02 January 2004	Friday	09 Ziqa'ad 1424

NEW DELHI, Jan 1: Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has said that the entire spectrum of mainstream political opinion in India is for peace, cooperation and friendship with Pakistan.

In a wide-ranging exclusive interview with Dawn at his residence here on Thursday, the Indian prime minister made it clear that not only his cabinet and the top leadership of his party, but also the entire mainstream political opinion was for peace, cooperation and friendship with Pakistan.

He was asked if other members of his cabinet and top leadership of his party shared his views on peace with Pakistan and his desire to keep it engaged in peace talks.

"The main question that is raised by critics of my peace initiative is whether it is getting - and will get in the future - a matching and sustained response from Pakistan," he added.

Mr Vajpayee said if such a response was forthcoming and if we could put violence, terrorism and hostility behind us, "I can see no obstacle to establishment of a climate of friendship and cordiality in which we can discuss and resolve all our outstanding bilateral issues, including Jammu and Kashmir."

In reply to a question, he referred to four factors which he thought were forcing Pakistan and India towards peace. "First and foremost, popular sentiments are overwhelmingly positive.

Second, the imperative of globalization dictates closer cooperation for a faster economic development. Third, in the post-cold war world, it is in our national interest to join hands in tackling the many common problems we face in our countries and with the outside world.

And finally, for how long do we want the world to look at India-Pakistan relations either as a threat to global peace or as a promising laboratory for new experiments in conflict resolution?" he elaborated. Mr Vajpayee said it was the tragic experience of the two countries which generated the feeling that efforts for peace and cooperation could not last.

"We have to draw sober conclusions from the lessons of our history," he said when asked if he shared the perception that given the history of relations between the two countries, this sudden round of goodwill almost scared one into thinking that it was too good to be true and that something will happen again to push us back.

When suggested that one hoped his third effort for peace between the two countries would bear fruit, Mr vajpayee repeated what he had already said on this matter earlier: "This is my last attempt."

When asked why he kept repeating this statement, he implied that he would not have the time to make a fourth attempt, referring perhaps to his age - he turned 79 last month.

When his comments were sought on the four-step plan of President Musharraf for resolving the Kashmir issue, he virtually rejected it by referring to the Simla agreement, which, he thought, clearly provided for the two countries to have bilateral dialogue for a "settlement" in Jammu and Kashmir. "In spite of our clear position on the status of Jammu and Kashmir, India has never shied away from a dialogue on the subject," he added.

What India had been saying all along, he said, was that the two countries should first establish political, economic, cultural and social relations, so that "we could approach our bilateral differences with a spirit of accommodation and compromise, rather than one of unremitting hostility."

However, he hastened to add that that did not mean brushing aside Jammu and Kashmir and other bilateral issues. "They will remain on the agenda. If we can discuss them with friendship and understanding - rather than suspicion and hostility - we are likely to find acceptable solutions much earlier."

When asked about the reasons for the failure of the Agra summit, Mr Vajpayee said the summit failed because Pakistan kept insisting on the centrality of the Kashmir issue and "we could not accept that". "For us other issues too needed to be discussed and Kashmir is one of the issues."

When asked about the agreed draft which Pakistanis believed was sabotaged by some elements in his cabinet, the Indian prime minister said the draft was written by the two foreign ministers, but it had not had the governmental approval and, therefore, it was not the final draft.

LoC FENCING: In reply to a question, Mr Vajpayee said the fence along the LoC was being erected as an operational requirement to stop cross-border infiltration. "There was no question of India trying to settle the issue of Jammu and Kashmir by building a fence along the Line of Control," he said.

It was suggested to Mr Vajpayee that in Pakistan the construction of the fence along the LoC was being perceived as an attempt by India to settle the Kashmir issue unilaterally as Islamabad believed that a fence was built only along recognized international borders and not along lines of control in a disputed territory.

"As you know, India does not recognize the Line of Control as an international boundary. As its name implies, it is the line up to which our two countries exercise actual control on our respective sides. It was delineated by a bilateral agreement in December 1972." he added.

When asked why after offering unconditional talks to Pakistan in Srinagar, his government was not ready to resume dialogues with Islamabad despite the announcement of confidence-building measures by both the countries, Mr Vajpayee implied that he was still concerned about what he called "terrorism," and said "we should build on the current momentum and on the recent positive developments in a constructive manner."

He said when he extended his hand of friendship to Pakistan in Srinagar, it was in the hope that the two countries could put behind them hostility and confrontation that had plagued their relations for so many decades. "Both countries have taken several positive steps since then," he maintained.

"These eight months have witnessed the ground swell of popular enthusiasm in the people of both our countries - parliamentarians and political workers, businessmen and professionals, artists and social activists - for a normal, peaceful and cooperative bilateral relationship. We should build on the momentum and on the recent positive developments in a constructive manner," he added.

TERRORISM: The Indian prime minister said he had frequently expressed his views on terrorism and on how conditions could be created for a sustained dialogue between the two countries. "I do not want to repeat them again, but I will say that a great opportunity exists, and political wisdom lies in grasping it."

When asked if the so-called cross-LoC infiltration was still happening after Pakistan's decision to implement a unilateral ceasefire and if so, what was its level and did he believe the fencing would ensure its complete elimination, Mr Vajpayee said it would of course help greatly in curbing infiltration. "The building of the fence is also meant to serve the same objective."

The Indian prime minister said the importance of the ceasefire was that infiltration could not take place any more under the cover of firing across the LoC.

When asked why India did not reciprocate with an equally high-profile confidence-building measure to Prime Minister Jamali's announcement of unilateral ceasefire, he implied that he would say something about it in Pakistan during his visit. "We welcomed the unilateral ceasefire."

HURRIYAT CONFERENCE: When asked about his government's reservations in holding talks with the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, Mr Vajpayee did not rule out the possibility of talks, but pointed out that the APHC was only one of the many players on the political scene in Jammu and Kashmir. "We have already offered dialogue to the APHC and we will move forward when they are ready for the next step," he added.

The Indian prime minister said other political parties and groups had been involved in a democratic process in the state. "About 15 months ago, these parties participated in the state elections, which were internationally acclaimed as free and fair.

The people of Jammu and Kashmir turned out to vote in large numbers, braving violence and intimidation. Their leaders also have an important role to play in the state," he maintained.

INDIAN MUSLIMS: Pointing out that India had the second largest Muslim population (150 million) after Indonesia in the world and Muslims constituted about 15 per cent of India's population today, he claimed that the Muslims had harmoniously integrated into the political, economic, cultural and social mainstream of India.

He was asked: "In the overall contest of Indian polity, how big or challenging is the problem of the integration of Indian Muslims into the political, economic and social mainstream? What do you think the Muslims need to do to be more active participants in governance or, conversely, what the majority needs to do to make Muslims feel more wanted?

In his answer Mr Vajpayee said Muslims lived in various states and regions of the country. "We have prominent Muslims in every field of national endeavour."

He said though frequent references were made to the Muslim population of Jammu and Kashmir, and particularly of the valley, "people do not realize that nearly 145 million of Indian Muslims live outside the state of Jammu and kashmir." All these were indications of the harmonious integration of Muslims into the political, economic, cultural and social mainstream of India, he asserted.

GAS PIPELINE: Mr Vajpayee almost rejected the proposed plans for gas pipelines going through Pakistan to India from Central Asia and by implication linked their construction to increased bilateral economic relations between India and Pakistan, saying that the Indian companies had invested billions of dollars in exploration and exploitation of oil and gas in countries as varied and as apart as Russia, Sudan, Syria, Iran and Vietnam.

Adding, he said, there were some explorations and finds off the Indian coast as well. He agreed that in view of the present growth rate of the Indian economy and its current development plans, India has a huge need for additional energy resources, but "the gas pipelines that you have mentioned cannot be considered in isolation from the overall context of economic and commercial cooperation between India and Pakistan."

In reply to a question regarding India's consistent refusal to allow a formal discussion on bilateral issues during the Saarc summits, he said one should heed the experience of successful multilateral and regional groupings around the world.

"Whenever a regional organization is formed, it is to exploit the synergies and complimentary strengths of its member states. This can create a collective entity more effective than the sum of its individual companies," he said.

On the other hand, he maintained, if the organization were to squander its energies in trying to deal with bilateral problems of its members, it would simply dilute its collective strength.

"Successful regional groups like the European Union and Asean have wisely followed the dictum that you should focus on issues that unite, rather than let bilateral differences dominate your agenda. This is the wisdom enshrined in the Saarc Charter, and I think it is fundamental to Saarc's successful functioning," he observed.