Author: Our political Bureau
Publication: The Economic Times
Date: January 19, 2002
Introduction: Says India needs hard
proof, not talk, for de-escalation
India today virtually compelled
the visiting US secretary of state Colin Powell to accede to India's stand
that Pakistan had to deliver on infiltration and the list of terrorists
before expecting any positive action from India. Wrapping up several hours
of discussions here today, the Mr Powell found himself repeating that Mr
Musharraf would have to take further action. "We will know," he said, "when
things stop happening over the line of control (LoC)."
In fact, if Mr Powell expected to
take back some "deliverables" from his visit, he had to content himself
with a fresh batch of "information" by India against the terrorists living
in Pakistan. This information, basically interrogation reports and intercepts,
were given to Pakistan and the US simultaneously. The Pakistan deputy high
commissioner was called in to the MEA today to be given the new evidence.
Mr Powell articulated his "fresh
ideas" to India, without much hope of them being accepted. Broadly, he
described them as a reduction in rhetoric, reversal of diplomatic sanctions
on Pakistan and military deescalation. Predictably, India rejected them
until Pakistan made the right moves to stop terrorism.
Mr Powell accepted that India could
not possibly de-escalate on the strength of a single speech by General
Musharraf, not when there was a history of mistrust between the two nations.
During his discussions, Mr Vajpayee stressed that Mr Musharraf's speech,
while crucial for internal reforms within Pakistan did not constitute the
basis for deescalation, for which India needed evidence on the ground.
Promising that India would respond fully, when such actions were taken,
Mr Vajpayee further cautioned that such dialogue, when it happened, should
not be held hostage to the Kashmir issue, as has been the case thus far.
This prompted Mr Powell to declare in a subsequent interview to a news
channel that subsequent indo-Pak dialogue could not be "Kashmir-centric."
The PM, focussing on the restoration
of confidence, stressed that Pakistan's action regarding the list of 20
"wanted terrorists and criminals" was a condition to positive action by
India. Although Jaswant Singh categorised it as "expectations" rather than
conditions, his definition of the "expectations" left no one in doubt that
India's moves would depend on Pakistan's actions.
