IT News
Mumbai, Nov 27
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh while addressing the audience at the “26/11 Stories of Strength event”, organised by the Indian Express, on the occasion of 11th anniversary of the Mumbai terror attacks, said that Pakistan has “started seeing all shades of grey and will soon be blacklisted unless it stops terror emanating from its soil.”
Speaking at the fourth edition of the memorial, hosted on late Tuesday evening at Gateway of India in South Mumbai, to mark the 11th anniversary of the Mumbai terror attacks, Singh warned that Pakistan will get blacklisted by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) if it did not stop sponsoring terrorism and added that India is no longer “a soft target”. The 37 member Paris-based global body-FATF, is working to curb terrorism financing and money.
“Since last five and half years, our government has destroyed all the terror infrastructure in India and now we are moving towards disrupting terror finance network with the help of FATF “, Singh said adding that Pakistan is struggling with a slow-down and inflation and “being blacklisted by the FATF” will be the last nail in the coffin of terrorism”.
Learning lessons from the 26 November 2008 attack, during which the terrorists came by the sea route, there has been a paradigm shift in the country’s security architecture. Now a three-tier security system, consisting of the Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Police is in place. In the last 11 years, India has secured its borders and tightened the security, hence it is not easy for any terror group to launch another 26/11-like attack, he said adding that the Navy is setting up a special force, ‘Sagar Prahari’, comprising 1,000 personnel, to guard naval assets and it will be a force multiplier if the situation warrants.
In the last five years, there has been no terror incident in the country outside Kashmir, he pointed out and said that “Ab Don ko pakadna mushkil nahi, aasan ho gaya,” (Now to catch the “Don” is not difficult but in fact it has become easy.
Anant Goenka, Executive Director, The Indian Express Group, said: “The voices of these survivors force us to remind ourselves that even in these polarised times, the majority of India is fiercely moderate.”
Many prominent personalities including Union Minster of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari paid tributes to martyrs.
On the occasion the Indian Navy band and the Maharashtra Police Pipe Band graced the event with a melodious performance. Besides a book ”‘Hemant Karkare – A Daughter’s Memoir” written by Jui Karkare, daughter of the slain ATS Chief Hemant Karkare, was released.
Stars including Rekha Bhardwaj, Shilpa Rao, Dr L Subramaniam, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Divya Kumar, Harshdeep Kaur and Mahesh Kale performed at the event. Veteran actor Amitabh Bachhan received standing ovation from the crowd as he concluded the event with a heart-touching performance featuring a powerful poem recited by him. The event also featured personal accounts of survivors that resonate uncannily with the message of Mahatma Gandhi, whose 150th birth anniversary we celebrated this year.
Bachchan received rousing applause. Combining poetry and choreography, he joined dancers from the Shiamak Davar Dance Academy in a performance that explored the reasons why India is “saare jahaan se acchha”, with verses that spoke of religious tolerance and communal harmony and India’s remarkable history.
The 26/11 Stories of Strength event concluded with the audience and guests singing the national anthem. This was the fourth edition of the memorial hosted by The Indian Express to mark the anniversary of Mumbai terror attacks 11 years ago.