| Delhi, July 06, 2002 |
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| Autonomy,
trifurcation for J&K not acceptable:Advani |
NEW DELHI, July 6:
In a strong message to the ruling National Conference in Jammu and Kashmir, Deputy Prime Minister L K
Advani has said that the autonomy demand having separatist undertones will never be accepted.
"The autonomy demand having separatist undertones will never be tolerated... It is liable to be
rejected," Mr Advani said in an interview to the RSS-mouthpiece "Panchjanya".
He also sternly dismissed the demand for restoration of pre-1953 position in the State saying it would
never be accepted.
"The demand for restoration of pre-1953 position will never be considered... We do talk about Article
370 but there is Article 371 and sixth schedule of the Constitution also," Mr Advani said. "The
autonomy is not a big deal but I would prefer to use the expression decentralisation of power rather than
autonomy."
Mr Advani, who is also the Home Minister, said mere debate on the autonomy issue was no cause for concern.
"These demands rose from time to time... The Sarkaria Commission, which recommended more powers to
the states, was constituted because of such demands."
He, however, suggested decentralisation of power as the requirement for the moment.
The Deputy Prime Minister made it clear that decentralisation of powers would also be in favour of
Jammu and Laddakh divisions and it could not be limited to the Valley only. "I have told this to
Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah also." Rejecting outright the demand for trifurcation of Jammu and
Kashmir, Mr Advani said it would be a blunder, if accepted.
"We always consider the entire Jammu and Kashmir as an integral part of India and will see that it
remains like this," he asserted.
Asked about the disenchantment of the people of Jammu and Ladakh regions with the State Government and the
subsequent demand of separate states, Mr Advani said, "We are concerned about them."
He, however, sought to dismiss the demand for division and warned that "if we allow Pakistan to
succeed in its design in the name of a solution, then it will be a folly."
The only solution to the Kashmir problem was good governance, free and fair elections and flushing out of
the terrorists from there, the Deputy Prime Minister said.
Asked if the centre would try to bring separatist groups into the political mainstream, Mr Advani
categorically stated, "we are prepared to talk but there will be no compromise.’’
To a question, Mr Advani said that he had "no faith" in Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and
that India would do whatever is necessary if he failed to end cross-border terrorism.
"I have no faith in President Musharraf but I have confidence in our foreign policy and our
capability to make the world realise that if a country is propagating terrorism, the international opinion
should be very clear about it," he said.
Asked what would happen if Pakistan does not mend its ways, Advani said "we will do whatever has to
be done. This is not announced before hand".
Recalling the Agra summit in July last year, the DPM said that Musharraf was adamant on not accepting the
fact that there was terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and described it as a ‘freedom struggle’.
But when it was pointed out to him that killing of women and children could not be termed as freedom
struggle, Advani said, Musharraf maintained that in any freedom struggle, innocents were killed. But by
the time of Almaty security summit last month, he had to change his stand because of international
pressure and India’s efforts, he said.
Advani asserted that return of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley would be a test of India’s anti-terrorism
drive in the State.
To a question as to how he perceived his elevation as DPM, Advani said it would certainly strengthen his
position to take decisions.
Earlier, he said he used to do certain things because he enjoyed the confidence of Prime Minister Atal
Bihari Vajpayee and the party.
"But after the Prime Minister’s decision to elevate me, such confidence has been formalised,"
he said.
Advani said there used to be talk from time to time that he had a position in BJP but not in the ruling
NDA. "That is why the Prime Minister initiated the process of consulting NDA constituents over his
elevation which I think was good...This will benefit me".
Advani said he had recently told a television channel that there was a propaganda by some quarters that
there were differences between him and Vajpayee and that there were two different power centres in the
Government.
"To put an end to this talk, Vajpayee decided to formally designate me as DPM but for quite some time
before elevating me, he never talked to me about it," Advani said.
It was on inquiry that he found that the Prime Minister had thought about the move in the third week of
April and then asked NDA convener George Fernandes to gauge the response of the supporting parties, the
DPM said.
"While the consultations were on, one of the constituents through someone conveyed to me that this
was being considered and then I learnt about it.
"I was told about it for the first time on June 24 when Vajpayee was going to Lucknow and after a
meeting (with Vajpayee), the Prime Minister said that he had to make the announcement about me apparently
thinking I was in the know of the move," he said.
Advani said he conveyed to the Prime Minister that he could make the announcement whenever he wanted
including at the time of the July one Cabinet reshuffle. "But perhaps Fernandes told the Prime
Minister that this should be done before the reshuffle".
The changes in the Government and the party were considered at the Goa BJP national executive which met
after the defeat of the party in the recent Assembly elections as also tarnishing of its image following
the communal violence in Gujarat.
"The reshuffle that has been brought about is radical, particularly swapping of portfolios by Jaswant
Singh and Yashwant Sinha and my own elevation."
On the significance of NDA constituents giving their approval to his becoming DPM despite the image of his
being a hardline Hindutva protagonist, a Rathyatri and one close to the Sangh Parivar, he said, "if a
person has a certain line of thinking, it will have its limitations.
"In 1996, when I announced the name of Vajpayee for Prime Ministership, it was not because he was
senior to me or had more experience but because I felt that in a country like India, he would be more
acceptable," Advani said.
Defending Hindutva, the DPM said BJP’s definition of the concept was in a way approved by a decision of
the Supreme Court and even senior Congress leaders Vasant Sathe had recently observed that there could be
nothing better than the country accepting definition of Hindutva as propounded by Veer Savarkar."
(AGENCIES) |
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| Delhi, July 06, 2002 |
|
|
| Autonomy,
trifurcation for J&K not acceptable:Advani |
NEW DELHI, July 6:
In a strong message to the ruling National Conference in Jammu and Kashmir, Deputy Prime Minister L K
Advani has said that the autonomy demand having separatist undertones will never be accepted.
"The autonomy demand having separatist undertones will never be tolerated... It is liable to be
rejected," Mr Advani said in an interview to the RSS-mouthpiece "Panchjanya".
He also sternly dismissed the demand for restoration of pre-1953 position in the State saying it would
never be accepted.
"The demand for restoration of pre-1953 position will never be considered... We do talk about Article
370 but there is Article 371 and sixth schedule of the Constitution also," Mr Advani said. "The
autonomy is not a big deal but I would prefer to use the expression decentralisation of power rather than
autonomy."
Mr Advani, who is also the Home Minister, said mere debate on the autonomy issue was no cause for concern.
"These demands rose from time to time... The Sarkaria Commission, which recommended more powers to
the states, was constituted because of such demands."
He, however, suggested decentralisation of power as the requirement for the moment.
The Deputy Prime Minister made it clear that decentralisation of powers would also be in favour of
Jammu and Laddakh divisions and it could not be limited to the Valley only. "I have told this to
Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah also." Rejecting outright the demand for trifurcation of Jammu and
Kashmir, Mr Advani said it would be a blunder, if accepted.
"We always consider the entire Jammu and Kashmir as an integral part of India and will see that it
remains like this," he asserted.
Asked about the disenchantment of the people of Jammu and Ladakh regions with the State Government and the
subsequent demand of separate states, Mr Advani said, "We are concerned about them."
He, however, sought to dismiss the demand for division and warned that "if we allow Pakistan to
succeed in its design in the name of a solution, then it will be a folly."
The only solution to the Kashmir problem was good governance, free and fair elections and flushing out of
the terrorists from there, the Deputy Prime Minister said.
Asked if the centre would try to bring separatist groups into the political mainstream, Mr Advani
categorically stated, "we are prepared to talk but there will be no compromise.’’
To a question, Mr Advani said that he had "no faith" in Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and
that India would do whatever is necessary if he failed to end cross-border terrorism.
"I have no faith in President Musharraf but I have confidence in our foreign policy and our
capability to make the world realise that if a country is propagating terrorism, the international opinion
should be very clear about it," he said.
Asked what would happen if Pakistan does not mend its ways, Advani said "we will do whatever has to
be done. This is not announced before hand".
Recalling the Agra summit in July last year, the DPM said that Musharraf was adamant on not accepting the
fact that there was terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and described it as a ‘freedom struggle’.
But when it was pointed out to him that killing of women and children could not be termed as freedom
struggle, Advani said, Musharraf maintained that in any freedom struggle, innocents were killed. But by
the time of Almaty security summit last month, he had to change his stand because of international
pressure and India’s efforts, he said.
Advani asserted that return of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley would be a test of India’s anti-terrorism
drive in the State.
To a question as to how he perceived his elevation as DPM, Advani said it would certainly strengthen his
position to take decisions.
Earlier, he said he used to do certain things because he enjoyed the confidence of Prime Minister Atal
Bihari Vajpayee and the party.
"But after the Prime Minister’s decision to elevate me, such confidence has been formalised,"
he said.
Advani said there used to be talk from time to time that he had a position in BJP but not in the ruling
NDA. "That is why the Prime Minister initiated the process of consulting NDA constituents over his
elevation which I think was good...This will benefit me".
Advani said he had recently told a television channel that there was a propaganda by some quarters that
there were differences between him and Vajpayee and that there were two different power centres in the
Government.
"To put an end to this talk, Vajpayee decided to formally designate me as DPM but for quite some time
before elevating me, he never talked to me about it," Advani said.
It was on inquiry that he found that the Prime Minister had thought about the move in the third week of
April and then asked NDA convener George Fernandes to gauge the response of the supporting parties, the
DPM said.
"While the consultations were on, one of the constituents through someone conveyed to me that this
was being considered and then I learnt about it.
"I was told about it for the first time on June 24 when Vajpayee was going to Lucknow and after a
meeting (with Vajpayee), the Prime Minister said that he had to make the announcement about me apparently
thinking I was in the know of the move," he said.
Advani said he conveyed to the Prime Minister that he could make the announcement whenever he wanted
including at the time of the July one Cabinet reshuffle. "But perhaps Fernandes told the Prime
Minister that this should be done before the reshuffle".
The changes in the Government and the party were considered at the Goa BJP national executive which met
after the defeat of the party in the recent Assembly elections as also tarnishing of its image following
the communal violence in Gujarat.
"The reshuffle that has been brought about is radical, particularly swapping of portfolios by Jaswant
Singh and Yashwant Sinha and my own elevation."
On the significance of NDA constituents giving their approval to his becoming DPM despite the image of his
being a hardline Hindutva protagonist, a Rathyatri and one close to the Sangh Parivar, he said, "if a
person has a certain line of thinking, it will have its limitations.
"In 1996, when I announced the name of Vajpayee for Prime Ministership, it was not because he was
senior to me or had more experience but because I felt that in a country like India, he would be more
acceptable," Advani said.
Defending Hindutva, the DPM said BJP’s definition of the concept was in a way approved by a decision of
the Supreme Court and even senior Congress leaders Vasant Sathe had recently observed that there could be
nothing better than the country accepting definition of Hindutva as propounded by Veer Savarkar."
(AGENCIES) |
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|
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