Author:
Publication: The Asian Age
Date: March 19, 2001
Maintaining its usual hardline approach
on Kashmir, the RSS on Sunday asked the Vajpayee government to destroy
terrorist training camps in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir even it means war
with Pakistan.
"Why should we be afraid of war,"
RSS spokesperson M.G. Vaidya told reporters at the concluding day of the
three-day national general council meeting of the organisation. The RSS
has adopted a resolution on Jammu and Kashmir urging government to start
a dialogue with all groups in Kashmir.
The resolution said that government
should talk to all the outfits which were ready for peace in the troubled
state. Mr Vaidya said that the outfits include the Hurriyat Conference.
"Though the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha has no reason to doubt the
government's assessment of the situation, it would like to emphasise that
the ceasefire is not an end in itself," said the resolution, calling for
a dialogue but dealing firmly with insurgent groups.
"A dialogue should be initiated
with those party interested in peace while terrorists should be dealt with
iron hand," said Mr Vaidya, adding that the security forces were tied up.
"They are on the defensive. The armed forces are fighting a war they are
not allowed to win," he said.
The resolution said that security
forces should be given a free hand in dealing with the terrorists group,
including the destruction of the terrorist training centres in POK. When
told that crossing LoC would lead to war, Mr Vaidya said: "It may be a
war, it may not be a war... Let us be prepared for a war. Why should we
be afraid of a war?"
On the possibility of a nuclear
strike by Pakistan, he said, "Why should we be blackmailed when we also
have nuke arsenal. They should be equally afraid." The RSS spokesperson
said that Pakistan had no role to play in resolving the Kashmir dispute.
"Pakistan's role is only external.
We have a dispute with Pakistan which has to be resolved under Simla Agreement.
As far as situation in the Valley is concerned, Pakistan has no role,"
he said. Mr Vaidya said that there was no problem in Hurriyat leaders going
to Pakistan. The government has also said that it will allow Hurriyat leaders
to visit Pakistan.
"But who should go is the prerogative
of the government," he said. The RSS general council has also set up a
three-member committee led by Jitendra Vir Gupta, former chief justice
of the Punjab and Haryana high court, to examine the Kashmir problem in
detail and make recommendations within two months.
Apart from the resolution on Jammu
and Kashmir, the RSS passed two more resolutions, including one expressing
grave concern over the "recent spate of violent disturbances in different
parts of the country" in the wake of the alleged burning of the Quran in
Delhi.
Alleging that "pro-Pakistan elements
wanted to test their strength through these riots," Mr Vaidya asked the
Centre and states to curb "violent machinations of extremist Muslim groups."
In another resolution, the RSS meeting also urged Parliament to honour
popular sentiment by banning cow slaughter throughout the country, stopping
meat export and ending subsidies to meat exports and meat export enterprises.
