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NEW DELHI, Aug 16: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, seeking to allay a lingering feeling of uncertainty over New Delhi's composite dialogue with Pakistan, said on Sunday that his commitment to pursue the process was both sincere and resolute.
In his Independence Day address from the heavily guarded ramparts of the 17th century Red Fort, Dr. Singh specifically referred to improving relations with Pakistan and China, signalling the foreign policy priorities of his United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.
"We have always been in favour of a purposive bilateral dialogue with Pakistan to resolve all outstanding issues. It is our intention to carry forward with firm resolve and sincerity the composite dialogue process with Pakistan," Dr. Singh said.
"The edifice of peace that we wish to build must stand on the twin pillars of mutual trust and confidence. Of course, trends of cross-border terrorism and violence make our task more difficult and complex," he added.
Dr. Singh, a professional economist, extolled the virtues of keeping the country's defence forces in fine fettle, but spoke of the need for all the regional countries to pool their resources to fight poverty.
"I assure our armed forces and security forces our unstinted support to their welfare and to the modernization of our defences. They have played an admirable role in the defence of our unity and integrity," Dr. Singh said.
But, he cautioned: "Even as we devote our attention to defence, we must pay heed to the needs of development. All our neighbours are, like us, developing countries whose priority will also have to be the improvement of the quality of life of their citizens.
"We are not only bound together by our common borders but also by our common destiny. The assurance of peace and prosperity in our neighbourhood is an important priority for us. Our Government will give the highest priority to building closer political, economic and cultural ties with all our neighbours."
CHINA: About India's relations with China, Dr. Singh said, the positive trends which commenced with former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's visit to China in 1988, had laid a sound basis for later trends in bilateral ties.
"We are committed to strengthening and expanding these relations. We shall carry forward the process of discussion to resolve the boundary question with political vision and a practical approach," he said.
Of course India also valued its friendship with all other nations, "big and small and we will seek closer economic relations with all countries". As a democratic country of more than a billion people India is destined to play a key role in world affairs, in structuring a just international order, Dr. Singh said.
However, the Indian leader's well-meaning ideas appeared to have had no effect on some of those who do not have many hopes from the India-Pakistan rapprochement.
"Our Indian experience is as old as 57 years. Even after this long experience if we do not fully understand the Indian approach to Kashmir problem and its intentions, then we are fools," insisted Syed Ali Shah Geelani, seen as a hard-line pro-freedom leader in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Mr Geelani, who has set up a new party - Tehreek Hurriyat-i- Jammu and Kashmir - with the blessings of Jamaat-i-Islami, said he had warned the All Parties Hurriyat Conference that their efforts at seeking a dialogue with New Delhi were futile.
"I would also make this prophecy that when the ongoing India- Pakistan dialogue reaches the stage of addressing Kashmir, India will show its thumb to Pakistan," Mr Geelani said. "My perception is that the farthest India will go on the Kashmir issue is a solution around the Line of Control."
