Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke Friday of the "uncertain" security situation in the country following a string of bombings and the threat posed by Maoist insurgents. "The security environment in the country continues to be uncertain," Singh told a gathering of senior police officers from around the country.
The prime minister said recent bomb blasts in Mumbai and New Delhi were "grim reminders of the grave challenges posed by terrorism" and stressed the urgent need to improve intelligence gathering. "The grassroots information and intelligence collection systems that have traditionally been a part of policing have languished or fallen into disuse in some places," he said.
Singh also cited the growing threat posed by India's Maoist movement, saying a "huge collective and co-ordinated effort" would be needed at both state and federal level to counter the insurgency. The Maoist rebellion, which began in 1967, feeds off land disputes, police brutality and corruption, and is strongest in the poorest and most deprived areas of India, many of which are rich in natural resources. In the past, Singh has labelled the insurgency the number one threat to India's internal security.