world”.
Skirting several controversial issues, including the vote on Iran which had kicked up a running row between the government on the one hand and the BJP-led opposition and the Left and other friendly parties on the other, Dr Kalam said the July 18, 2005, Indo-US nuclear deal might enable New Delhi to gain access to international cooperation for enlargement of ‘’our civilian nuclear energy”.
Reiterating India’s commitment to pursuing the composite dialogue with Islamabad, he said New Delhi, however, ‘’remain concerned over infiltration and cross-border terrorism and expected Pakistan to fulfil its commitments in this regard”.
Without talking about the opposition-Left charge against the government that it had surrendered to the diktats of Washington on the Iran issue and thereby compromised on the non-alignment, he said ‘’the foreign policy of my government is, as has always been the case, guided by enlightened national interest”. UNI

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