Manmohan Singh’s Reply to Home Minister L. K. Advani's Statement in Parliament on 18 December 2001
Emphasis Added
'Loose Talk Must Give Way to a Sober Analysis'
The government has an obligation to take the Opposition into confidence.
Manmohan Singh
I thank the hon. Minister of External Affairs and the Leader of the House for the statement that he has made. Most of the facts stated by him in this statement have already appeared in the Press. Our party joins all our countrymen in condemning the dastardly terrorist attack on Parliament on 13th December. Parliament is the heart and the nerve centre of our democracy and that is, probably, the reason why this terrorist gang tried to strike at the citadel of democracy, that is, our Parliament.
Sir, our party is one with the nation in its solemn resolve that we shall not make any compromises with these terrorist gangs. We shall pay whatever price is necessary to wipe out terrorism, and we are sure that our nation will prevail in this regard.
Sir, on this occasion, our thoughts, our minds and our hearts go to those brave security personnel and members of the Watch and Ward Staff of our Parliament, who, in an act of supreme sacrifice, in an act of supreme devotion to their duty, laid down their lives to save the honour and dignity of this august House. Our sympathies go to the members of the bereaved families; to those who have suffered injuries, we wish them speedy recovery.
Mr. Chairman, this is not an occasion to apportion blame or find fault with our system, whether it is of intelligence or of security arrangements. Yet, it is a fact that an attack on Parliament was quite anticipated. As early as on the 5th of this month, the hon. Home Minister, speaking at a meeting of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, had alluded to this threat to our Parliament.
In fact, one day before this attack took place, i.e. on 12th December, while speaking at Mumbai, the hon. Prime Minister himself had referred to the existence of this threat, such a threat to our Parliament. Subsequently, we have also learnt that the Maharashtra police, while interrogating a suspect Al-Qaeda member, Afroz in Mumbai informed the Central Government of the plans of this outfit to attack the Parliament. I have been told that the Maharashtra Government had informed the Central Government about what Afroz had told them. I have also been told that a member of the IB was also associated with the interrogation of Afroz.
Sir, that despite their advance warnings this daring and dastardly attack took place should make all of us sit back and reflect on the adequacy of our security and intelligence arrangements. The hon. Home Minister, some days ago, had publicly stated that there was no security breach. Yet, it is a fact that a car with terrorists armed to the teeth was allowed to roam about in the high security zone and pass through the outer gate and enter the compound of our Parliament.
Obviously, the checks being conducted on vehicles need to be tightened much further and these checks have to be thorough. It is also clear that the terrorists have the support of a well-knit organisation. The identity of the organisational support bases and the networks that sustain these terrorist organisations ought to be diligently explored and exposed with actual facts. Naturally, the question arises, "What do we do in the face of this daring and dastardly attack?"
Certainly, the nation's sentiments have been aroused. I believe, it was Jawaharlal Nehru who once said in letters addressed to his daughter, late Shrimati Indira Gandhi, "In affairs of State, while one should be full of sentiments, one should never be sentimental". Therefore, we have to be cool-headed in formulating our response. We should avoid a tired and superfluous jingoism. Acting in self-defence is, of course, an inherent right of any sovereign nation sanctified by the United Nations Charter. But, Sir, before taking any action we must ponder over the consequences of alternative courses of action and the trade-offs that may exist.
First and foremost, we should marshal all our available information and convince the members of the international community about the evil designs of cross-border terrorism of a most vicious type which have sought to attack the heart of our democracy. The hon. Minister of External Affairs has pointed out the role of the ISI at the back of all these operations and I believe we should marshal all this evidence and convince the members of the international community that what is applicable in dealing with the terrorists in Afghanistan must be applicable to these terrorists also who have perpetrated such a ghastly act on the Indian territory.
Sir, I was, in this context, disturbed about the statement which appeared in the Press; I am mentioning about the statement of the Secretary of State of the United States calling 'India for restraint' and going on to say that General Musharraf was taking all possible steps that were necessary. I would like to know from the hon. External Affairs Minister as to what their assessment is of the attitude of the United States and other Members of the international community towards this latest ghastly act perpetrated by terrorist gangs inspired, aided and abetted by Pakistan. Obviously, we have, on the diplomatic front, a lot more to do.
Sir, furthermore, a question arises about the action that we ought to take. Any action that we take, in our view, must be effective and sustainable. Loose talk of attacking terrorist bases or hot pursuit must give way to a sober analysis of political and military consequences of various options open to us. In this context, it is also highly important that the Government take the Opposition into confidence. We are one with the Government in re-affirming that our nation will prevail, shall prevail, over the evil designs of terrorists. Any well-considered action, taking into account, its viability and sustainability, after careful consideration of its long and short-term consequences will have our support. But the Government has an obligation to take the Opposition into confidence.
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