The Hindu : I offered friendship despite infiltration, says PM

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 30, 2003

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I offered friendship despite infiltration, says PM

By Amit Baruah

BERLIN MAY 29. "I hope my political initiative will inspire action to end cross-border terrorism and to dismantle the infrastructure of support to it," the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, said last night about his peace moves with regard to Pakistan.

Addressing German parliamentarians, he said: "But, even while we continue to deal with our specific problem of cross-border terrorism, I have extended a hand of friendship to Pakistan in the hope that it may initiate a process leading to peace, friendship and cooperation between our two countries."

His statement is, perhaps, the most direct that he has made in recent weeks — rejecting the previous condition of non-contact with Pakistan until cross-border terrorism ends. Now, he has said that even while India faces the problem of cross-border terrorism, he had offered the hand of friendship to Islamabad once again.

While saying that India had suffered both from terrorism and the consequences of "double standards" applied by countries to deal with terrorism in different places, Mr. Vajpayee said he encouraged "friends and partners" (in the international community) to help bring this menace to an end.

He argued that the twin lessons of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks were that global terrorism needed a global answer and that there could be no negotiation with terrorism. "As partners in the international coalition against terrorism, India and Germany should recognise that our success against terrorism will depend on how well we have learnt this lesson."

Addressing a constituency that has often spoken of its concerns about human rights and the inability of the Government to tackle communal violence in Gujarat, the Prime Minister said: "We have preserved the multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-religious fabric of our society within a constitutional, democratic and federal framework. Our system institutionalises fundamental freedoms, human rights and the rule of law."

"We have regularly changed governments through a peaceful, non-violent expression of popular will. As I look around at the functioning of real and sham democracies around the world, I sometimes feel the enormity of India's achievements in this direction is not fully appreciated." Mr. Vajpayee said that recent global developments had pointed to the need to evolve a cooperative, multipolar world order, which would promote the ethic of pluralism and consensus, protecting the legitimate interests and aspirations of its constituent elements.

"We are happy that the United Nations Security Council has reached unanimous agreement on the manner of moving forward in Iraq, and an important role for the U.N. and its organisations. I believe that the recent events have again underlined that the United Nations and its organisations need to be made more reflective of modern political realities... "

Referring to India's economic liberalisation, he said the reform process had to face conflicting interests and demands within political parties, unions, civil society as well as Parliament and Government.

"We have followed the patient process of trying to reconcile the various competing interests, and to move forward in a manner more conducive to equitable economic development and social justice.

"It may not be a very rapid process but it does make for greater stability. I think you have also experienced this process in decision-making in Europe. I should inform you that my coalition Government has nearly as many parties as the number of countries the European Union would have, after its expansion," he added.

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