Asserting that the government was constantly adding to the countrys capacity to deal with terrorism,Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Friday said that the process of inducting sophisticated weapons and equipment into the National Security Guard (NSG) was in the final stages. In 25 years,the NSG has grown into a potent force to defend India against terrorism and any other threat to our security, Chidambaram said speaking at the NSGs 25th Raising Day celebrations at the forces garrison at Manesar. Born as a fledgling force of a few hundred Army and Central paramilitary forces (CPMF) personnel,the NSG has now grown into a large,professional and highly skilled organisation. Today the country needs the NSG as an elite,well-trained,fully equipped and always alert group of commandos in order to tackle the threat of terror, the Home Minister said. NSG Director General N P S Aulakh,too,said that the force was in the process of procuring sophisticated equipment like night-vision equipment and door busters. He said the chief of Frances counter-terror force,the GIGN,had recently met him and offered to have an exchange training programme between the two forces. The government,however,was still to take a call on the GIGNs offer. Chidambaram also released the NSG song Hum Hain Na Hindustan written by noted lyricist Gulzar and sung by music director and singer Shankar Mahadevan. A moved Chidambaram hugged both the artistes after the four-minute song was played out in front of a packed audience. Speaking later,Gulzar said that the song was a way of paying back the NSG personnel.
