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India should launch diplomatic drive against 'multi-lateralising' issues, says Gujral

Former prime minister I K Gujral says India should launch a diplomatic initiative immediately to ensure that pending issues with Pakistan, including the situation arising out the conduct of nuclear tests in the two countries, are not multi-lateralised, but resolved through bilateral talks.

Addressing a press conference in Madras, he wanted the Government of India to launch the initiative within the next few days, as the conference of five nuclear powers, scheduled to be held in two days' time, and the June 12 G-8 conference would certainly discuss the situation arising out of the conduct of the nuclear tests by India and Pakistan.

Reiterating his stand that the security situation did not warrant the conduct of the nuclear tests, he said it was unfortunate that tension between the two countries had increased after Pokhran-II.

Stating that he was against whipping up of war hysteria in the country, Gujral said people in responsible posts of governance should not resort to rhetoric which would lead to a war psychosis. India has a leading role in world peace and this must be preserved at any cost, he added.

Gujral urged Prime Minister A B Vajpayee to convey to the world that India would be second to none in the denuclearisation programme.

He has to convey the point that India has no intention to conduct any more tests nor does it intend to use nuclear weapons in any manner whatsover and that India would continue to abide by the spirit of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, he added.

Referring to arguments in favour of weaponisation arising out of misplaced enthusiasm or rhetoric of chauvinism , he said it must be remembered that nuclear weapons were not weapons of war.

The world has not used these weapons after the horrors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Those advocating these weapons must see the films made on the two cities after the bombings. These weapons cause not only mass destruction but are against civilisation itself. We cannot reject this argument light-heartedly, he added.

Reiterating his stand that countries in the subcontinent should go in for more economic co-operation, he said: "When I was the prime minister, I had a meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharief and Bangladesh Prime Minister Hasina Wajed at Dhaka in January. We had finalised the proposal for making the SAARC an economic community like the European Community by 2001."

Gujral said creation of a SAARC community would be of immense benefit to the people living in the subcontinent.

He said he had already asked the prime minister to take the country into confidence on the political, economic and strategic fallout of the conduct of the nuclear tests.

Replying to another question, he concurred with the Union government's stand whether the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty would lead to complete denuclearisation, ban all types of testing and have any impact on the country's security interests. Certain portions will have to be renegotiated, he added.

Disclosing that United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan spoke to him over telephone two days ago to seek his opinion on the current situation, Gujral said he had sought the secretary general's help in ensuring that India and Pakistan discuss all pending issues only through forum other than bilateral talks. "I had told him that he would be serving the interests of South Asia and world peace if this was ensured," he added.

Replying to a question, he said experience during the last 50 years showed that any third party mediation between the two countries had been unsatisfactory.

Asked if acquisition of nuclear weapons would ensure deterrence between the two countries, he said nuclear weapons should be avoided at all costs. Both India and Pakistan could not afford to produce such weapons, he pointed out.

UNI

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