Kalam for stringent law to counter terrorism

Former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam on Wednesday advocated the need for a stringent law to ensure that perpetrators of terror attacks are punished. He said the law should be able to carry out the judicial process in a time-bound manner.

“Learning from the past attacks, the collective action in dealing with emergencies should be transparent and the judicial process has to be accelerated without losing any sense of justice,” Kalam said. He was speaking at a seminar on Fight Against Terrorism organised by the Mumbai Police at National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA).

Calling for a strong political will to tackle terror, he said citizens should be made a partner in the fight. He advocated a need for equipping the security agencies with advanced weapons and technology to fight terrorists. “Miniature chemical and biological weapons as small as a pen drive could be used in future.”

Kalam, who warned of a possible attack on installations that supply consumables like water, said he was happy that the process of supplying citizens with Unique Identity Cards has begun.

Director General of Police Anami Roy said there is every possibility of terrorists using “dirty bombs” in future. “One should not be surprised if terrorists use a chemical or biological weapon in future.”

Roy said a State Industrial Security Force is being raised to protect industries. He added that the State Intelligence Department has its own cadre now.

Maharashtra Governor K. Sankaranarayanan, Mumbai Police Commissioner D. Sivanandhan, retired director of Intelligence Bureau Shyamal Datta, National Maritime Foundation Director and Strategic Analyst Uday Bhaskar and journalist M.J. Akbar attended the seminar.

First Published: Mar 11, 2010 01:46 IST