Hard to control if another 26/11 happens: India

Singapore: India on Saturday said it would be hard to justify "self-restraint" in case of another 26/11 type of Mumbai attack on its territory. "If the provocation is to happen again, I think it would be hard to justify to our people such a self-restraint," Minster of State for Defence MM Pallam Raju told an Asian security conference in Singapore while referring to the sel-restraint exercised following the 26/11 Mumbai attack.

"But I hope that it will not be repeated," the Minister said, pointing out that India had exercised great self-restraint and "dealt in a very mature manner with the government of Pakistan," following the 26/11 attack on Mumbai.

He said, India is engaged in extensive dialogues with Pakistan relating to the attack.

"The international community is aware of the damning evidence that has come out from David Headley's interrogation," he told the Shangri-La Dialogue where Defence Ministers from China, US, UK and top defence analysts were in attendance.

"We have had an extensive engagement in trying to bring the perpetrators to the book and have been continuing dialogue at government level (with Pakistan)," he said.

Raju said, it was not only India but Pakistan which had now become a victim to the machinations of the terrorists.

In his written speech, the Minister said, the spectrum of terrorist challenges to India ranged from suicide bombers to cyber hostility and New Delhi was developing capabilities to deal with these.

To grapple with this, the Minister said, there was a need for special equipment and special training and a doctrinal shift from the previous pre-occupation with conventional warfare alone.

"This has implied the need for special equipment and special equipment and special training and a doctrinal shift from the previous pre-occupation with conventional warfare alone," he said.

He also expressed concern about the possibility of terrorists using weapons of mass destruction and highlighted the need to build intelligence and interdiction capabilities to detect and arrest such efforts by strengthening nuclear security and preventing access to sensitive materials and technologies.

He further highlighted the threats from piracy, hijacking and drug money supporting syndicated crimes and terrorist organizations.

Touching on cooperative approach towards common security challenges, Raju pointed out that Asia's rising military capabilities "need not lead to an Asian Arms Race".

"We could certainly reduce strategic uncertainty and enhance mutual trust through transparency and responsible state behavior," said the Minister of State.

He highlighted positive opportunities to enhance regional military capability for regional and global goods, especially for maritime security, countering common threats such as piracy and terrorism, peacekeeping operations under the United Nations umbrella.

Raju also called for a dialogue and negotiation based approach in handling contentious issues like territorial disputes and bilateral differences.

He underlined the need to support Asia's economic growths with stable regional and international environment.

He said India supported all evolution of cooperative relations in the Asian region.

"As a responsible nation, we will make our contribution to the evolution of an Asia Pacific region based on the twin pillars of share security and shared prosperity," said Raju.

"We have friendly and productive relations with all countries in this region. An open and balance security architecture should emphasize transparency, confidence building and cooperation against common threats, with focus on diplomacy and negotiation for settlement of disputes and respect for universally accepted principles of international law," he said.

"The new winds of change blowing through Asia should be harnessed for new forms of cooperation rather than conflict," he stressed.

"I assure you that India will remain constructively engaged with all fellow nations in this region in our joint endeavors," he said.

The summit is addressed by top security officials, including Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, US defence secretary Robert Gates, China s Defence Minister General Liang Guanglie and former Singapore Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew. Thirty defence delegates are at the summit that is being held from June 3-5, 2011.