NEW DELHI, Sept 5: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Tuesday that terrorist attacks in the country could increase in the days ahead, an issue he is likely to take up with President Gen Pervez Musharraf in Havana this month.

“Concern about the increasing activities of externally-inspired - and directed - terrorist outfits in the country is justified,” Dr Singh told a meeting of state chief ministers he called to discuss ways to tackle terrorism. “Intelligence agencies warn of a further intensification of violent activities on their part, with the possibility of more ‘fidayeen’ attacks.”

He said the methods could include use of suicide bombers, attacks on economic and religious targets, targeting of vital installations, including nuclear establishments and Army Camps. “Reports also suggest that terrorist modules and ‘sleeper cells’ exist in some of our urban areas, all of which highlight the seriousness of the threat,” Dr Singh said.

“It is unfortunate that terrorism has resulted in certain sections of our population being targeted, with a result that a wrong impression has been created of the radicalisation of the entire Muslim community,” Singh said.

India had to immediately embark on a pro-active policy “to ensure that a few individual acts do not result in tarnishing the image of an entire community, and remove any feelings of persecution and alienation from the minds of the minorities”.

The prime minister in particular told the chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir and the far-flung predominantly tribal northeastern states that “in dealing with problems of peripheral states and societies, we need to be specially sensitive to the nuances of each situation, and the encyclopedic character of regional and tribal demands which, if not anticipated and dealt with in time, could culminate in a full-fledged militancy.”

The situation in Kashmir has shown signs of improvements in the past two years, but India should remain on guard in view of continuing efforts by “anti-India and anti-national elements to whip-up emotions and transform these into a violent movement.”

The Naxal problem should be tackled with sensitivity. He opposed the targeting of Muslims as agents of terrorism. “On the prevailing insecurity among minorities, specially Muslims, I can say that the adverse consequences of this can be extremely deleterious for our polity,” Dr Singh said.

His remarks came as top officials prepared briefs for his arriving meeting with President Musharraf in Havana. “When Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf meet in Havana for a formal session next week, India may indicate the end of the present diplomatic sullenness and resume the stalled composite dialogue with Pakistan,” the Times of India said.

“While a strong school in the government says Pakistan has to make some movement on terrorism, the PM has veered around to resumption of dialogue on the ground that India cannot choose its neighbours,” the newspaper said.

Dr Singh had recently said that the peace process “cannot go forward if Pakistan does not deal with terrorism firmly what has Pakistan done to control terrorism?”

SECURITY TIGHTENED: Later, India’s national security adviser said India has “completely revamped” security at its nuclear facilities following warnings of possible terror attacks, adds AFP.