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Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday reaffirmed India's 'zero tolerance' policy against terrorism and stressed that mutual trust and cooperation among member countries are crucial to strengthening the security of the BIMSTEC region, calling for a collective resolve to prevent terrorist activities across national borders.
Addressing the first BIMSTEC Home Ministers' Meeting in the national capital, Shah emphasised that the security mechanisms of member countries must complement and strengthen one another to effectively counter terrorism and other transnational threats. "India has always adopted a 'zero tolerance' policy against terrorism. The trust in our cooperation is strengthened by the sense that the security mechanism of every member country becomes helpful in the security of other member countries. Our mutual resolution should be to ensure that there is no scope or space for harbouring, recruiting, training, procuring resources, or carrying out activities against neighbouring nations in any part of the region," Shah said. Emphasising the need for coordinated regional action, the Home Minister said India remained committed to cooperation and the effective implementation of the BIMSTEC Convention to tackle terrorism, organised crime and illegal drug trafficking. "India is committed to cooperation and effective implementation of the BIMSTEC Convention to tackle global terrorism, global organised crime and illegal trafficking of drugs. Criminal networks operate across borders and take advantage of local weaknesses. So, regional cooperation holds a special place in our functioning. The working of these networks is changing rapidly," he said. Shah's remarks underscored the importance of a coordinated regional approach to addressing security challenges that transcend national boundaries, with member countries expected to strengthen cooperation and ensure that their security mechanisms support one another. India's comprehensive counter-terrorism efforts over the last 12 years have reflected a firm zero-tolerance approach towards terrorism. Strengthened legal frameworks, institutional reforms and intelligence integration have significantly enhanced inter-agency coordination across central and state agencies. Focused action against cross-border terrorism, the dismantling of terror financing networks, and the modernisation of police and security forces have reinforced India's national security architecture. The expansion of cybersecurity capabilities has also strengthened preparedness against emerging digital threats. These sustained efforts have contributed to improvements in internal security indicators, including reduced terror incidents, lower casualties among civilians and security forces, and improved public safety, development outcomes and national resilience. The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) comprises seven member states connecting South Asia and Southeast Asia: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka from South Asia, and Myanmar and Thailand from Southeast Asia. The BIMSTEC region brings together 1.7 billion people, accounting for 22 per cent of the world's population, with a combined gross domestic product of USD 5 trillion. The first BIMSTEC Home Ministers' Meeting provides a platform for member states to strengthen regional cooperation on terrorism, organised crime and drug trafficking, with India reiterating the importance of mutual trust and coordinated security mechanisms in building a safer region. (ANI)
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