'Global community should act agst terror emanating from Pak'

Calling terror emanating from Pakistan as a "Frankenstein", India on Tuesday said the international community needs to act decisively and in concert to get rid of this scourge.
     
"There is equally an onus on the international community to act. This Frankenstein is now a threat to democracy, stability and peace in Afghanistan and to Pakistan itself. The international community needs to act decisively and in concert to get rid of this scourge.
     
"We sincerely hope that this approach would be the way ahead. As a victim of terrorism, we must remain committed to safeguarding the lives of our nationals and to taking all the necessary steps to enhance and safeguard our security," defence minister A K Antony said on Tuesday.
    
He was delivering the inaugural address at the 11th Asian Security Conference on 'The Changing Face of Conflict and Evolving Strategies in Asia' organised by the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses.
    
Antony said the prospects of inter-state armed conflicts were indeed declining but India and the Asian continent continued to face the challenge of terrorism. "Pakistan has become the epicentre of international terrorism."
     
He said the assault on Mumbai and many previous attacks on Indian cities over the past few years have gravely undermined peace and security. Afghanistan has a victim of similar acts as indeed have been other countries.

The defence minister said that the major attacks of large magnitude could be planned and executed by elements in Pakistan which has totally undermined the solemn commitments made by its leadership to India that territory in its control would not be permitted to be used for terrorism.
    
The positive gains of the past years, he said, had been destroyed by the dastardly attack on Mumbai. "Onus is now on Government of Pakistan to act with sincerity and decisiveness against the perpetrators and controllers of such attacks."
    
He said this was in the interest of the region and the rest of the world that such perpetrators of wanton violence were brought to justice and the infrastructure of terror was eliminated.
     
Referring to the Mumbai attack and the systematic use of terrorism and irregular warfare as state policy aimed at India, he said it was becoming increasingly clear that the nature of war and conflict was changing.
    
All-out wars were no longer the norm for settling disputes among states, he said adding the rapid globalisation of recent years had led to profound changes by creating inter-dependence among states and people.
     
In an apparent reference to Pakistan without naming it, he said conflicts may occur in such a situation only if particular regimes facing internal economic and political problems unleash nationalism and war against external 'enemy' to rally popular support.
    
The minister said Asia unfortunately does have a number of unsettled territorial and sovereignty disputes and these can be manipulated by irresponsible states to ensure regime stability.

Antony stressed that the international community needs to have both internal and external checks and balances against possible abuses of power by such regimes.
    
Citing Indo-Chinese relationship as an example, Antony said that many states have agreed to set aside their disputes that can't be resolved immediately and maintain status quo.
    
"They have encouraged a system of dialogue and negotiations to peacefully resolve these disputes. And they are focused on enhancing cooperation," he said.
    
The defence minister said that civil wars, insurgencies and militancy have become the principal modes of armed conflict today and have made many Asian states extremely unstable and fragile.
     
"Dealing with these complex challenges through efficient and improved governance and effective development strategies must be of the highest importance for Asian nations," he said.