Mohali, Nov 1:
Former Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra Thursday expressed concern over “growing violent activities” of agitating groups, like the ones campaigning against cow slaughter. Delivering the first K P S Gill Memorial lecture on ”National Security-Some Concerns” at Indian School of Business here, he said it is essential to ensure that sustained normalcy prevails in the country as in its absence it would not be possible to achieve growth and development. “We also need to be concerned about yet another species of threat to maintain law and order. This relates to the growing violent activities of varied community groups which have been launching agitations to press their demands in respect of issues they have chosen to espouse,” Vohra said. He said there have been massive agitations in several states, particularly in north India, against cow slaughter and the sale and consumption of buffalo meat, which caused loss of livelihoods of thousands. “Some of these agitating groups took the law in their hands, held road
Growing violent
side trials of innocent persons, beat them mercilessly and even lynched them…” Vohra said here. He said followers of godmen are another species which indulges in lawlessness. ”A court in Haryana recently pronounced judgement indicting the immoral activities of a popular godman. Before the court order was announced thousands of his devotees indulged in organised violence, resulting in loss of several lives and loss to public and private property,” he said. Such agitations have the propensity to trigger inter and intra-community tensions leading to bigger conflicts, he added. Vohra said destabilisation of societal harmony provides ready-made opportunities to adversary external agencies to perpetrate large scale conflagrations, like Pakistan did in Punjab in the early 1980s. He said Pakistan’s role in undermining India’s national security is going to be a permanent feature. He suggested formulation of a national security policy by the Centre in consultation with the states and constitution of special forces in all states. He also called upon the police officers to eliminate narcotics and drug trafficking from Punjab. Vohra said it is regrettable that even after seven decades of attaining independence, most of the states have still to give due attention to ensure the satisfactory functioning of their constabularies. He said the shortcomings in functioning of police organisations arise from failure of states to provide optimum budgetary support on regular basis to enable police to be properly trained, equipped and maintained in required strength. Vohra also expressed concern over growth of cyber and information warfares, pointing out that its emergence is most dangerous instruments of non-military attacks. “Cyberspace and digitisation have made time and distance altogether irrelevant. Terrorist and radical groups, operating at great distances, from different countries, have been utilising the cyberspace for carrying out their propaganda, recruitment and training,” he said.
