Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said that the government was ready to join hands with neighbouring countries in cracking down against Indian insurgent groups who had taken shelter in these countries.Addressing the armed forces combined commanders’ conference, he said the government would ensure that supply and transit routes of these groups were totally cut off.The PM’s comments come at a time when his government is trying to persuade Bangladesh and Myanmar to come down hard on North East militant camps.Stressing on the primary importance of diplomacy for peace, the PM said: ‘‘The exercise of the nuclear option by India helped remove potentially dangerous strategic ambiguities in the region.’’He also drew the attention of the commanders to the threat of ‘‘aberrations, strategic ambitions and geo-political motivations’’ in the policies of neighbouring countries.He called for better preparedness against these ‘‘newer and non-conventional threats’’ which warrant qualitative upgrades of Defence manpower bases. He made it clear that reforms in the armed forces meant acceptance of the fact that the army, navy and air force could no longer ‘‘function in compartments with exclusive chains of command and operational plans.’’The PM said that the government’s common minimum programme called for modernisation of Defence force levels, revisiting indigenisation of equipment in the forces.He also addressed the Navy’s concern about its depleting force levels when he said: ‘‘In the coming years, the importance of safeguarding our coastline, island territories, offshore assets, and above all sea lanes of communication will assume even greater importance for our national security.’’‘‘There is need for effective perspective planning so that gaps do not appear in the force structures of our armed forces.’’ Since joint exercises with other countries is now identified as an indispensable instrument of diplomacy, he said: ‘‘We must leverage them to serve the larger political and diplomatic ends.’’He said that Defence production and research needed greater private sector participation, as it had ‘‘emerged as a major player in the high technology area’’.Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said a decision on the proposed Integrated Defence Services Command would only be taken once political consensus had been reached with other parties.
