Former Governor of Jammu & Kashmir N.N. Vohra today advocated for formulating national security policy by the centre in consultation with the states to guide the nation in one direction. In addition to this special national security administration services should also be constituted by the government to deal with national security.He was presiding over the 1st KPS Gill memorial lecture on "National Security : Some Concerns", organized by the human resource development wing of the Punjab Police at ISB S.A.S. Nagar and Punjab Co-operation and Jails Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa was guest of hounor during the event.During the memorial lecture, Vohra said Gill was able Police administrator, courageous and has played a historic role in rooting out militancy from the state. Vohra said country needs a dedicated ministry to effectively manage national security in the wake of complex challenges posing to our nation.He suggested to constitute special forces in all the states to deal with the problem of national security. He emphasised that personnel from special force should be specially trained as lawlessness by vigilante groups like cow slaughter brigade causes social tension thereby affects national security. He added that lawless agitation by pressure groups divide the society and wastes our resources.Former bureaucrat Vohra said incidents of lawlessness created by few self-styled gurus should be under scanner, adding he said inter community tensions in society could also explode to become a national security problem.
Expressing his views Vohra said Police is the first line of defence and should be firm in response to a situation to maintain public order otherwise it could at any stage grow to a bigger security problem. Lamenting at lesser police strength as per the population of the country all across India he said the police, prosecution and judiciary are understaffed and hence causes lawlessness.Former Governor added that budgetary support to all wings of police is low and mostly spend on pay but not on modernization and training which leads to ill equipped police to deal with emergent situation. He further added that politicization of Police at all level decreases its morale and efficiency.Vohra expressed that Pakistan’s role in undermining India’s national security is going to be a permanent feature. He cautioned that critical information infrastructure of the country is also very vulnerable. "Cyber and information warfare has made time and distance irrelevant for terrorists and they could recruit fund and execute terrorist activities from far off places", he added.Recalling towering contributions by KPS Gill and other Police officers for uprooting the militancy from Punjab Cooperation and Jails Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said Punjab Police has done commendable job for eliminating terrorism from the state. He added that Gill led the police from front to maintain peace and integrity of the country and personally supervised the operations against terrorists in the state.He called upon the police officers to eliminate narcotics and drug trafficking from the state like the force uprooted militancy from the state. Cooperation Minister also advised for holding such seminars in each district to make aware the people about the contribution of police for maintain peace and harmony.
During the question-answers session DGP Punjab Suresh Arora expressed concern at Pakistan and foreign based groups giving covert and overt support to terrorists affecting Punjab internal security. On Ajay Sahni's reasons of worsening situation in Jammu and Kashmir Mr Vohra replied that Pakistan would never leave its proxy war in the state.Ex Minister Punjab Laxmi Kanta Chawla talked about policemen who are in litigation and fighting their cases in dealing with terrorism and are paid less in the initial stages of induction in the job. DGP Chandigarh Sanjay Beniwal talked about importance of public order rather than law and order in work culture on which Mr Vohra stated that new police act must be implemented in letter and spirit.Ex home minister Punjab, Brij Bhupinder Singh Lalli talked about threat from flying of drones and the loans taken by Punjab during terrorism are not being waived off by centre. Presenting his views on Mr. Randhawa' question how to minimize political pressure in police functioning Mr. Vohra said command and control system in police hierarchy should be maintained and no direct orders to field officers should be given by the authority in dispensation.Presenting his vote of thanks DGP Suresh Arora expressed his gratitude to N.N. Vohra, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and family members of late DGP K.P.S. Gill who have graced the occasion. He has acknowledged and appreciated the wide participation of officers from Punjab, Haryana & UT Chandigarh. On the occasion he lauded the outstanding contribution of Mr Gill to brought back peace and normalcy in the state. EOM