'This Is Not Propaganda'

Ms. Rao: Good Afternoon ladies and gentlemen.


...The inaugural session of the 12th India-Iran Joint Commission has taken place in Hyderabad House thismorning. The Iranian Delegation was headed by Dr. Kamal Kharazzi, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic ofIran and our delegation is headed by the Hon’ble External Affairs Minister Shri Jaswant Singh.

... both countries have identified measures to strengthen their economic relations. A number of fields havebeen identified in this regard... particularly ... energy, railways, agriculture, small scale industries,information technology, petro-chemicals.

The Iranian Foreign Minister in his response again was most positive in his assessment of the state ofrelations, he also highlighted the potential areas of cooperation, especially the energy sector, informationtechnology besides transportation, textiles and railways.

As you know on the energy front feasibility studies are taking place on the question of the pipeline and inthe area of transportation there is the North-South Corridor which we had agreed upon between India, Iran andRussia and both Iran and India agreed on a need to work together to ensure that this route materializes at theearliest possible.

The Iranian Minister referred to it as the best route between India and Europe and once this corridor isopened the movement of goods would be greatly facilitated. In addition to this of course, the situation in theregion was discussed including developments in Afghanistan and the Iranian Minister referred to the fact thatIran has spared no effort to combat terrorism and to curb the global menace of drug trafficking and that hehoped that India and Iran would continue to enhance their cooperation in regard to helping in thereconstruction and rehabilitation of Afghanistan.

What about the terrorism in India?
They had a discussion on the current situation, the cross border terrorism that is faced by India. I think theIranian side fully understands the perspective that has been put forward by India given the fact that both ourcountries have a substantive dialogue in the field of countering terrorism, and is a security dialogue betweenthe two countries that has also been instituted. I believe meeting of this nature, especially, the meetingsthat has taken place today has enabled us to sensitize the Iranian side to our concerns and to the compulsionsthat govern our approach to the situation.

What is the progress of feasibility study because it has been going on for the last 7 years?
This is an ongoing process at the moment. The technical committees are meeting and they have had a couple ofmeetings and the Gas Authority of India on our side and their Iranian counterpart, they are dealing with thesituation. It is handled at the technical level at this moment.

Will the North-South Corridor pass through Pakistan?
It is between India, Iran and Russia and the operationalization of the corridor will become a reality oncecertain issues concerning the best possible means of operationalizing it are decided upon. So it is at thatstage at the moment. But there is political will to ensure that this goes through and so that economicrelations, relations in the field of trade and better economic tie-ups are ensured through bettertransportation.

Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has decided to step up diplomatic offensive against Pakistan. Does itentails sending of envoys to different countries also?
Obviously, when you talk of diplomatic offensive the prime thrust of any diplomatic offensive would besensitizing the world community to India’s very legitimate concerns about cross-border terrorism and thefact that we have had pain inflicted upon us for far too long in this regard and the world community has in asense been already made aware of India’s concerns in this regard following the attack on our Parliament onDecember 13 and now the Kaluchak Massacre on May 14. Obviously we see every need for further sensitizing theworld community to our concerns and effort will be made to interact with a number of countries at thediplomatic level, at the political level, in order that the world realizes the depth of the seriousness withwhich we view this problem.

There were some reports that Pakistan might move UN to defuse tensions with India and to resolve Kashmirissue based on the UN Resolution passed after the nuclear test in May 1998. What is India’s view on this?
We have seen those reports. That Resolution was a resolution passed in May 1998. But I think all of us need tofocus on the realities and the compulsions of the current situation. It was only a few months ago that the UNSecurity Council Resolution 1373 was passed and I think that is the prime area of focus here. We are engagedin a war against terrorism. We are fighting cross border terrorism, we are the victims of terrorism and ifthere is any reason for the world community to focus on this issue it is because of the fact that we face thisvery real threat and we are victims of this scourge. So let us not turn our vision into areas, which primarilyseek to deflect concern from this primary area of focus which is terrorism. This is all about terrorism.

Will this diplomatic offensive also include lobbying to persuade Pakistan to take actions according to theUN Security Council 1373?
I don’t want to go into details of the offensive steps that the Government will take. It is wiser to saythat we will leave no stone unturned to defend our interests and to persuade the world community about thelegitimacy of our concerns.

Do you have any response to the European Union Parliaments’ resolution on Gujarat?
Well, we are aware of the resolution and I think at every stage what the Government of India has made clear isthat we are prepared to discuss these issues face to face with a number of our foreign interlocutors. We hadexpressed a certain point of view about the discussion of these issues in public and in Parliament during the40 hour debate, our stand was made very clear. If such statements are made in public, of course, we would alsobe constrained to react to them in public and I believe that the world recognizes the efforts and thesincerity and the commitment with which we have sought to redress the situation in Gujarat and to ensure thatpeace and stability are restored and that no Indian citizen, regardless of whichever community he/she belongsto is discriminated against in any way.

Don’t you have any objection to the resolution?
Well, I think the members of the European Parliament if you heard, if you saw the debate that went on therewere a number of members of European Parliament who also spoke of the efforts being made by the Government ofIndia, by the Government of Gujarat to deal with the situation, who spoke about the strengths of ourdemocracy, of our self corrective processes and of the vigorous debate which is going on. So I think in asense the world is aware of the situation in this country and of the efforts that are being by the Governmentof India, by the Government of Gujarat to deal with that situation and the fact that there is a resilience andthat there are strengths in our democracy, that are unparalleled.

Don’t you think it is interference in our internal affairs?
I have tried to give you a perspective on how we approach this situation and with the European Parliamentobviously the resolution passed by the European Parliament on this issue goes into areas on which we haveexpressed our position in the past where we have of course stated our view, any attempt to inject a certainpoint of view into the internal political debate into this country is not something we exactly welcome. But asfar as the resolution passed by the European Parliament is concerned I think you must read it in the contextof the position that the Government of India has taken on this issue in the past and this continues to be ourperspective. We are prepared to discuss these issues in a fair manner with our interlocutors whether they aremembers of foreign Parliaments or whether they are diplomatic representatives of a country or whether they arepolitical leaders, India is prepared to discuss these issues. I think I would like to leave it at that.

Is this a different stand from what we have said earlier?
I don’t think it is different. I think we have the courage of our convictions and I think there was never atany moment, any doubt about the fact that we are prepared for discussion on this through channels which arenot media related channels. I would not call something that the European Parliament has said or something thatis being leaked to the media. There was a certain context in which those events took place and our reactionwas made. But the centrality of our argument and the points that we have made then will continue to be valid.I don’t think there is any resiling from that position. But I think that the world should realize that wehave a reasonable approach to this. This is not propaganda we are talking about; we are not seeking to lectureat countries on this issue. We are trying to inform the world community about India’s genuine conviction onthese matters and the fact of the resilience that is inbuilt into Indian democracy and the self-correctiveprocesses that are at work, the vigorous democratic debate among all sections of the citizenry, I think thisis what the world community needs to sit up and take note of.

So Gujarat is not an interference of our internal affairs?
It is an internal affair. There is no doubt about it. It is our internal affair. What happens in our countryis something our country has to deal with. I don’t think external prescriptions from any quarter of theworld community can help provide the medicine to handle the situation. We will heal ourselves ourselves.

Would you like to respond to the Pakistani statement to let an international security force monitor the LoC?
Again do I see an attempt to deflect attention away from the central point?! Pakistan has to deal with crossborder terrorism, the figures of infiltration have gone up. All evidence points to the fact that Pakistan’scomplicity, Pakistan’s involvement in aiding and abetting cross border terrorism continues to be a realityand until and unless Pakistan focuses on this and deals with it directly we are not going to see animprovement in the situation. So there is no point in seeking to deflect the attention away or talking aboutinvolving third parties. This is a matter for Pakistan to address directly, its involvement in this iscomplete and they are the ones who have to take action to address cross border terrorism and infiltration.

Will Indian diplomatic offensive be different from what it has taken before or done before?
Would you please define what the past diplomatic offensive ---

You talk of the sensitizing the world community…
I think you are talking of a very concerted, very intense campaign to sensitize world opinion and to bringbefore the world community, the enormity of the situation that we face as a consequence of terrorism that hasbeen inflicted, that has been directed against us by our neighbour – Pakistan.

There are reports of heavy shelling from both sides in the border area. What is the exact position?
I am sorry sir, you have to ask the Defence Ministry for a briefing on that. I do not brief on the situationalong the LoC or boundary. But I think if we are attacked or we are intimidated by Pakistan, surely we haveevery right to take steps to defend our interests and our security.

Any response to the UK’s statement to restrain?
Well, we are in touch with the Government of the UK as we are in touch with the Governments of other friendlycountries and they have been made fully aware to the enormity of the situation that we face and that we arefighting terror here, fighting terrorism and that it is the blood of innocent Indians, men, women and childrenthat is on the hands of these terrorists. Where have these terrorists come from? I don’t think you need toguess from where they have come from. They have come from Pakistan and there is Pakistan’s involvementwritten all over this. So India is entitled to take whatever necessary steps are called for to defend itsinterest.

Any details on Defence Policy Group (DPG) meeting from Washington?
No, I don’t have any details. The meeting begins tomorrow. It has not begun as yet. The Defence Secretaryhas gone and there are other senior officials of the Government also present in our delegation. This is thesecond meeting of the DPG. India-US relations in the Defence and security sphere have grown verysatisfactorily. You have seen from the various reports from the last few months. Since the last meeting of theDPG, we had the meetings of the Executive Steering Groups of the Army, Navy and Air Force and the discussionsin Washington tomorrow and day after will not only review the extent of cooperation so far, but also willdiscuss areas of possible cooperation in future.

Will they discuss about the next Joint Military exercises?
I don’t have details on that. The time-table for the future exercises are being discussed at the level ofservices. The DPG takes an overall view of the kind of cooperation that is taking place and looks at new areasof cooperation and this is about making policy and it’s not about specific functional details. Those arediscussed at the services level.

Are you satisfied with the international response to the terrorist attack in Jammu?
Answer: Well, a large number of countries have unequivocally condemned the attack in Jammu and have expressedtheir sympathy and fellow feeling for India at this juncture. I think there has been no doubt in anybody’smind about the gravity of the attack and about the heinous nature of the crime that has been committed and inthat sense certainly, the level of empathy and understanding, certainly encourages us to believe that theworld community is with India at this time.

Yet you still feel that you must sensitize the world community?
Absolutely.

Is there any time frame about our diplomatic offensive that by such time such thing should be completed…
Even if there was a timeline I am not going to tell you about it. (Smiles)

What is Iranian reaction of the terrorist attack in Jammu?
I mentioned that the Iranian side has been made fully aware of India’s concerns. There is understanding;Iran understands what the effects of terrorism are. The two countries interact quite closely on such issuesand events and meetings such as these especially so soon after the massacre at Jammu are extremely useful, Ithink they enable discussions to take place in a detailed, in depth manner. So what we have been able toconvey to Iran in a detailed and in an exhaustive manner is about the effects of terrorism and why India islegitimately concerned about it and how long we have suffered this and that we will not have further paininflicted upon us.