No threats from Pak, China; problem within India: Menon

October 13, 2016

Washington, Oct 13: The real threats to India are "internal" and emanate from communal and social violence, not from outside forces such as Pakistan or China, former national security advisor Shivshankar Menon has said.

menonAsked if Pakistan or China pose an existential threat to India, Menon said: "No"."In terms of national security, I think the real threats are internal," he told PTI.

"There's no existential threat to India's existence today externally, unlike in the 50s or when we were formed. And for many years till late 60s there were actual internal separatist threats, not any more. I think that we have actual dealt with," Menon said.

His long career in public service spans diplomacy, national security, and India's relations with its neighbours and major global powers. Menon served as national security advisor to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh from January 2010 to May 2014.

Menon's first book post retirement - 'Choices: Inside the making of India's Foreign Policy' - is all set to hit book stores globally next week.

Asked to elaborate on what he meant by internal threats, he said: "If there are real threats to India, to the idea of India, India's integrity, today they actually come from within the country."

"If you look at violence in India, deaths from terrorism, from left wing extremism, declined steadily throughout this 21st century until 2014-2015. Even now the basic trend for terrorism, left wing extremism is down. What has increased is since 2012, communal violence, social violence, internal violence has increase. That is something we need to find a way in dealing with," Menon said.

"This is not a traditional law and order problem, which our traditional instruments, the police, the states know how to deal with. You look at violence against women, communal, caste violence, if you look at those firms of violence, these are all a result of tremendous social and economic change of uprooting of population, urbanization... various forms of change, which we still need to learn how to deal with," he said.

Menon said those are the threats, which in the long run, has a "potential to make real difference".

"India has changed. It is normal. It happens to most societies where there is change. But you also have to learn new ways of dealing with," he said and attributed the new threats to the rapid and fast development of the country.

When asked that some people attributed this to the BJP coming to power, Menon said even that is a consequence of the change that the Indian society is undergoing now.

Menon previously served as India's foreign secretary from 2006 to 2009 and as ambassador and high commissioner to Israel from 1995-1997, Sri Lanka (1997-2000), China (2000-2003) and Pakistan (2003-2006).

Comments

rikaz
 - 
Saturday, 15 Oct 2016

Naresh, your kesari men eat more beef then muslims....now you just shut-up okay....they are not protector but are bakshakas...better surgical attack on internal so called cow protectors....

Naren kotian
 - 
Thursday, 13 Oct 2016

Rikacha sumne irappa ...biryani ammi madavranthe hogappa ...he said external forces cannot shake India but some internal anti India forces are giving launch pads for porkis in the name of religion ...surgical strikes needed in terrorist own mini Pakistan's within India . as per latest report ....90% nationalist Indians endorse surgical strikes against enemy ...aa 10% yaaru antha bidisi helbekilla
..haha

Rikaz
 - 
Thursday, 13 Oct 2016

Killing in the name of cow, love jihad, lower castes....these should be stopped....RSS and bajrangy kind of groups should be banned from the society....these are the people who create problem around....not pakistan of china....

Shaad
 - 
Thursday, 13 Oct 2016

Pakistan Army very experienced in tackling terrorism and war since they face every minute is war like situation inside Pakistan.
Indian Army do surgical strikes once in a while and PM will take credits. Saffron terrorist got free hand in India. Our Army and skills will not grow unless they fight against saffron terrorist within India before going war against any other country.
Hemant Karkare almost reached to Army ammo on supplying IED for saffron terrorist on Malegao and other 8 blast in India before his controversial assassination.

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News Network
March 19,2020

Kolkatta, Mar 19: A local leader of BJP has been arrested for organising a cow urine consumption event in Kolkata, claiming that it will protect people from coronavirus or cure those already infected, leading to a civic volunteer falling ill after drinking it.

The police said that 40-year-old Narayan Chatterjee, who had on Monday organised a cow worship programme at a cowshed and distributed cow urine, was arrested following a complaint filed by the victim.

He had vouched for its "miraculous" properties while offering gaumutra to others.

A civic volunteer, who was on duty near the cow shed also consumed gaumutra and fell sick on Tuesday, following which he lodged a complaint with the police against Chatterjee.

Reacting to the arrest, the state BJP leadership criticised the state government.

"Chatterjee had distributed cow urine, but he didn't fool people in consuming it. When he distributed it he clearly said it was cow urine, he didn't force anyone to drink it. It has not been proved whether it is harmful or not.

"So how can just police arrest him without any reason. This is completely undemocratic," state BJP General Secretary Sayantan Basu said.

West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh has said there is no harm in drinking cow urine and he has no qualms in admitting he consumes it.

His party colleague and MP Locket Chatterjee, however, differed, terming it an "unscientific belief" that should be shunned.

The cow urine distribution as a cure for coronavirus had drawn sharp criticism from the doctors.

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May 3,2020

Bengaluru, May 3: Karnataka Government has allowed the movement of migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons who are stranded and also those who want to go to their residence as a "one-time measure" from district to district, after obtaining "one-day, one way" passes issued by concerned authorities.

Consequent to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) new guidelines on lockdown measures, the government of Karnataka issued new guidelines on lockdown measures which will come into effect from May 4 for the period of two weeks.

In an order issued on Saturday, Chief Secretary and Chairman, State Executive Committee, Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority stated, "In the exercise of the powers, conferred under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the undersigned, in his capacity of Chairman, State Executive Committee, hereby order to permit movement migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons who are stranded and also those people who want to go to their residence as a one-time measure from district to district with one-time one-day one-way passes issued by concerned Deputy Commissioners of the districts/Deputy Commissioner of Police in Commissionerates for strict implementation."

The details of the passes issued shall be shared by the issuing Deputy Commissioners of the districts/ Deputy Commissioner of Police with the receiving Deputy Commissioners of the districts/Deputy Commissioners of Police shall follow the SOPs prescribed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for the movement of such persons, the order read.

It is reiterated that this would be a one-time one-day one-way pass for the individuals to reach their final destination.

Meanwhile, three deaths and 12 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the 24 hours in Karnataka, said the state Health Department on Saturday.

According to the Health Department, the total number of coronavirus positive cases in the State is now 601. 271 patients have either been cured or discharged. The virus has killed 25 people so far in the State.

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April 5,2020

Mangaluru, Apr 5: As the number of Covid 19 cases continue to spike across Karnataka, there are patients who are recovering from this deadly virus as well. The first case of Covid 19 detected in Mangaluru has fully recovered and all set to return home.

The first case of corona infection was reported on March 22 in Dakshina Kannada district. 

A 22-year-old youth hailing from Bhatkal had landed at Mangaluru International Airport on March 19. 

As he was suffering from mild fever and cold, he was quarantined in Mangaluru. He had come from Dubai.

His throat swabs were sent for testing on the same day and on March 22 he was tested positive for coronavirus. 

He has undergone 14-day long treatment at the Wenlock Hospital, Mangaluru. 

On April 2 and 3, his throat swabs were sent for testing again. Both times he was tested negative for coronavirus. He is expected to be discharged on April 6.

So far a dozen coronavirus positive cases have been confirmed in Dakshina Kannada. With the recovery of one patient, there are 11 active cases in the district.

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