Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said the recent blasts in Pune were a reminder that more needed to be done to improve internal security although success has been witnessed on this front in many areas.
In his address to the nation on 66th Independence Day, he said Naxalism was still a serious problem and that schemes have been initiated in areas affected by the menace.
Singh also noted that people participated in large numbers in the Panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
Noting that there has been a reduction in violence in the north eastern states, Singh said the government was engaged in dialogue with many groups there so that they can join the mainstream of development.
"We have initiated new schemes of development in areas affected by Naxal violence to ensure that the grievances of the people residing there, especially our brothers and sisters belonging to Scheduled Tribes, can be removed and their lot can be improved," he said.
"We have achieved success in many areas of internal security. In Jammu and Kashmir, people participated in large numbers in the Panchayat elections," Singh said.
"...However, we need to be constantly vigilant as far as internal security is concerned. Communal harmony has to be maintained at all costs. Naxalism is still a serious problem," he said.
The incident which occurred in Pune in the beginning of this month point to the need for much more work to be done in the area of national security, Singh said, adding that the government will continue to do this work with sincerity in the future as well.
