Another
diplomatic test for Vajpayee
From Hari Jaisingh
NEW DELHI, Sept 21
After the sweet-and-sour NAM summit at Durban, Prime
Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee faces yet another
diplomatic test in the swinging city of New York which
also houses the United Nations. He is scheduled to
address the UN General Assembly on September 24. This is
not viewed as a routine exercise.
Already, there is
speculation as well as political activity on the thrust
of his speech which will decide Indias diplomatic
divide, especially with regard to several sensitive
issues like the CTBT, global nuclear disarmament,
terrorism, Afghanistan, restructuring of the Security
Council and overall UN reforms and global
financial and economic issues.
The Congress does not want
Mr Vajpayee to make any policy departure on the CTBT. Nor
does it approve of any policy announcement on the subject
at the UN.
"Indian Parliament is
the right forum for the purpose. In any case, where is
the need for hurry? First, a national consensus has to be
evolved. Second, we must wait and watch how CTBT related
responses evolve", a veteran Congress leader told
me. The Prime Minister obviously cannot ignore domestic
compulsions on the subject.
Mr Vajpayee is not a
novice in the complex world of diplomacy. Nor is he a
stranger to the intricacies of the world, now dominated
by President Clintons United States of America. As
External Affairs Minister in the Janata Party government
in October, 1978, he addressed the UN Assembly in Hindi.
That was a swadeshi touch, though cast in the Nehruvian
mould. He has the reputation of being a suave, sober and
skilful statesman in diplomatic circles. He carries the
burden of continuity in Indias foreign policy with
certain shifts in emphasis.
More than his speech to
the UN Assembly, a lot of importance is being attached to
his scheduled meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif. The two leaders are slated to meet at Hotel New
York Palace soon after Mr Vajpayees arrival in New
York on Wednesday. The outcome of this subcontinental
summit on American soil will not only set the pace for
bilateral ties but also decide the US attitude towards
India and Pakistan.
The "package" of
understanding for the modalities of bilateral talks
between New Delhi and Islamabad has already been evolved.
This includes among other things
"confidence-building measures" and security,
and Jammu and Kashmir. The two Prime Ministers are
expected to put their seal of approval on the package and
set the ball rolling for the Foreign Secretary-level
dialogue.
At the UN Assembly, Mr
Nawaz Sharif is sure to play up the Kashmir issue in his
speech on Tuesday. It is not clear whether Mr Vajpayee
will hit back at Pakistan in his address. In recent years
at least two Indian leaders Mr Narasimha Rao and
Mr I.K. Gujral maintained a dignified silence and
refused to join issue with Pakistan.
"It is in
Indias interest not to overreact on Kashmir.
Silence on the subject will be the best bet for Indian
diplomacy", a former Indian diplomat told me. It is
surely a fact that Pakistani leaders feel both upset and
hurt if India refuses to react to Pakistani outbursts on
Kashmir.
Indian diplomats have
mostly been on the defensive on Kashmir though the Indian
stand from the day it took the matter to the UN has been
clear and categorical.
"What India lacks is
proper packaging of its diplomatic efforts. Your leaders
have to talk in an idiom the diplomats of other nations
understand", an India-watcher told me.
Mr Vajpayee is aware of
the pitfalls. He knows the handicaps. Today, he is a more
relaxed person than what he was before leaving for
Durban. This has been possible because of the easing of
internal pressures on the BJP-led coalition.
Mr Vajpayee is confident.
He evokes prompt attention even from his adversaries.
From what I understand, in his UN speech he will try to
revive global confidence in Indias commitment to
peace and development. The Mandela faux pas at Durban has
made the Foreign Office here more alive to the challenges
ahead.
"We talk from a
position of strength without buckling under pressure. We
are even ready to make concessions without jeopardising
the basic national interests. The aim is to evolve a
dynamic foreign policy with a degree of
flexibility", a veteran of South Block stated.
The very fact that Mr
Vajpayee has decided to spend as many as five days in New
York shows the importance India attaches to
person-to-person diplomacy among world leaders who will
be present for the annual session of the UN General
Assembly. The Indian Prime Ministers meeting with
the UN Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, is also on the
cards. A lot of significance is being attached to this
meeting in the light of certain adverse remarks on
Kashmir in the recent UN report. A number of meetings
with the non-resident Indians and different organisations
of the Indian community will also take place. Here the
idea seems to be to use vocal leaders of the Indian
community to act as the countrys unofficial
ambassadors.
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