Author: Pioneer News Service
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: August 1, 2009
URL: http://www.dailypioneer.com/192998/Krishna-reels-under-BJP-assault.html
Monumental lapse, India becoming subordinate
ally to US: Jaitley
The Opposition on Friday grilled the Government
in the Rajya Sabha on the India-Pakistan joint statement. It said it was a
"monumental lapse" and the nation was becoming a "subordinate
ally" of the US.
Trying to wriggle out, the Government said
it was not possible to hold a dialogue with Pakistan in an atmosphere vitiated
by violence or its threat. Replying to the debate on the working of his Ministry,
External Affairs Minister SM Krishna said this stand was encapsulated in the
joint statement. He also said India "cannot and will not" be oblivious
to the continued threat of terrorism emanating from Islamabad.
Facing a strident attack from Leader of Opposition
Arun Jaitley, who termed the de-linking of dialogue from terror in the July
16 joint statement "a monumental lapse", the Minister said the statement
reflected that "any meaningful dialogue with Pakistan can only follow
the fulfilment of the commitments not to allow their territory for use by
terrorists against India."
Krishna also tried to deflect Jaitley's charge
that the Government has eased the pressure on Pakistan to act against terror.
It had told Pakistan in no uncertain terms that Islamabad must act against
perpetrators of the Mumbai and other attacks.
Appealing to members not to give credence
to what was being talked about the joint statement, Krishna said, "We
are united against terrorism. But we will continue the consistent policy towards
Pakistan, which includes dialogue in the steps we take."
The Minister preferred to read from a prepared
text while answering the points raised by the members, who urged him to reply
to their specific queries. But Krishna did not relent and went on to read
his answer for more than an hour.
Jaitley said the Government was now trying
to put forward an argument that it was carrying on the policy followed by
then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee with regards to improving relations
with Pakistan. However, the Government cannot make Vajpayee the "shield"
for its lapses and reverse India's consistent stand on Pakistan, the BJP leader
said. Manmohan Singh has brought India to a position of weakness from strength,
he added.
Jaitley said Singh reversed the process set
into motion by his predecessor, as highlighted in the January 6, 2004, joint
statement after Vajpayee and President Pervez Musharaf's talks, which said
terrorism must be prevented to take forward dialogue and Pakistan would not
permit its territory to support terrorism.
He said de-linking action on terrorism from
composite dialogue "completely destroys the Vajpayee line... Praise for
him cannot shield Prime Minister from the monumental lapses". On Wednesday,
the Prime Minister had described Vajpayee as a "statesman" and said
he shared his vision and frustration while dealing with Pakistan.
Citing a couplet in Urdu, Jaitley said "Muddaii
ban ke gaye, Mudda alaeha ban ke loutey". Translating, he said India
went to Sharm-el-Sheikh as a complainant, being the victim of terrorism, but
came back with the "stigma" of Balochistan.
Criticising the Government, the Leader of
Opposition said the Prime Minister on July 17 insisted that the "starting
point" of any meaningful dialogue with Pakistan is its fulfilment not
to allow its territory for terrorist activities against India. However, on
July 29, the Prime Minister stated that it would be impossible for any Government
in India to work towards "full normalisation" of relations with
Pakistan unless it fulfils its commitment not to allow its territory to be
used for terrorist activities, he added.
"The condition not to allow its territory
to be used for terrorist activities against India is now only for full normalisation
of relations and no longer for starting a composite dialogue with Pakistan...
The joint declaration at Sharm-el Sheikh means irrespective of there being
no action against terror, the dialogue can start," Jaitley said.
He said international relations were governed
by joint statements and the agreed texts. He claimed the Government was now
trying to say 'I mean what I wanted to mean' and quoted Alice in Wonderland
in the context of reference to Balochistan in the joint statement. "So,
the Government of India and the Prime Minister's stand now is, "I mean
what I wanted to mean, and not what the language really says." When Alice
asked Humpty, Dumpty, "How can clear words mean differently?", Humpty,Dumpty
said, "It depends on who is the master, the word or me."
He then went to say the Government was now
trying to say it had only two options available and it was either dialogue
or war. "The moment the Prime Minister limits his options to dialogue
or war, he brings India to a position of weakness because the other alternative
is war. And, when you come down to a position of weakness and start negotiating,
it is dialogue irrespective of terror," Jaitley said.
The CPI(M) joined the BJP in attacking the
Government on its foreign policy and its leader Sitaram Yechury said the Government
under US pressure issued the July 16 joint statement. He refused to buy the
argument that it was a case of bad drafting and claimed the statement was
the result of a "muddled mind".
Charging that India was now becoming a subordinate
ally of the US, Yechury said the Balochistan reference in the statement also
came about due to US pressure and now it would lead to a new bone of contention
between India and Pakistan. He questioned the Government on the recent end-user
agreement signed between India and the US for defence equipment and said it
was a security threat and would jeopardise the sovereignity of the country.
Krishna, however, said all Governments have
arrangements to ensure that defence-related weapons and equipment that were
transferred did not fall into wrong hands and were only for legitimate use.
The agreement provides for "joint consultations on modalities and in
no way compromises our sovereignty or limits our sovereign choice of whether,
where and what weapons we choose to buy for our national defence", he
said. The Minister also said successive Governments had entered into such
arrangements with supplier States, including the US.
