"We will not allow forces of extremism and terrorism to destablise our polity and society. We have taken several measures to strengthen our national security and promote national cohesion.
"We will continue to work with the international community to see that there is no safe haven or launching pads for terrorists," he said inaugurating the two-day Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Chennai.
The Prime Minister's remarks assume significance against the backdrop of his statement on Tuesday that Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba was behind the Mumbai terror attacks and given their sophistication and military precision, they must have had the support of some official agency of that
country.
Singh also deprecated the forces which seek to divide the people on the basis of religion and such other ideas saying they betrayed the idea of India.
Singh said despite the difficult global economic situation, the fundamentals of the Indian economy were very strong and that it was expected to grow at 7 per cent in the current year.
He said India was actively working with other countries in the evolution of a new economic architecture which, he maintained, should be reflective of the changes that have place over the years.
The Prime Minister said India should have the right to get its due place in the evolving global economy.
"We need to ensure that any new architecture that emerges is suited to the new challenges and vulnerabilities facing the world economy and reflective of the changes that have taken place in the economic structure. Countries like India should be given their due place in the scheme of things," he said.
Singh announced that that doctors, dentists, pharmacists, engineers, architects and chartered accountants, possessing the overseas citizenship cards issued by India, would be allowed to practice in the country.
Praising the achievements of the people of Indian origin around the world, he said they knew the meaning of tolerance and the art of living together regardless of caste, creed, religion or language.
"Pluralism and willingness to live with each other despite our differences is a deeply embedded trait of our culture. That is why I have often said that those who pursue the politics of exclusion, of monotheism, who divided people between us and them, betray the very idea of India. Our civilization was built on reason, on the willingness to engage in dialogue," he said.
Chennai (PTI): Talking tough, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday said forces of extremism and terrorism will not be allowed to destablise the economy and polity of India and promised to work with global community to ensure that there are no safe havens or launching pads for terrorists.
Observing that the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai were a grim reminder of the grave threat posed by extremism and terrorism, he said "there are some who would not like to see India succeed.
"But we have shown, over and over again, that we will not allow the forces of terrorism and extremism to destabilize our polity, our economy and our society," Singh said inaugurating the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas here.
The Prime Minister's observation comes close on heels of his stern warning to Pakistan against using terrorism as an instrument of state policy.
"We have taken several measures to strengthen national security, to promote national cohesion and we will continue to work with the international community to ensure that there are no safe havens and launching pads for terrorists," Singh told the galaxy of people of Indian origin gathered here for the annual event.
The Prime Minister's remarks assume significance against the backdrop of his statement that Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba was behind the Mumbai terror attacks and given their sophistication and military precision, they must have had the support of some official agencies of that country.
Singh also deprecated the forces which seek to divide the people on the basis of religion.
"Those who pursue the politics of exclusion, of monotheism, who divide people between 'us' and 'them', betray the very idea of India," he said "we have been consensual civilization".
Singh also voiced New Delhi's concern over the rise in tensions in West Asia in the wake of attack in Gaza by Israeli security forces resulting in the loss of lives of many innocent men, women and children.
India, he said, has strongly condemned these incidents and hoped that the international community would get together and help restore "peace in the region as soon as possible".
"I wish to reiterate our unstinted and unwavering support for the just Palestinian cause", Singh said.
Addressing over 1,500 delegates from across the world, the Prime Minister assured the PIOs that despite the global economic downturn, the fundamentals of Indian economy continued to remain strong and "we expect to achieve a growth rate of about seven per cent this year, which will be among the highest in the world".
He said much of India's growth was internally driven and he expected that a strong pace of growth could be maintained in the coming years.
India was actively involved in the meetings of the G-20 countries which were deliberating on the creation of a new global financial structure, Singh said.
"We need to ensure that any new architecture that emerges is suited to the new challenges and vulnerabilities facing the world economy and simultaneously it must be reflective of the changes that have taken place in the economic structure over the years," he said.
Singh emphasised that countries like India have a right to be given their due place in the evolving scheme of things.
The overseas Indian community, particularly in the US, came in for special praise by the Prime Minister who said they played a key role in mobilising Congressional support for lifting restrictions to end India's nuclear isolation of last 34 years.
"But much more importantly, this is a sign of the growing role that Indian origin communities are now playing in public policies and opinion making across the world," he said.
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