Fight against terror can't be selective: Manmohan

During a 40-minute address to joint session of the US Congress, Singh touched on a wide-range of issues.

Urging the US to make fight against terrorism "common cause" with India, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday told a joint session of the Congress here that this fight could not be "selective".

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Extended the honour of being invited to the Capitol Hill to address the US lawmakers, the soft-spoken Indian leader minced no words in pointing to the threat posed by terrorism to democracies and said they cannot be soft on terrorism, for it "exploits the freedom our open societies provide to destroy our freedom".

Amidst thunderous applause from the Congressmen, the Prime Minister said, "India and the US have both suffered grievously from terrorism and we must make common cause against it."  "We cannot be selective in this area," he asserted.

"We know that those who resort to terror often clothe it in the garb of real or imaginary grievances. We must categorically affirm that no grievance can justify resort to terror."

A day after reaching a significant agreement with President George W Bush for transfer of nuclear technology and fuel to India, Singh assured the international community that India will never be a source of proliferation of sensitive technologies.

	Read the Bush-Manmohan Joint Statement

In his address, Singh also spoke about India's commitment to economic reforms, strengthening multi-lateral trading systems and work with US and other partners for a successful outcome of Doha Round.

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Committed to non-proliferation

During the 40-minute address, Singh touched on a wide-range of issues and spoke about India's commitment to the nuclear non-proliferation, economic reforms and commitment to strengthening multi-lateral trading systems and work with US and other partners for a successful outcome of Doha Round.

Talking about India's impeccable track record in nuclear non-proliferation, he said "we have adhered scrupulously to every rule and cannon in this area."

India, he said, has done so because, "as a responsible nuclear power", it is fully conscious of immense responsibilities that come with the possession of advanced technologies, both civilian and strategic.

"We have never been, and will never be, a source of proliferation of sensitive technologies," he asserted.

Cooperation in civil nuclear programme

Laying stress on the importance of cooperation between India and the US in the field of civil nuclear energy on which he reached an understanding with President George W Bush on Monday, Singh said India must tap the full potential of nuclear energy along with investments in new oil and gas exploration and in enhanced recovery of oil and gas from available fields.

"The US can help in all these areas. I am happy to say that we have initiated an Energy dialogue with the US to explore the scope of cooperation in each of these areas in the years ahead," he told the Congress.

		Manmohan at US Congress... -- On Terrorism "We know that those who resort to terror often clothe it in the garb of real or imaginary grievances. We must categorically affirm that no grievance can justify resort to terror"   --On Energy Resources "I am happy to say that we have initiated an Energy dialogue with the US to explore the scope of cooperation in each of these areas in the years ahead"   --On IT Revolution "With large percentage of English educated youth, India is a potentially attractive location for production of high end products like software, engineering, design or research in pharma"   --On WTO "India is commiteed to strengthening the multilateral trading system and we will work with the US and other partners for a successful outcome of the Doha Round"   --On UNSC Expansion "...The voice of the world's largest democracy surely cannot be left unheard on the Security Council when the United Nations is being restructured"

Energy security, he said, is one of the areas where two countries could cooperate. As world hydrocarbon reserves are finite, India has to tap new energy sources. Along with increase in the coal and hydro-power, India has to invest in oil and gas and tap nuclear energy to meet its growing needs.

Fruits of democracy

Stressing that democratic societies which guarantee individual freedom and tolerance of dissent provide an environment most conducive to creative endeavour, and the establishment of socially just societies, Singh said, "We therefore have an obligation to help other countries that aspire for the fruits of democracy."

Just as developed industrial countries assist those that are less developed to accelerate development, he told the US Congress, the democratic societies with established institutions must help those that want to strengthen democratic values and institutions.

"In this spirit, President Bush and I agreed yesterday on a global initiative to help build democratic capacities in all societies that seek such assistance," he said, adding the capacities they had in mind are those related to the electoral, parliamentary, judicial and human rights processes of emerging democracies.

Respect for cultural diversity, minority rights and gender equality is an important goal of this initiative, he added.

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