Prime Minister Vajpayee's interview with Dawn, Pakistan Daily

July 12, 2001

Q. Where do you see India ten years from now?

I have no doubt that ten years from now, India will be a far more prosperous and developed nation with a higher quality of life for all her one billion plus citizens. Our greatest achievement in the five decades since our independence is that we have zealously preserved our democracy and pursued a path of self-reliant development. Democracy and development need each other and reinforce each other.  I am confident that our agenda of reforms will accelerate progress in eliminating poverty and reducing regional socioeconomic imbalances.

I would emphasize importance of peace in the region and cooperation with all our neighbours, to achieve more fully our developmental objectives. The fruits of peace and regional cooperation will  benefit India’s neighbours as much as they will benefit us.  Historical bonds and contemporary realities both call for India and Pakistan to become partners in this process, and help take the whole of South Asia from poverty and underdevelopment to collective prosperity and  development. I hope that the Summit talks between President Musharraf and me at Agra will herald such a new process of cooperation.  

Q. How much success have you had so far in your efforts to win a seat in the UN Security Council? What is India’s self-image as a member of the Security Council?

India’s view, which is widely shared among the large number of developing countries, is that the UN system should be reformed and restructured so as to represent current world realities. As you are aware discussions are taking place in appropriate forums on such reform. India is willing to take up the responsibility which devolves on it on account of its international standing and economic strength.

Q. India’s economy has been growing at a remarkable rate for over a decade now. To what factor or factors do you attribute this exceptional performance of the economy? The high level of human development? Attainment of technological expertise? Liberalisation? Adoption of market economy? Shift in emphasis from public sector to private enterprise? A combination of all these factors?

A combination of all these factors, and more. Since Independence we have built up a solid foundation of public sector enterprises in infrastructure and core areas of the economy, which helped us develop self reliance. This also has helped India’s private sector to blossom in subsequent decades. Since the ‘90s, we have adopted the agenda of reforms in response to both domestic needs and the imperatives of the dramatic changes in the global economy. These reforms have already begun to yield results. We have now set for ourselves a target of higher rate of growth – 8 per cent and more – in the coming years. We are confident of achieving it through a simultaneous focus on both the traditional sectors of our economy as well as new growth areas such as Information Technology, in which India has emerged as a global player.

Q. Some elements in Pakistan believe that India needs to have a friendly Pakistan on its borders to secure its economic gains and march ahead at a faster pace and that is why they say you have been trying to woo Pakistan with renewed vigour.  Your comments please.

I firmly believe that both India and Pakistan would greatly benefit from the establishment of good neighbourly relations between us.  Economic development, social justice, poverty alleviation and accessible facilities for heath care, education and shelter are legitimate aspirations for both countries

Q. Your political opponents accuse your party of destroying the secular foundations of India? Do you think they are justified?

I would like my friends in Pakistan and elsewhere to know that this is an absolute travesty of the truth. The BJP, the National Democratic Alliance and our Government are unequivocally committed to secularism. There has been a remarkable improvement in communal peace and harmony in the past three years. Minorities continue to enjoy complete and unrestricted religious freedom, as guaranteed in our secular Constitution.  Whenever some anti-social and extremist elements have indulged in unlawful acts – and such incidents have been an aberration and an exception -- the Government has acted firmly and impartially. This is why, our Government enjoys the goodwill of all the communities in India.

Q. What are your views on the role of Hindu religion in national politics?

Though Hindus constitute a majority of India’s population, India has consciously rejected theocracy and enshrined secularism as the foundational principle of our Constitution. This is because secularism is the soul of our civilisation and our nationhood. It is propounded by our ancient seers in the Sanskrit dictum “Sarva Dharma Samabhaav” -- All faiths deserve equal respect.

It is my belief that the Hindu religion incorporates secularism in its philosophy. India is a multi-faith nation and the adherents of all religions have equal rights and opportunities in all areas of national life.

Q.  Do you worry that tolerance as a social value is contracting in India? Is that why minorities in India are coming under increasing attacks? Christians, Muslims and Sikhs are the usual targets.

I do not agree with you that tolerance as a social value is contracting in India. Nor is it true that minorities in India are coming under increasing attacks. Do not go by the exaggerated and often baseless and politically motivated reports in some sections of the media.

Ours is a vast country, with many diversities. There are, indeed, marginal elements in all communities that seek to spread intolerance, discord and  tension. As a result, some aberrant and unfortunate incidents do take place from time to time. This is true for any country in the world. However, the ethos of a society should be judged not by the occurrence of such incidents, but by how decisively the society and the government react to, and deal with, them.

Q. Who in your opinion has profited the most and would continue to do so by the un-ending animosity between India and Pakistan?         

For India, I can categorically assert that we do not have any sentiment of animosity towards Pakistan.  Animosity between neighbours can definitely not benefit the people of either country.  We have always wanted a relationship of peace, friendship and cooperation so that both countries can devote their full resources for the betterment of the lives of their peoples.

Q. India is deepening its relations with the US. The US wants to contain China economically as well as strategically. Is India not becoming part of a larger hem in the Dragon design of Washington?

India does not subscribe to such fanciful theories and has never been a instrument of aggressive designs of other countries. We are in the process of forging closer ties with the United States based on shared values, interests and opportunities for the mutually beneficial cooperation. We also have a regular dialogue with China with which we are rapidly increasing bilateral cooperation in all areas. Neither our relations with United States nor those with China are in any way directed against any other country.

Q. India is a big defence spender. Its defence budget has been going up.  It has an ambitious nuclear programme, missile systems and wants to create a nuclear armed blue water navy. Who are these defence preparations against? Which threat India is trying to counter? China? Pakistan? China-Pakistan combine?

India’s defence expenditure and its nuclear and missile programme are based on a sober assessment of the security environment in which we find ourselves.  We are committed to a policy of ‘no first use’ of nuclear weapons and their non-use against non-nuclear weapon states.  We will, however, ensure that we maintain an appropriate level of defence preparedness and a minimum credible nuclear deterrent in response to our security environment.

Q. Has India done any exercise to find out how much the region as a whole would gain, economically, socially and politically if lasting peace is established in the South Asian subcontinent?

It does not require a genius to understand the significance of the political, economic and social dividends which peace in the South Asian subcontinent can deliver to all its citizens. As I said in my letter of invitation to President Musharraf, our common enemy is poverty which we can tackle best in an atmosphere of durable peace, stability and cooperative friendship.

Q. What are the areas where India and Pakistan can have agreements for durable peace in the region?  What, from your point of view, are the most nettlesome issues?

We would like to build trust and put in place a stable structure of cooperation, addressing all outstanding issues between us.  I believe a movement across the full range of our relations would provide for the welfare of the peoples of both countries.

Q. There is a general agreement among strategic analysts that if India had not tested nuclear devices in 1998, Pakistan would not have followed suit.  Why did your government decide to carry out the nuclear tests?

India’s nuclear test explosions in 1998 and subsequent announcements concerning our minimum nuclear deterrent were meant to remove destabilising ambiguities from our security environment.  What followed was not unexpected, but our decision was based on our national interests.

Q. Do you subscribe to the soothsayers’ forecast that India and Pakistan will have a nuclear showdown? If not, why do you rule out the possibility of a nuclear conflict?  If yes, what are you doing to avert that horrible possibility?

India follows a policy of no-first-use and expects the same level of responsibility from Pakistan.  I am convinced that the possibility of a nuclear exchange between our two countries can be ruled out.

Q. Do you think there can be a winnable nuclear war?

India has always held that nuclear weapons are not weapons of war. Their use in war will be a crime against humanity. Nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.

Q. What in your view is the most viable solution to the Kashmir problem? Independence? Plebiscite? Division? Status quo? War?

We have often reiterated our views on Jammu & Kashmir.  There is no need for me to dwell on it here. 

Q. How do you reconcile your Government’s position that Kashmir is part of the Indian Union with the fact that India itself took the problem to the UN and there are United Nations Security Council Resolutions defining this to be a dispute yet to be settled.

I might remind you that India approached the United Nations to vacate an aggression in Jammu & Kashmir.  History has overtaken and made totally irrelevant the UN processes on this matter.  In any case, as I have just said, there is no need for me to elaborate on our well-known views on this matter.

Q. Amnesty International and other reputed world bodies have documented human rights violations in Indian-controlled Kashmir.  There are widespread stories based on well-researched data of missing persons and innocent citizens being tortured and hounded by security forces.  Do you agree that Indian troops have committed excesses in Kashmir? 

Indian troops in Jammu & Kashmir have been valiantly fighting terrorist forces sponsored from across the border.  Despite operating in the most trying conditions, they have displayed exemplary restraint. Violent acts by terrorists, mostly foreign, have caused unspeakable suffering to the innocent civilian population. As is well known, our democratic institutions have effective mechanisms for safeguarding human rights and for punishing violations wherever they occur.