Intl community must act against States sponsoring terrorism: Pranab

Speaking at the Regional Security & Co-operation Dialogue in the capital External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said that the international community needs to collectively fight the menace of terrorism.

In an apparent reference to Pakistan, India on Wednesday said the problem of terrorism becomes complex when "recalcitrant" states do not recognise their international commitments and asked the world community to discipline such nations.

"It clearly spells out that if a state apparatus sponsors terrorism as an act of state policy, or a recalcitrant state refuses to recognise its international commitments and responsibilities on not allowing the use of (its) territory for terror activities, the problem becomes more complex and difficult," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said.

He was making the keynote address at the inaugural edition of ‘The Delhi Dialogue’ between India and ASEAN countries.

Comparing the magnitude of the Mumbai attack to the 11th September terror strikes in the US, he said terrorism today is not just an act of misguided individuals or a small group.

"Therefore it is high time for the international community to recognise that such recalcitrant states must be brought to discipline by resorting to various international mechanisms," Mukherjee said.

The External Minister said the recent Mumbai carnage had shown that both India and ASEAN will need to resolutely rebuff such evil attempts that strike the civilisational roots of the region.

"Our growing economic and political links will send a message that the terrorists’ designs will have to be defeated not just by India but by the international community as a whole," Mukherjee said.

India conveyed disagreement on Miliband’s views to UK: Pranab

After UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband ruffled feathers in New Delhi by linking the Kashmir issue with terrorism, India said on Wednesday it conveyed its disagreement to Britain through diplomatic channels and is treating the matter as a closed chapter.

"In our normal diplomatic channel what is proper and just we have done it and now it is a closed chapter," External

Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters in New Delhi on the sidelines of a function organised by FICCI.

He was asked whether Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had written a letter to his British counterpart Gordon Brown over Miliband’s observations.

Reports had it that Singh had written a letter to Brown over the British Foreign Secretary’s comments linking

resolution of Kashmir issue to terrorism in the region.

Mukherjee said when the Foreign Secretary from UK visited India he had shared his perception about the situation with him and the Indian delegation.

"I equally told him and all the interlocutors that this is your perception and we do not share it," he said, adding that there was no question of giving anyone a cold shoulder.

In an article in a British newspaper Miliband had written that resolution of the Kashmir issue would deny extremists in the region one of the main reasons for taking up arms prompting the External Affairs Ministry to point out that it did not need any "unsolicited advice" on Kashmir.

Miliband had also put his faith in the Pakistani judicial system by suggesting that Pakistanis wanted in connection with the Mumbai attacks should be tried in that country itself to give its judicial system a chance.

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