Blaming non-state actors for terror no excuse: India

In a veiled attack on Pakistan, India today said that no country can escape its responsibility by blaming non-state actors for terrorist activities emanating from its soil.

As long as the territory of a country is used by non-state actors to prepare for terror attacks, that country owes a legal and moral responsibility to its neighbours and to the world to suppress those non-state actors and bring them to justice, Home Minister P Chidambaram said.

"Sometimes, I think that the distinction between state actors and non-state actors is misplaced and intended to misdirect our efforts to deal with terrorist groups at the very source -- the recruitment centres, the training camps and their safe havens and sanctuaries," he said addressing the 4th meeting of the SAARC Interior/ Home Ministers here.

Describing terrorism as the biggest existentialist challenge in South Asia, Chidambaram said the menace in the region can be best tackled through effective cooperation among the SAARC nations.

"We have no alternative but to deploy the best instruments and resources at our disposal in our fight against terrorism," he said.

The Home Minister emphasised the need for examining the existing mechanisms for countering terrorism, drug trafficking, trafficking in human beings, arms smuggling and counterfeiting, including organised production and distribution of fake Indian currency notes.

Chidambaram also emphasised that when an agreement is signed, it must be ratified soon by all concerned. When the members ratify the agreement, there is a need to enact enabling legislation to give effect to the accord.

"And where we have legislation in place, we need to apply their provisions to make regional cooperation in security matters substantive and meaningful," he said.
On sharing information and capacity-building among member-states with regard to responding proactively on concerns of any of the SAARC partners, the Home Minister assured his counterparts that India will not be found wanting.

"I have no doubt that cooperative action amongst us in areas of common interest and concern will be crucial in meeting our efforts to provide a more secure environment to enable cooperation and development in our countries and the region," he said. 

Chidambaram said South Asia was perhaps the most troubled and vulnerable region in the world as the vast majority of terrorist incidents this year -- as well as last year -- occurred there.

"Terrorist groups in this region have flourished because of the support they have found from state and non-state actors," he said.

The Home Minister said that terrorism is the most significant existential challenge to peace and security in South Asia and it is the single largest hindrance to socio-economic development in the region.

"The lives and safety of our people continue to remain at significant risk from targeted, deliberate and cowardly terrorist outrages," he said.

Chidambaram also expressed India's continuing commitment to discharge its responsibilities in SAARC in an effective manner, saying it would do its best to ensure that the grouping evolves into a vibrant regional economic organisation.

"Here, I would like to recall the fruitful meeting that we had during the Conference of the Interior/Home Ministers of SAARC countries in Islamabad in June 2010 where we last met. We agreed, inter alia, on the broad contours of cooperation to combat terrorism.
"I am sure that all of us are equally committed to our common endeavour in eliminating the menace of terrorism," he said.

The Home Minister said the process of taking forward a proactive agenda on cooperation in our neighbourhood was integrally connected with the shared ability to cooperate in eliminating the threats posed by terrorists, drug traffickers, arms smugglers and others whose activities affect the safety and security of our people.