Author: Devesh Kumar
Publication: The Economic Times
Date: November 3, 2001
India's unease with the growing
US-Pakistan cooperation in an attempt to finish off the Taliban found its
echo in the BJP national executive meeting which began here this morning
amidst unprecedented security. Party president Jana Krishnamurthy, in his
introductory speech, had this piece of advise for the Bush administration:
'America should remember that elimination of terrorism by merely targeting
the Taliban will not provide the desired result if it does not come forward
to cooperate with India and other countries in rooting out the menace from
the other parts of the world.' Mr Krishnamurthy's remarks assume significance
when seen in the light of the 'Afghanistan first' stand taken by the US
and its allies. India's appeals that cross-border terrorism in J&K
should also be considered simultaneously has gone largely unheeded.
The BJP president toed the line
adopted by the Vajpayee government on the plea, made forcefully during
his trip to New Delhi early this week by the German Chancellor, Gerhard
Schroeder, as also Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, to resume peace
talks. 'How can Pakistan, or for that matter any other country, expect
India to respond to the request when Pakistan actively promotes cross-border
terrorism in India. If President Musharraf and Pakistan shed their claws
of terrorism, they'll find India extending its hand of friendship too,'
he said.
Cross-border terrorism took up a
large part of Mr Krishnamurthy's speech, confirming the indications that
the BJP may take up the themes of terrorism and national security in a
big way as it prepares for the crucial UP election as well as what promises,
to be a tussle with its opponents in Parliament. He urged the opposition
parties not to allow party or partisan interests to come in the way of
fighting out the challenge posed by the terrorists.
