Cautioning against any complacency on dealing with terrorism, homeminister P Chidambaram on Wednesday said government will remain alert againstthe menace with the epicentre of terrorism lying on India's border.

"Our objectives are three-fold. Raise the level of preparedness meet anyterror threat directed against India, respond swiftly and decisively to anyterror threat or any terror attack and we have to remain on guard against terrorand cannot lower our guard," he said replying to the discussion in the LokSabha on demands for grants of his ministry for 2009-10.

He said terror was a global phenomenon but that did not give any solace toIndia because "one of the epicentres of terror is the country on ourborder". "As long as they indulge in murder, threat, extortion,there's no question of talking to them. How can an insurgent group offerceasefire to a sovereign nation," he said ridiculing reports thatgovernment would accept ceasefire offer by DHD-J alias "Black Widow"militant group in Assam.

They became so powerful that they took the decision to merge and declared thatthey would continue a class struggle through guerrilla war, he said. Chidambaramtook digs at the Left Front government in West Bengal for not taking suitableaction against the Maoists on the belief that the two were involved in the sameclass struggle.

"The state government was not willing to commit its forces. I put my footdown and told the chief minister that your forces should have to fight from thefront and the paramilitary forces will assist them. The chief ministerunderstood that I meant business and then gave the state governmentforces," he said.

The home minister said the government has two-pronged approach to deal with theLeft-wing extremism -- clear and hold the territory held by Naxals and thencarry out development. "We will face the challenge squarely," hesaid.

However, he conceded that it would not happen overnight and would take a longtime.
On the issue of withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act, he said thegovernment had taken note of the demand and will revisit the issue at anappropriate time. "We will review," he said.