advani sees kashmir secession?

3 March 2010

YIELDING TO PAK'S TERROR POLICY?
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ADVANI SEES KASHMIR'S SECESSION

From Our Delhi Bureau

NEW DELHI: Veteran Bhartiya Janata Party leader Lal Krishna Advani created a big furore in the Lok Sabha, accusing the Manmohan Singh Government of preparing for a "clandestine" deal with Pakistan for secession of Kashmir in the garb of giving autonomy.

Describing the talk of autonomy as "nothing but a smokescreen for secession," he warned that even restoring Jammu and Kashmir's pre-1953 constitutional status would be "surrender, clear and simple." He went on to assert that "this has precisely been the aim and objective of Pakistan’s use of terror as state policy to achieve Kashmir’s secession."

The ruling benches protested and entered into a slanging match with the BJP members when Advani claimed "the government deliberately wants to say as little as possible on what it is doing, and what it is planning, with Pakistan." His suspicion of the hidden agenda on Kashmir comes from somewhat cavalier mention of readiness to explore a meaningful relationship with Pakistan in the President's address to Parliament on February 22, he asserted.

MASSIVE PROTEST: Participating in debate on motion of thanks for President's address, he asserted that the government's approach towards Pakistan is deeply flawed and warned the Prime Minister of "the greatest ever nationwide mass protest" in independent India if he makes "any deal that dilutes India’s already diluted sovereignty over Jammu and Kashmir – or any part thereof."

Referring to the resumed secretary-level talks with Pakistan even after February 12 Pune bomb blast that killed 17, he charged the government of making up mind to delink the issue of terrorism from the bilateral talks as also reflecting in July 2009 joint India-Pakistan statement issued at Sharm al-Sheikh.

He spoke about contradictory statements from the government after the Pune blast and wanted the Prime Minister to spell out explicitly what is exactly the government's strategy on the dialogue with Pakistan. Parliament has a right to know the Prime Minister’s mind on this vital issue, Advani said, stressing that he could see pulls and pressures from foreign quarters influencing both timings and direction of talks with Pakistan.

FLAWED BELIEFS: Advani asserted that the government's dominant thinking in this regard is guided by three beliefs and then went on to debunk each one as flawed:

-- Both India and Pakistan are equally victims of terrorism, and therefore need to cooperate;

-- Threat of terrorism comes from non-state actors in Pakistan. Therefore, continuation of talks with the Government of Pakistan should not be “bracketed” with the issue of terrorism; and

-- Solution to the instability in the Af-Pak region lies in solving the Kashmir problem. Therefore, India should be willing to discuss and settle Kashmir if it wants an end to the menace of terrorism.

Advani pointed out that the belief of terrorism as exclusively handiwork of non-state actors stands contradicted by India asking Pakistan only last Thursday to hand over two Pakistani Army officers, who are suspected to be involved in the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai.

He challenged the Prime Minister to confirm or deny that the two Pakistan Army officers so sought are Major Iqbal and Major Samir Ali and that the role of the first major is believed to have been revealed during the interrogation of US terror suspect David Headley. "If it is indeed true, then it knocks the bottom out of the theory that terrorism in India is only the handiwork of non-state actors in Pakistan."

The veteran BJP leader also asserted that it would be a sad day for India if the government accepted the argument that "road to peace in Kabul runs through Kashmir" which some quarters in Washington and Islamabad are assiduously pushing.

DEFENCE DEFICIT: Turning to India's defence preparedness, Advani said India must not remain excessively dependent on imports for our defence needs. India is currently on a $50-billion dollar push over five years to modernise its military and much of it will be spent on imports. "Apart from a drain on our precious national resources, it is also not good for our defence preparedness," he said. 

"Some of the countries from which we import defence systems, also supply arms to Pakistan. What an irony it is that we buy arms with our hard-earned money from countries that then provide arms as part of an aid and grants programme," he said and urged the government to take up defence indigenization on a war footing to become self-dependent.

Welcoming a proposed change of policy to empower the defence minister clear defence projects up to Rs 10000 million to put behind lapse of large sums of money every year, he wanted it not to dilute transparency and accountability. He also wanted this autonomy to the defence ministry be used to clear defence indigenization projects.

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