Coimbatore: Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani today (Mar 12, 2004) said that the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) Government's policy of "zero tolerance of terrorism' has compelled many of those who took to the guns to negotiating table.

It has been the endeavour of the NDA Government to wage an uncompromising war against terrorism and to mobilise international opinion against cross border, State sponsored terrorism, Advani told a press conference.

It was this uncompromising policy that was also responsible for the joint statement in Islamabad by Prime Minister A B Vajpayee and Pakistan President, Gen Musharraf, whereby Pakistan committed itself not to allow its territory to be used for terrorism against India, he said.

Noting that terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir has not ended, but its scale and intensity had fallen dramatically, Advani said that India had fought terrorism while safeguarding democracy as evident by the fact that the country had a free and fair polls in 2002 with the enthusiastic participation of the people.

Under Vajpayee's leadership, the people were more secure than they had ever been in the past three decades, he said, adding that security concerns of India were acknowledged in the international community and we will pursue these concerns with single-mindedness by depending on its own strength and the resolve of its people, India has shown it is no pushover, Advani said.

Today, the Indian Cricket team is in Pakistan, which is a small indication of the change brought about by the Government of Vajpayee, Advani said.

Like many other democracies, India also suffered grievously from terrorism and Jammu and Kashmir was the worst affected but other places, including Tamil Nadu had experienced terrorist depredations and murder of innocent people, Advani said.

The Government was tightening security on the borders by fencing, Advani said adding that fencing at Punjab was absolutely completed and few areas left in Rajasthan, where smuggling had died down.

Fencing works in Jammu and Kashmir, where off late tourist inflow had witnessed record growth, and Eastern States would be completed soon, he said.

The Government had negotiated a settlement wit Bodo militants in Assam and talks were progressing with NSCN (IM), Advani said adding the ULFA had no longer sanctuaries across the border, thanks to the cooperation from the Bhutan Government, relieving the people of Assam who have a greater sense of security now.

Lauding Tamil Nadu Government headed by Jayalalithaa, he said that the Centre had received "unstilted" cooperation from the State in the war against terrorism.

NDA Government has created the conditions for the people to focus on the paramount task of making India a developed country by 2020, Advani, who was here as part of his Bharat Uday Yatra, said.