[BJP News]: J&K ours, will remain so: Jaswant Singh

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>vaidika1008 (AT) hotmail (DOT) com >[bJP News]: J&K; ours, will remain so:

Jaswant Singh >Thu, 12 Jul 2001 19:41:22 -0400 > >Title: J&K; ours, will

remain so: Jaswant Singh >Author: Pioneer News Service/New Delhi >Publication:

The Pioneer >July 13, 2001 > > India adroitly rejected Pakistan's view

that Kashmir was > the beginning and end of Indo-Pak engagement and firmly >

underlined that New Delhi will seek to explore a much > wider canvas during the

Vajpayee-Musharraf summit in > Agra. > > After a week-long barrage of tough

Kashmir-centric > rhetoric from Pakistan, External Affairs Minister Jaswant >

Singh made it clear that while Pakistan President Gen > Pervez Musharraf could

not see beyond Kashmir, for > India the issue was Jammu and Kashmir as a whole.

> > > > Mr Singh also rejected Pakistan's demand for a plebiscite in Kashmir

alongwith the contention > that the issue is the core dispute between India and

Pakistan. > > "Jammu and Kashmir is not the core issue," the Minister said at a

Press conference. "It is at the > core of Indian nationhood. India cannot

to denominational nationhood. We believe in > civic nationhood," he

added. > > Responding to a question on Pakistan's demand for a referendum in

Kashmir, the Minister said, > "The question of referendum simply does not

arise." He emphasized that the issue related not > just to the Kashmir Valley

but the entire State - Jammu, Ladakh and the northern areas illegally > ceded

by Pakistan to China. > > Mr Singh reiterated that the state of Jammu and

Kashmir is an integral part of India, as laid down > in the Constitution. "The

Constitution is non-negotiable," the Minister said. > > On Pakistan's reference

to the UN Resolution, Mr Singh said, "Jammu and Kashmir is not a > cause, it's a

consequence." He recalled that it was India which took the Kashmir issue to the

UN > first. "But Pakistan converted it into a bilateral issue. The UN

Resolution provides for a ceasefire, > followed by a period of truce, and

thereafter plebiscite. Because the first two were never fulfilled, > the third

could never be fulfilled," Mr Singh said. > > Taking the contention to

Pakistan's court, the Minister said, "If Pakistan wants to discuss Jammu > and

Kashmir, then cross-border terrorism is very much an issue there," the Minister

said, > implying that India would turn the heat on Pakistan over the issue

during the summit. > > "They say it (Kashmir) is the only issue. We think there

are several issues," Mr Singh said, > adding, "On several earlier occasions

India has not fought shy of talking about Kashmir. This time > too we will not

fight shy." > > On cross-border terrorism, Mr Singh said it was unambiguously a

major concern for India and > that this would be reiterated at the summit.

"Cross-border terrorism is very much an issue and is > a continuing concern. We

will continue to combat terrorism and it is our expectation that Pakistan > will

recognise it. But if it doesn't, we have no reason to discontinue our efforts."

> > Categorically ruling out Pakistan's interference in the Valley, Mr Singh

said, "The Valley alone is > not Kashmir. There is problem in the Srinagar

Valley but that is being internally addressed by our > interlocutor, Mr K C

Pant. The Valley by itself does not represent the State of Jammu and >

Kashmir." > > While such hardening of positions on either side of the border

gives an air of predictability to the > forthcoming summit, India is unwilling

to let the focus shift from the fact that dialogue in itself is a > positive

development for the region. "We are approaching the summit in the manner and

spirit in > which the invitation was extended. It is our expectation that

Pakistan will approach the summit in > the same manner and spirit," the

Minister said. > > Referring to the eight-point Composite Dialogue process, Mr

Singh said, "India will continue to > abide by it. Even Pakistan had agreed to

it. I'm astonished that Pakistan should now suggest > other issues are

peripheral." Stressing that India's priorities for talks are clear, in that

Jammu and > Kashmir is only "one of the components" of the Composite Dialogue,

Mr Singh said, "It is for > Pakistan to look at its priorities." > > The

Minister however clarified that if Gen Musharraf wants to discuss Kashmir

first, "We must not > get tied down by procedural matters." Asked whether focus

on Kashmir could be used by Gen > Musharraf to claim success at the summit, the

Minister said, "India is never reluctant to talk about > Jammu and Kashmir. How

Gen Musharraf presents it is his concern." > > Mr Singh expressed regret over

the manner in which Pakistan has responded to India's offer of > visas at

border checkposts. "We do not agree with Pakistan. We firmly believe that if

the people > of the two countries can travel to and fro, both sides will

benefit. This has been termed peripheral > but I cannot to the theory

that people are peripheral." > > Mr Singh said India was "disappointed" with

Pakistan for having brought in "extraneous elements" > to the

Vajpayee-Musharraf summit by inviting the Hurriyat for tea at the Pakistan High

> Commission in the Capital on July 14. > > Asked whether a Government

representative would be present at the tea, he said all due protocol > would be

observed. Protocol would demand Foreign Secretary or Chief Protocol Officer

presence > since the invitation to the tea has been extended by the Pakistan

High Commissioner. > > Asked to comment on composition of the Indian delegation

for the summit as opposed to the > Pakistani one, Mr Singh said, "It indicates

India's priorities at the talks. It is for Pakistan to decide > what priority

it attaches to the summit." > > Mr Singh ruled out discussions on the

Iran-India gas pipeline at the summit, saying it was a > bilateral issue

between India and Iran. "It is not subject to Pakistan's veto or concurrence,"

he > said. > > The Foreign Minister also said India was "deeply disturbed" over

the PoW issue. "Time and again > we taken up the issue with Pakistan. In Lahore,

we agreed that the two sides will depute a > Minister each to visit jails

holding PoWs. Unfortunately that Government (Nawaz Sharif's) is no > longer

there. But it's a humanitarian issue and we are deeply disturbed." He added:

"The Geneva > Convention can come into play only if Pakistan accepts there are

PoWs. So far, there has been > no acceptance." > > Whether the Agra summit will

hold relevance in the long run, the Minister said, "All agreements > reached are

between two countries, between two governments, not between two people. But if >

they are ignored, it's not good for international peace."

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