Prime Minister Says India Will Not Rest Until Perpetrators Of Mumbai Terror Attacks Are Punished

November 26, 2009 11:31 a.m. EST

New Delhi (AHN) - Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, on Wednesday said that India "will not rest" till the people responsible for the Mumbai terror attacks last year were punished. The Prime Minister was speaking to the Indian media in the U.S.

He said, "this is a day of remembrance and of paying homage to all the innocent civilians and our brave men in uniform who lost their lives in one of the worst terrorist attacks our country has ever seen. On behalf the nation, I would like to send a message to each and every one of their families that we share their grief with a very heavy heart. We will never forget the suffering they have gone through. Our thoughts are with them as they pray for the souls of their loved ones."

He called the attack in Mumbai a "calculated attempt by forces outside the country to destabilize our secular polity, create communal discord and undermine the country's economic and social progress." He reiterated that, "India's commitment to an open, democratic and secular society will not be shaken by such assaults on our way of life."

The Prime Minister said that within the country several measures have been taken to fortify the country against such future assaults. "An effective response mechanism to deter such threats in future has been put in place. We will take more such steps till we are satisfied that we have foolproof arrangements in place."

Meanwhile, India honored the men who laid down their lives fighting terrorists on 26/11 last year, by handing over five appointment letters of petroleum products dealerships to families of the martyrs. The letters were handed over by home minister P.Chidambaram in Mumbai on Thursday.

Murli Deora, petroleum & natural gas minister said that the government of India in general and his Ministry in particular is committed to provide relief and rehabilitation to the family members of the martyrs.

He said that he had personally directed the Chief Executives of various Public Sector Oil Companies to monitor progress of commissioning the outlets to the families in various parts of the country.

He added that it is the duty of everyone to honor the sacrifice of those who laid down their lives for the country by ensuring a secure future for their families. "This only can be a befitting tribute to the souls of country's martyrs", he said.

The Indian Parliament also remembered the martyrs of the Mumbai attack on Thursday. The members in both the Houses observed a minute of silence in in the memory of the martyrs of 26/11.

Last year's attack had led to the collapse of India's five-year-old peace talks with Pakistan. India had said that talks will be resumed only when the perpetrators of the attack were brought to justice.

Ajmal Kasab, the lone terrorist who was captured is facing trial in Mumbai at present.