Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar cautioned that the world today is facing terror threats in the form of cyber terrorism, terrorism through social media, terrorism in outer space, and issues related to maritime security.
Addressing the 3rd Counter Terrorism conference, he pointed out that international terrorism has many dimensions and the days when terrorism could be defined merely in terms of acts of violence and mass murder are gone.
"We need to work together to identify these challenges and devise protocols and norms to take them head-on. We should not stop short of bringing all countries on the same page and show a strong resolve to combat terrorist activities in a collaborated and coordinated manner," he said.
Khattar also stressed on the need to devise a comprehensive counter-terrorism strategy that would make the world an inhospitable place for the "sinister practitioners" of terrorism in all forms.
He cautioned that several factors were fuelling global terrorism. These included religious fundamentalism, poverty, historical baggage, policies of socio-economic exploitation, desire to colonise economic resources, unemployment, unprincipled use of social media, unethical practices in cyber space, sectarian interest of different kinds and quest for political hegemony.
He said such youths who suffer from identity crisis or feel alienated on account of one reason or the other from the mainstream society, get radicalized easily and bite the bait thrown by the protagonists of terrorist ideology.
The Chief Minister said, "It is indeed an irony, and a matter of grave concern, that even though no corner of the world today is free from the curse of terrorism, the international community does not appear any closer to evolving a united stand and strategy against terrorist activities."
He said we have failed to make cross-border terrorism an extraditable offence world-wide which has made several countries safe havens for terrorists.
He said "We have also not been able to agree on banning all terror groups and shut down terror camps. Some countries are still allowing terrorist sanctuaries on their soil. They use terrorism as an instrument of state policy."
What is most unfortunate is that some are still busy debating what is good and what is bad terrorism. So much so, he said, we have not been able to work out and agree on a universally accepted definition of 'terrorism'.
All these issues need thorough deliberations and meeting of minds so that an effective global counter-terrorist strategy could be developed and accepted, he said.
The chief minister said that India has been and remains a victim of international terrorism. In fact, India became a victim long before the menace bared its global fangs, and posed a grave threat to peace and security in a large number of countries, he said.
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