The country has been free from major terrorist violence in the last four years and the government is confident it will be able to contain terrorism, Home Minister P. Chidambaram said on Friday.
"We are not free from terrorist threat, we have to be vigilant.... I am confident though that we will be able to contain terrorism," he told reporters, adding that if anyone tries to foment any trouble, strong action will be taken.
The minister also said that the Centre was keeping a very close watch on groups and individuals who were trying to revive terrorism in Punjab, which had witnessed the dark days of militancy in1980s and early 1990s.
He said the 'there is threat of terrorism' in Punjab, though it is not the same as before.
Chidambaram, who earlier in the day presided over a meeting of Northern Zonal Council here, said prior to 2008, "we had an average of five incidents a year, now we have had three major incidents in the past three-and-a-half years."
"But that does not mean we are free from the threat," he said.
He said that in the North East this has been the most peaceful year.
Last year was also peaceful. All groups in the North East are holding talks with the Government of India, he said.
"In J&K, this calendar year, seven civilians and six security personnel were killed, the figure being in single digit. This number used to be in hundreds even 4-5 years back."
"We have had nine lakh tourists so far visiting J&K while 3.75 lakh pilgrims have already visited the Amarnath cave shrine this season," said Chidambaram, who was flanked by Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal.
With no major incidents of terror occurring in J&K, Chidambaram said that "all of us should rejoice and pray that the peace that appears to have returned to J&K is a durable peace."
On the Maoist problem, he said there had been marked improvement in some states including West Bengal while attempts were on to deal with the problem as a whole in other states including Chattisgarh and Jharkhand.