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The J N Dixit Chat

China, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the USA...Mr Dixit's opinions were very informative, very interesting, always conveying dimensions that we had not thought of before. Preserve the transcript.

Nikhil Lakshman (Fri Oct 11 19:55:54 1996 IST):

Good evening, Mr Dixit. It is wonderful to have you with us this evening.

Hi! Is Mr Dixit in?

How far India is safe from Pakistan? Do you think in the coming five years, India and Pakistan can go to war?

Hullo, Mr Dixit. What impact will the rise of the Taliban have on India? Will it spur Islamic fundamentalism?

Mr Dixit, do you feel that the Kashmir polls were a positive process? I think they were a farce propogated by the Indian government.

Hi folks!Thats a cheerful start to the evening's proceedings,Nidhi :-) Hello sir! and welcome !

Did you miss India when you were abroad? If yes, which places in particualr?

Mr.Dixit! U held Ambassodorships to such crucial countries as Afghanistan! Pakistan And Sri Lanka besides being the foriegn Secretary! Why is it that our foriegn policy in the neighbouhood and your legacy is in a pathetic mess!

IS MR DIXIT IN? PLEASE CINFIRM, REDIFF ON THE NET?

what is your opinion about china - pak nuclear transactions ? what is being done by indian government about it ?

Hello everybody,, It's good to be on the Rediff Chat

Mr.Dixit! U held Ambassodorships to such crucial countries as Afghanistan! Pakistan And Sri Lanka besides being the foriegn Secretary! Why is it that our foriegn policy in the neighbouhood and your legacy is in a pathetic mess!

IS MR DIXIT IN? PLEASE CINFIRM, REDIFF ON THE NET?

Mr Dixit, do you feel that the Kashmir polls were a positive process? I think they were a farce propogated by the Indian government.

Hi! Mani ! Are U going to discuss the book?

Hullo, sir. What would ytou say are the biggest challenges confronting India in the next decade?

Vagabond: The question is appropriate to your name if you don't misunderstand me. The foreign policy legacy of a country is a result its collective response to the challenges that it faces, despite all the difficulties and problems that India has faced, India has managed to safeguard its national interest. That is a sufficiently positive legacy. We are not in a mess, we keep facing difficulties as many countries do. I am not despondent or defensive about India's foreign policy postures.

Hi! Name Sake!

Do you think hung parliament will result in destabilization of India in near futures?

Mr Dixit, why does the US persistently turn a Nelson's eye to China's blatant nuclear and military assistance to Pakistan? One would have thought the Dulles progeny at the State Department would have come around to the belief that India, rather than China and Pakistan, makes a better friend in South Asia.

According to you, who was the best Amercian president for India?

Dinkar: We have been aware China-Pakistan collaboration on Pakistan's nuclear programmes both for peaceful purposes and weaponisation to some extent. Objectively speaking, both the countries cooperate with each other in this fare according to their interests. It certainly has negative implications for us in India. The government of India has taken appropriate steps to counter Pakistani nuclear aggresive postures. We have been mentioning our concerns to China. The ultimate safeguard is our being able to remedy any danger that China-Pak cooperation in this field may pose for us. I think we are alert to this necessity.

Good Evening Everybody!

Mr Dixit, if I am not mistaken, it was during your tenure as high commissioner in Colombo -- or proconsul as one friend remarked -- that we sent the IPKF to the island and with disastrous results. What provoked that misadventure? Would you consider that your worst folly in your career? Or did Rajiv disregard your advice? What could we have hoped to gain by the accord with Sri Lanka except incur the wrath of two peoples that have already claimed the life of one prime minister.

In the history of Independent India, which period do you think was most detrimental as far as the Indian foreign policy goes?

The Hardeep Puri?

In your book you have praised Mr Rao and conveyed an impression that he was a master of foreign policy. Which prime minister among all those you have interacted with had mastery over this brief?

Mr. Dixit! Immediately after your demitting office media was full of the reports that U left Foriegn Service an institution deeply devided! Not a well oiled machin! U played favourites among Officers! Every one who worked with u lande in Europe Or US or other plum posting! others roamed in the Corridors of South block! Without Work! Comments?

Was PV a better Prime Minister! or Fpriegn Minister? How did your relation ship with a comatose Dinesh Singh Work?

Mr. Secretary, what should be India's reaction to the ascent of power by the Taliban?

Tom Distaff: On all counts the elections in Kashmir are a positive development. It is a revival of the political process, which would be responsive to the aspirations of our citizens in Jammu and Kashmir. It is an effective answer to violence of the separatists; it is a counter to externally instigated terrorism; it affirms India's capacity to resolve domestic tensions by political means. The elections in Kashmir were not a farce; if the voting percentage was less than what it should have been, it was because of threats from terrorists. The point to be noted is that in spite of the threats, the people of J&K voted for both the parliamentary elections and to elect the state legislature. There is a democratically elected chief minister Farooq Abdullah in position. How can this be a farce unless your value judgement is due to lack of information or prejudiced, I do not know what it is.

Nidhi: The successes of Taliban in recent days is a critical development. They are a fanatically extremist religious organisation. They have been sponsored and supported by Pakistan; their approach to political stabilistion is violent and militarily oriented. Their track record after capturing Kabul has been frighteningly violative of human rights. Their victory is not complete. There would be a continuing civil war situation in Afghanistan. It will generate instability on our northern flank in the Central Asian region; it will create difficulties for us in establishing close relations with Central Asia. Therefore, the Taliban's role in Afghanistan in their present mood is not good for Afghanistan, India and even for Pakistan.

The state of affairs in Sri Lanka today seems truly depressing. Is partition of the country the only solution?

Sir! Does India have a serious Chance of getting The permanent Membership of the security Council? Why is it that 5 yers of economic liberalization and economic engagement with US not given India the same clout as China acquired in the decade of Four Mordenisations!

?

Mr. Secretary, do you think by refusing to sign the NPT, we are postponing the inevitable. Is it morally right on our part to refuse to sign this treaty? As we started out in the 50's to champion the cause for global peace and coexistence?

How potent is the Pakistani threat to India?

Ashish Ramunajum: The policy of India towards Sri Lanka between 1985 and 1989 including the despatch of the IPKF had only one objective: safeguarding the unity and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka while at the same time fulfilling all legitimate Tamil aspirations. The Indo-Sri Lanka agreement of 29 July 1987 was aimed at fulfilling this objective. The IPKF went on the invitation of the Sri Lankan government and with the concurrence of the Tamils to guarantee the agreement. Till today, no proposal from the Sri Lankan government or any other quarter guarantee the objectives which I have mentioned as effectively as the Rajiv Gandhi-Jayawardene initiative. The effort failed because both the Sri Lankan government and the Tamils under the influence of the LTTE betrayed the commitments which they made in the agreement. I do not consider it a folly in my career. I am ready to accept that one predicated the effort on trusting the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil militant group. Mr Rajiv Gandhi took advice from all of us who were involved in the Sri Lankan situation. His was a well considered policy based on goodwill for the well being of all the people of Sri Lanka. It was not the failure of policy but a manifestation of the unwisdom of the Sri Lankan power structure and the Tamil militant leadership.