By
Zafarul-Islam Khan, IOL South Asia Correspondent
NEW
DELHI, Aug 16 (IslamOnline) - Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari
Vajpayee Thursday, August 15, 2002, acknowledged that India made
mistakes in Kashmir and was ready to correct them. He warned that
nobody would be allowed to disrupt the coming legislative assembly
polls in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) which, he claimed, would usher in
a new era for the people of the state.
Vajpayee
also declared that India will only hold talks with "elected"
leaders of Kashmir. Separatist leaders and outfits are often blamed
for not proving their representative character.
"Nobody
would be allowed to disrupt the polls," Vajpayee said while
addressing the nation from the ramparts of Delhi's historic Red Fort
on the country's 56th Independence Day.
Vajpayee
attacked Pakistan for the continuing "cross-border
terrorism", while Islamabad claimed to fight terrorism as part of
the international coalition. "This is double standard," he
remarked. "Pakistan wants to grab Kashmir through terrorism as it
did not succeed in wars," Vajpayee said in his 25-minute speech.
Vajpayee
reiterated that J&K was an integral part of India and would remain
so.
Indicating
that India is adamant to hold elections in J&K, Vajpayee said that
"the process of restoring peace and security in Jammu and Kashmir
has reached a decisive phase... dates for elections have been
declared... polls will be free and fair and nobody should have any
doubt."
"No
citizen in J&K should feel helpless... the entire country is with
you," he said, adding that the polls were an opportunity to usher
in an era of peace and development, and expressing the hope that polls
in J&K would create an atmosphere in which Kashmiri [Hindu]
pandits would be able to return home.
Vajpayee
conceded, perhaps for the first time by an Indian leader of stature,
that he would like to tell the people of the state that there had been
some mistakes and "we will correct them." But he made it
clear that the Indian government will talk only to those people who
get elected. Although his own government has rejected the idea more
than once, the Prime Minister said that "the question of granting
more autonomy to the state will be discussed." He also made it
clear that by "autonomy" he only means devolution of powers:
"Discussions will take place on the demand for more powers to the
state."
The
Prime Minister said that India did not consider Kashmir as "a
mere piece of land for us but a symbol of its policy of equal respect
for all religions and secularism."
Vajpayee
also briefly mentioned the anti-Muslim pogroms in Gujarat, engineered
by his own party which rules Gujarat. He termed the Gujarat events as
"unfortunate" and said that such incidents have no place in
civilized society. He added that minorities would be given protection
and equal status so that they could look forward for a better
tomorrow.
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Children selling Indian flags to motorists in
Mumbai
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He
said if Japan, destroyed in World War II, could become a major
economic power and the European countries be united, why could not
India and Pakistan resolve their differences through talks and united
fight the real enemy- poverty.
As
the nation celebrated its 56th Independence Day, thousands of Delhi
Police and other security personnel provided an impregnable security
cover, both from the air and on the ground, at the historic Red Fort
where the main function was held amid "heightened" threats
from terrorists to disrupt the celebration.
In
Srinagar, noted separatist leader and Democratic Freedom Party leader
Shabbir Ahmad Shah welcomed as "a bold move" Vajpayee’s
offer to rectify "mistakes" of the past in Jammu and Kashmir
and warned that the center should not commit any more mistakes and
show a flexible approach towards talks to resolve Kashmir issue.
Other
Indian leaders used the occasion to talk tough on Pakistan.
"Pakistan must completely change its hostile attitude towards
India and immediately stop aiding and abetting cross-border terrorism
if it wants a dialogue with New Delhi," said Defense Minister
George Fernandes.
Not
to be outdone, the current hawk, Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani,
termed Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's statement on the coming
Jammu and Kashmir elections, as a "warning" for New Delhi.
"Musharraf's statement is a warning for all of us. We should not
lower our guard in maintaining security in Jammu and Kashmir and in
successfully carrying out the democratic process in the state,"
Advani said
.
