New Delhi, July 29
The Vajpayee government is deeply upset by US Secretary of State Colin Powell’s remarks over Jammu and Kashmir at his press conference here yesterday. The government will take up the matter with Washington.
Well-placed sources here said the Indian leadership was stung by the fact that Mr Powell chose to make “uncalled for” remarks before he met Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani and PM’s Principal Secretary Brajesh Mishra.
Mr Powell’s controversial remark was: “We look forward to concrete steps by India to foster Kashmiri confidence in the election process. Permitting independent observers and freeing political prisoners would be helpful.”
But astonishingly, Mr Powell did not raise the issues of “independent observers” for J&K elections and freeing “political prisoners” at his meetings with the PM, Deputy PM and Mr Brajesh Mishra.
It is understood that the Vajpayee government will take up the matter with the US Ambassador here, Mr Robert D Blackwill. Despite a brave front being maintained by the Foreign Office, the fact is that the government is taken aback and hurt by Mr Powell’s remarks.
In fact, what Mr Powell talked about with the Indian leadership here yesterday was the need for resumption of dialogue with Pakistan. The specific suggestion that came from Mr Powell was that, to begin with, India could start talks with Pakistan at the Foreign Secretary level.
India rejected the American suggestion, saying that conditions were not yet conducive for such a dialogue.
Meanwhile, major political parties today criticised US Scretary of State Colin Powell’s description of Jammu and Kashmir being on the international agenda and his suggestion of allowing international observers during the Assembly elections in the state.
While the Congress said Mr Powell’s observations were “unacceptable”, Bharatiya Janata Party President M. Venkaiah Naidu asked the USA to act honestly, consistently and firmly to make Pakistan behave in accordance with international law and shed its double-faced attitude in dealing with the issue
of terrorism.
AICC’s Foreign Affairs Department Chairman K. Natwar Singh disagreed with the US Secretary of State, saying that it was not in keeping with the present friendly relations between India and the USA.
“It is unacceptable to us.... We would like the government to make a statement in both Houses of Parliament to clarify and comment on the observations made by Mr Powell”, Mr Natwar Singh told newspersons and added that the Congress had similarly taken exception to former US President Bill Clinton’s statement in Indian Parliament two years ago that “Kashmir is disputed territory”.
Asked if Mr Powell’s statement was due to the NDA government lacking a Kashmir policy, the Congress leader said Kashmir is a national issue and not an issue of a particular government.
“There are no two or three policies on Kashmir. The Congress has no different policy on Kashmir than the Government of India. There is only one policy on Kashmir and the Congress is giving broad support to the government for the past three years”, he said while welcoming the government’s rejection of Mr Powell’s suggestion on international observers.
In a statement here, the BJP President rejected Mr Powell’s suggestion that India should allow international observers to monitor the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, saying that this was an “interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign country like India, whose democratic credentials are recognised internationally.”
“The only role which the international community, especially the United States, shall play at the present moment is to prevail upon Pakistan to immediately end its policy of cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of India,” he said.
Mr Naidu said it was well known that Pakistan-sponsored terrorist organisations were doing everything they could to prevent free and fair elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
Commending the Vajpayee government for turning down the American suggestion by reminding Mr Powell that India had five decades of well-tested traditions of holding free and fair elections, he said the US Administration knew what was happening in Pakistan and the region.
The Left parties also took strong exception to the US Secretary of State’s description of Kashmir being on the “international agenda”, blaming the Vajpayee government for allowing Washington to acquire a “foothold in our affairs”.
While the Communist Party of India (Marxist) described Mr Powell’s remarks as “direct interference” in the affairs of Kashmir, the Communist Party of India (CPI) said India should not allow “outsiders” to monitor the forthcoming Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir as suggested by the US Secretary of State.
Reacting to Mr Powell’s “almost peremptory demand” that Kashmir was on the international agenda and that India should allow foreign observers to monitor the poll, the party Central Secretariat said it showed “the price that India is now expected to pay for soliciting the help of the US Administration in its stand-off with Pakistan”.
