Author: Our Staff Reporter
Publication: The Hindu
Date: September 29, 2001
NEW DELHI, SEPT. 28. The U.S. did
not take the threat of terrorism seriously when India raised the issue
earlier, the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, said today. Addressing
the members of the Bharatiya Janata Party's Alpsankhyak Morcha - minority
front - at his residence, Mr. Vajpayee said he had, while addressing the
U.S. Congress last year, pointed out that terrorism operated in a different
way and ``does not recognise any boundary or religion... does not value
human life.''
However, the U.S. had not taken
the threat seriously then. At that time, it had given only ``sympathy and
nothing else to India... they probably thought India and Jammu and Kashmir
were far away, across the seven seas and they will be safe. But terrorism
does not recognise distance and you saw what happened on September 11,''
Mr. Vajpayee said.
``If those who are raising their
voice against terrorism today had spoken against the menace when India
had become its victim, the picture would have been different.''
It was a good sign that the U.S.
was now building up a global coalition against terrorism, which was a ``double-edged
sword.''
Reiterating that the war being waged
now was against terrorism and not Islam, Mr. Vajpayee appealed to the citizens
to be wary of elements which wanted to create communal disharmony in the
country.
The incidents of violence in Lucknow
on Friday, following the Centre's decision to ban the Students Islamic
Movement of India (SIMI), were unfortunate. If the members of the organisation
felt that the Centre had taken a wrong decision, they had the right to
go to court. ``This is democracy and not dictatorship. They can go to the
court if they are not satisfied... But, they should not have resorted to
violence,'' he said.
Speaking on the occasion, the prominent
Islamic thinker, Maulana Wahiduddin, said India could become a world power
if the Hindus and the Muslims lived in harmony.
Among others who participated in
the meeting were the Union Civil Aviation Minister, Mr. Shahnawaz Hussain
and the Vice-Chancellor
