The Hindu : Advani, RSS talk tough on infiltration issue

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 10, 2003

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Advani, RSS talk tough on infiltration issue

By Neena Vyas

NEW DELHI MAY 9. The Deputy Prime Minister, L.K.Advani, and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh spokesperson, Ram Madhav, today separately made it clear there could be "no friendship with Pakistan'' and "no dialogue could start before cross-border terrorism is ended.''

The Prime Minister's peace initiative was supported by both, but the tone and tenor of Mr. Advani's aggressive speech at a function at the Bharatiya Janata Party's headquarters this morning and the negative attitude of the RSS at a press conference on its Jhandewalan premises in the evening suggested that the attempt was to placate those in the Sangh Parivar who are totally opposed to any effort to make peace with Pakistan.

"If Pakistan continues to run training camps for terrorists, provides weapons to terrorists, gives money to families of terrorists, uses the communication network to send instructions to terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, is friendship with Pakistan possible'' Mr. Advani asked rhetorically.

And completely in tune with Mr. Advani, the RSS stated: "It is highly imprudent to think of any political dialogue until Pakistan stops sponsoring and supporting cross-border terrorism completely and dismantles the ISI-sponsored network in India and the training camps (for terrorists) in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.''

For the record, Mr. Advani did say that India was interested in friendship with Pakistan and that this would be in the best interests of both the countries and the world, but he made it abundantly clear that for this, cross-border terrorism must end first. "We insist cross-border terrorism must end... friendship is possible... but the terrorist network must be dismantled first,'' Mr. Advani said, making his point strongly even as he insisted that there were no differences between him and the Prime Minister on this important issue.

He also dismissed as "puerile'' the suggestion that he was not present in the Lok Sabha yesterday when the Prime Minister replied to the debate on the India-Pakistan developments as he was unhappy with the ongoing efforts to establish a dialogue with Pakistan.

A few days ago at the RSS-BJP-Sangh Parivar coordination conclave here the RSS had welcomed the peace initiative, but today Mr. Madhav himself referred to Mr. Advani's morning speech at the BJP office to justify the new and tough approach: no talks till cross-border terrorism stops.

The RSS also insisted that if and when a dialogue does take place between the two countries the crucial issue of Kashmir must be addressed, and this meant that the agenda must relate to the parliamentary resolution of 1994. The RSS today also very firmly ruled out any agreement on accepting the Line of Control in Kashmir as the international border. "The only outstanding issue between the two countries is the status of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir which should return to India.''

Contrary to the Government stand that all bilateral issues must be addressed simultaneously (as against the Pakistan stand that Kashmir, the core issue, must be addressed first), the RSS spokesperson today suggested that without addressing the Kashmir question no substantial progress could be made on any other issue. In fact he was asked whether this stance was not closer to the Pakistan view rather than the Indian approach. His answer was, of course, no. But he said: "Without resolving the Kashmir issue a political relationship cannot be established with Pakistan."

It would seem that the RSS is now finding the timing of the Vajpayee peace initiative too uncomfortable as it came just before the scheduled high profile visit of the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, Richard Armitage, to the sub-continent (his visit to Pakistan has ended and he is scheduled to be here tonight). In a reference to this, the RSS spokesperson said: "There is beeline of foreign dignitaries visiting... India will always play a good host... however, we have to keep in mind they are indirectly trying to give an impression to the world that they are involved in the efforts to resolve the Indo-Pak dispute.'' In fact, he blamed the "very same external forces'' for "perpetuating the dispute for the last five decades.''

The RSS said it wanted neither mediators nor facilitators, in an obvious reference to Mr. Armitage's suggestion that the U.S. could perhaps facilitate a dialogue between India and Pakistan. The aggression and passion with which Mr. Advani spoke and the stance of the RSS were completely negative towards the peace attempt, but the remarks were punctuated with approval of the Prime Minister, especially his remark that the Government will remain very cautious towards Pakistan.

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Adjourned