The Union Home Minister, Sushilkumar Shinde, has said at the Interpol General Assembly meeting held recently in Rome, that international cooperation was essential to deal with the increasing threats of global terrorism.

Countering Violent Extremism and in particular terrorism is a key global challenge today. Terrorism by its methods and content rejects democratic and peaceful means of engagement. It attacks pluralism and multiculturism. Thus, for a liberal, democratic and diverse society and country like India terrorism and terrorist groups pose a challenge which has to be countered and effectively defeated.

India continues to face a high degree of terrorist threats on several fronts, in particular of cross-border terrorism. Terrorism in South Asia has increasingly emerged as an effective strategic weapon. Terrorist groups have demonstrated that with simple tactics and low-tech weapons, they can produce vastly disproportionate results as it happened in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack. Terrorist attacks have exacted a heavy toll of life and property. Terrorists have tried to disrupt our way of life by attempting to initiate the element of fear. Fortunately, the Indian society has time and again shown its resilience and refused to be overawed by the terrorist acts.

The Indian Government is committed to combating terrorism/extremism in all forms and manifestations as no cause genuine or imaginary can justify terrorism or violence.

India has adopted a system to counter terrorism that gives primacy to dialogue, democratic political processes and the rule of law, and we deal with terrorism within the ambit of this structure. Post-26/11, we have raised the level of preparedness to meet the increasingly sophisticated terrorist threats. Secondly, we have enhanced the speed and decisiveness of the response to a terrorist threat or a terrorist attack.

To be effective, the fight against terrorism had to be long term, comprehensive and sustained. Strengthening of international cooperation is vital to ensure that action is not restricted simply to the perpetrators but also encompassed states, which sponsor, support or provide safe haven to terrorists. International cooperation on matters relating to terrorism is also effected through the mechanism of Interpol, of which India has been a member since 1949.