Centre responsible for protecting all parts of the country from external aggression, says Chidambaram
In the backdrop of opposition from certain States to the Centre's plans to create a National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram said on Saturday that internal security was a “shared responsibility” of the Centre and the State governments.
Significantly Mamata Banerjee, one of the Chief Ministers who opposed the NCTC, did not the attend the inauguration of the Regional Hub of the National Security Guard (NSG) at Badu in the State's North 24 Parganas district, where Mr. Chidambaram made his observation.
While her name was initially mentioned in the event's brochure it was subsequently erased.
Although Mr. Chidambaram made no direct reference to the NCTC, he said the Centre, as part of its constitutional obligation, was responsible for protecting all parts of the country from external aggression as well as internal disturbances. “The Constitution ... assigns law and order and police to the State government but also assigns the Central Government the responsibility of protecting every part of India from external aggression and internal disturbance under Article 355,” he said.
He also stressed that the founding fathers of the Constitution in all their prudence “have made national security or internal security a shared responsibility.”
Mr. Chidambaram said “irrespective of the nature of security threats or irrespective of the government in office” in any particular State, the Centre's approach had always been to “work together” with the States.
The Central government made no distinction among States on issues relating to internal security.
The State governments are opposed to the NCTC, with its powers to arrest, interrogate, investigate across the country, on the grounds that it will infringe on the State's powers and rights.
“The government of India is happy to work with State governments. We are working with governments of different political parties and we make no distinction among the political parties,” Mr. Chidambaram said.
Referring to the “most troubled States — Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, southern part of Bihar and the Jangalmahal region of West Bengal — where Naxalism remains a concern,” Mr. Chidambaram said these States were not “ruled by the Congress, the party to which I belong.” “But as a member of the Central government I have the responsibility to work with the States and give all the assistance they require to quell any militancy or rebellion,” he added.
Keywords: Trinamool-Congress alliance, National Counter Terrorism Centre, Centre-state relations, NCTC
Indeed law and order is a subject under jurisdiction of state government. However, as seen in recent instances, state governments refer unprecedented law-order situations to Centre's pragmatic approach. To name a few: Telangana movement, Kashmiri breakout, etc. So on the question of where's the line drawn on responsibility? "Constitution has made national security or internal security a shared responsibility.”
Indeed the solution lies in Centre and State to working in tandem to secure our nation.
One thing sure, earmarking a huge budget for defense with a splendid show of arms and artillery on every Republic Day alone will not help. Let us mind that the contagion of terror has become wide spread across the nation. It is there in the school bus , in the market(whether the country fish market or the city super market), bus stop, train, other public transports, religious centers, water ways and even in deserted roads and railway tracks. The entire world is under their grip. Only the gravity varies. Let us say now we are in the incubation period of a widespread epidemic of terrorism in the offing. Now it looks suppressed, composed. Concealed and stealthy. Be prepared for a big bang, which may strike from below our nose at any time. They will strike with out minding the so called Centre-State relations as enshrined in the constitution. They just aim a massacre no matter whether the people belongs the state where Mamatha rules or Jayalalitha. Prevention is better than cure. CMs just understand that.
One does not know whether to be amused or otherwise - 26 years after Pakistan kept screwing us through its eminently successful terrorism campaign, we have finally decided to create a counter terrorism strategy. What were our powers-that-be doing all this time? Basking in their vote bank game where the votes of the community to which the terrorists belong was much more important than the security of our own citizens? What about convicted terrorists like Mohd Afzal and Ajmal Kasab? Do we carry on treating them as VIPs and ensure that they are never sent to the gallows? A well known neta had once remarked after a few drinks that we should thank the terrorists for helping us check our growing population!
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The Home Minister should know that coordinated and collaborative efforts by the Central and State governments are needed to ensure internal security if it is their shared responsibility to achieve that objective. By talking about shared responsibility, Mr.Chidambaram has justified, perhaps inadvertentl, the objections raised by the State governments against the Centre's plans to create a National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC). Truth gets established in strange ways!
i Guess the state govt's opposing the idea is because they have concerns about improper constulations with State Governments when they proceed with this Very idea of NCTC. Seems more powers are given to NCTC than the respective Police forces with in the states with out consulting the govt's. Anyways, the idea as a whole must not be opposed.
Unfortunately almost non-congress ruling states had opposed NCTC which according to them will infringe states law.Although there may be some impact on working of state govt. but it sure that it will help to tackle internal as well as external disturbances.This one of the crucial move by the centre.
so NCTC should be in power in whole country and every state should support the same.All the terror affected areas' should be provided with army camp which can help in uprooting the problem.
I think chief ministers who oppose NCTC are politically motivated. Their arguments are hollow.If they say that it is an infringement on state's rights than why do they scream for help when a terror attack takes place? State police forces are in a pathetic state-under prepared, under trained and under armed. Law and order is a state subject, however, terrorism is not an ordinary law and order problem. Terrorists are not ordinary criminals motivated by personal greed or vendetta. Almost all secular democracies in Europe and N America has made new legislations giving more powers to their security forces and across the continents they have pooled their resources to combat terrorism. Some of these chief ministers are harbouring Prime Ministrial ambitions and are unnecessarily playing dirty politics over national security issues to test the waters. They must understand that states are not their fiefdoms.Nothing is beyond security of people.
Speech of leaders always looks great, but vote to NCTC should be given after the fine print. Hindu please share the fine print. Same way its haapened with Lokpal Bill, when set of people eloberated it mass came to know how many deficiency it has. Overall we don't have faith on our leaders on there deeds.
Ending up the political truffle, it is in the interest of the Indian
citizens that the Center and the states must come up together to set up
a body that can root out internal as well as external aggression, save
mankind; rather than blaming the other for a non constitutional or non
co-operative move.
Is it not unfortunate that when the Centre comes up with a strong plan to
ensure national security, the Opposition ruled states oppose it on the
basis of narrow party-political interests? Ironic that it is the party
that cries loudest for national security that opposes it now.
Central & state givenrments should co-operate to each other on NCTC. Now a days to security is more concern and need to cross fingers on that. I hope Central government will take the state's concern on NCTC.
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