'One nation, one uniform': PM Modi suggestion to states on police

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday pitched for "one nation, one uniform" for police forces in the country. Mr Modi added that it is merely a suggestion for consideration and he is not trying to impose it on the states.

Addressing "chintan shivir" of state home ministers via video-conferencing, the Prime Minister asked the gathering to consider a single uniform for all the states' police forces in the entire country. He noted that this will give a common identity to law enforcement as citizens will recognise police personnel anywhere in the country and states can have their own number or insignia.

"One nation, one police uniform, I am just putting forward this as a thought for your consideration. Just give it a thought. It may happen, it may happen in 5, 50, or 100 years. But let's give it a thought," Mr Modi said.

Reiterating the need to obliterate the ground network of terrorism, the PM said that every government, in its own capacity and understanding, is trying to do its part.

"It is the need of the hour to come together as one and handle the situation. Every form of ‘Naxalism’, be it the one with guns or the one with pens, has to be uprooted to prevent them from misleading the youth of the country," Mr Modi remarked.

Noting that such forces are increasing their intellectual sphere to pervert the minds of coming generations, he said, "For the sake of the unity and integrity of the nation and with the inspiration of Sardar Patel, we can not allow any such forces to flourish in our country. Such forces get significant help internationally."

The PM highlighted that in the last eight years, the number of Naxal-affected districts in the country has come down significantly.

"Be it Jammu and Kashmir or the Northeast, today we are moving fast towards permanent peace. Now we have to focus on rapid development in all these sectors, including infrastructure," he said.

Mr Modi asked the states to also evaluate and get rid of outdated rules and laws. The PM said that in the laws enacted by the Central government, the will to strongly handle corruption, terrorism and hawala is clear. "Laws like UAPA have given strength to the system in a decisive battle against terrorism," he said.

Pointing out the possible threats of social media, Mr Modi said, "A piece of single fake news has the capability to snowball into a matter of national concern."

The Prime Minister lamented the losses that India had to incur due to fake news about job reservations in the past. He stressed the need to educate people about the importance of analysing and verifying any piece of information before forwarding it to people. "We have to come up with technological advancement to prevent the spread of fake news," he said.

The PM said cooperative federalism was not only the spirit of the Constitution but also the responsibility of the states and the Centre.

Mr Modi noted that every state should work together for strengthening of internal security. "Every state should learn from each other, take inspiration from each other, work for the betterment of the country, this is the spirit of the Constitution and it is also our responsibility towards the countrymen," he said.

The Prime Minister pointed out that crime is no longer localised and instances of interstate and international crime are going up.

"That is why mutual cooperation between state agencies and between Central and state agencies is becoming crucial," he remarked.

Mr Modi further pointed out that whether it is cybercrime or the use of drone technologies for the smuggling of weapons or drugs, the government needs to keep working towards new technologies to tackle the menace.

"The law and order system can be improved with the help of smart technology. 5G, along with its benefits, brings the need for a heightened alert," the Prime Minister said.

He requested the chief ministers and home ministers to seriously assess the need for technology and asked the states not to look at the budget while selecting technology, as "investment in today's technology is a saving in the future".

The Prime Minister spoke about the Police Technology Mission of the Central government and stressed the need for a common platform as differing technologies of different states do not talk to each other. "We should have a pan India outlook; all our best practices should be interoperable and they should have a common link,'' he said.

Highlighting the reforms, the Prime Minister said that several reforms to strengthen the law and order system have taken place in the last few years that have helped maintain a peaceful environment in the country. "Maintaining law and order is a 24x7 job. It is necessary to work towards advancements and improvements in the processes involved," he said.

Referring to the ongoing "Amrit Kaal", the PM said that during the Amrit Kaal, an Amrit generation will emerge and will carry the essence of the "Panch Pran". "The Panch Pran must be the guiding force for good governance," he added.