Answer: No, I don’t think so. I watched the press conference and I don’tthink there was any attempt...I did not detect any attempt to be prescriptive. I am sorry, I looked very hard.But I did not see any attempt to be prescriptive. I think there is a clear focus here on the crucialissue of the agenda, the war against terrorism and the fact that we have to rid our region of terrorism andthat it is only when we are rid of that evil scourge that peace and development can be consolidated. Ithink that was a clear message.
Question: You said that you did not detect any prescription in SecretaryPowell’s comments. But he mentioned about the political prisoners…
Answer: Well, let me say that this issue was not raised in the bilateraldiscussion first of all. Neither was the issue of political prisoners raised during the discussion at anylevel. So that’s what I mean. I am looking at the whole picture here and the stress was on the elections inJammu and Kashmir being free and fair and their being held in an atmosphere free of violence. Of courseholding free and fair elections it was naturally recognized would be the responsibility of the Government ofIndia. But the elections to be free of violence, the responsibility for ensuring that they are free ofviolence and terrorism is Pakistan’s.
Question: By saying that freeing of political prisoners would help ensure freeand fair elections in Jammu and Kashmir don’t you think that Secretary Powell is prescribing us?
Answer: No, I don’t think so. He has expressed a certain point of view. Allmembers of the international community are entitled to expressing their point on the given situation andspecific issues. The United States is fully aware in its dialogue with India of the fact that we are ademocracy, we are a vibrant democracy, that we have allowed a full play of different voices in any democraticprocess in this country. Let me also mention that people who act against the law, people who violate the lawsof this country, people who act against the national interest of this country, the arm of the law will reachout to them and action will be taken against them and the United States just as India is a law abidingcountry. It fully recognizes how laws work and the fact that offenders against the law will be brought tojustice.
Question: He mentioned about the political prisoners issue in his pressconference. Did we seek any clarifications from him in the subsequent discussions?
Answer: Well, the discussions were wide ranging. We were able to discuss as Imentioned a whole gamut of issues and I think at the end of today’s discussions, today’s meetings theimpression that both sides gave was positive, there was a constructive mood, a willingness to understandIndia’s legitimate concerns, our position that violence and terrorism and infiltration must end and aboveall let me also place this in a wider context, in a larger picture, both sides were clearly determined toexpand the range and content of India-US relations, the dialogue on various issues, whether it is strategicdialogue, whether it is discussions to promote economic and commercial and business interactions, whether itis a dialogue on energy, whether it is a dialogue on counter terrorism, whether it is on military to militarycooperation. So please look at the
whole picture here.
Question: Do you accept the formulation that there are political prisoners?
Answer: I would not like to stray into that area first of all. Idon’t believe we recognise or accept the term political prisoners in the way you are using it, you areusing it in the sense that this is a regime or this is a country that some how curbs ...
Question: (interruption) I am not using it…
Answer: NO, no. You are asking me to recognize whether there is.. I don’t think that is a fair question atall. You are referring to what Mr. Powell said in his press conference. I am saying that this issue was not atall raised in our discussions. That’s what I am saying.
Question: In spite of that do you accept his comments made in a press conferenceduring a visit?
Answer: Well, our effort has been, our focus has been on making United States geta fully composite picture of the efforts being made to restore peace and normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir, of thegreat threat that we face from Pakistani aided forces and Pakistani policies to foment violence and terrorismin our region, the fact that Pakistan has aided and abetted forces within Jammu and Kashmir that have ananti-national agenda, that are on the sides of the forces of terrorism, that have indulged in activitiesthat clearly contravene internationally accepted conventions about not accepting terrorist funds, notindulging in business or contacts with terrorist organizations. So when you talk of political prisoners youare talking of people who have attracted the adverse attention of our laws for the very reason that they haveindulged in these activities against the Indian state, against the Indian people and who are complicit in
involvement in terrorism and terrorist activity.
Question: President Musharraf has said that infiltration has stopped. It is nottaking place. What India is saying is baseless and I don’t have anything to do because I have done it already. What is your comment?
Answer: Well, I would not like to be un-diplomatic in my reaction to that. Let mesay that it’s a terminological inexactitude and the fact is that infiltration continues, that we areconcerned about spurts in infiltration over the last few weeks. We have conveyed this in our discussions withSecretary Powell and apart from that our friends in the international community also recognize the factthat infiltration has not ended.
Question: How do you assess Secretary Powell’s visit?
Answer: I told you that his visit was extremely positive and constructive and itwas a very good visit.
Question: Government itself has said, some Ministers have said that all theelections in Jammu and Kashmir so far has been rigged. Now the ruling Government is saying that it
will be free and fair elections. ….
Answer: Look the focus is now on holding elections in Jammu and Kashmir. Theapproach of the Indian Government and the Jammu and Kashmir Government to these elections is to ensure thatthey are free and fair, that every effort is made to set the stage for free and fair elections, to ensure theparticipation of the widest possible spectrum of
opinion within Jammu and Kashmir, to create an atmosphere free of fear and intimidation so that the people ofJammu and Kashmir can come out and exercise their franchise. This is the focus. I am not going to dwell on thepast. We have had a long tradition of expression of democratic choice in Jammu and Kashmir from the early1950s onwards and if you are asking me to go into a dissection of each and every electoral campaign orelection that has taken place in Jammu and Kashmir I don’t think that can the subject of my briefing today.
Question: There is a clear understanding between India and the US thatIndia-Pakistan issue should not come between India-US relations. Don’t you think some difference on thisissue could affect India-US relations?
Answer: No, and may I address all of you in the media, you tend to look at theseissues through the prism of India-Pakistan relations. Let me say that India-US relations exist independentlyand are not circumscribed by India-Pakistan relations and that is the central message and the centralfocus of what we have sought convey today.
Question:Powell did not raise the issue of political prisoners publicly, are yousuggesting that?
Answer: No, I am not suggesting that. He did make the statement inthe press conference. But what I am saying is that the issue did not figure in the discussions between ourleaders.
Question: Do you think we will raise this issue later,..
Answer: The remark on political prisoners was made in the context of the overallsituation about creating an atmosphere that would be conducive for the holding of free and fair elections He expressed a certain point of view. Now countries like individuals have certainpoints of view. We can agree to or disagree on certain issues. That is the benchmark of maturity in arelationship. We do not agree or we may not agree with his definitions of certain factors in theJammu and Kashmir issue. We can agree to disagree. But that does not mean that we would not conduct a maturedialogue as equals, as partners, between our two countries as two democracies.
Question: But normally visitors do not interfere in internal affairs. It couldset precedence?
Answer: Well, on every occasion as we have said before we are prepared to discussthese issues on a one on one basis with the countries concerned. We will convey to them our point ofview, our legitimate point of view on these issues and every effort is made to ensure and to persuade ourinterlocutors about the genuineness of our position on these issues and if he had raised this issue with usduring the discussion there would have been very frank dialogue, there would be a very forthright approach toinforming the US side about where we stood on this issue and why certain persons have attracted action underour laws because they have gone against the laws of this country, they have acted against the nationalinterest and they have traffic with terrorist forces.
Question: Did he talk about a new formula to monitor infiltration?
Answer: No, not at all.
Question: Cross border terrorism has been the center of India-Pakistan, India-USrelations. But today Colin Powell stressed that dialogue between India and Pakistan and free and fairelections in Jammu and Kashmir were two things, which will help reduce the tensions and normalizeIndia-Pakistan relations at this point. Any comments?
Answer: We have never said or never abjured the possibility of dialogue betweenIndia and Pakistan. We have always said it is only through dialogue that we can resolve the outstanding issues between our two countries. But not in the current situation where we face the threat ofcross border terrorism, when we are faced with continuing infiltration, when we face the daily threat ofviolence fomented, aided and assisted by Pakistan. It is necessary for Pakistan to take permanent action toend this violence and infiltration before we can consider the possibility of resuming dialogue with them.