archive: 'Kargil is not BJP's poll issue but we are forced to talk about
'Kargil is not BJP's poll issue but we are forced to talk about
Posted by Ashok Chowgule (ashokvc@giasbm01.vsnl.net.in)
The Weekend Observer
July 24, 1999
Title: 'Kargil is not BJP's poll issue but we are forced to talk about
it' (Interview with Pramod Mahajan)
Author:
Publication: The Weekend Observer
Date: July 24, 1999
Senior BJP leader and information and Broadcasting Minister Pramod
Mahajan is of the view that the development within the Janata Dal and
the coming together of Samata Party, Lok Shakti and a faction of JD
will certainly help the BJP-led coalition in the post-election
scenario. He also believes that Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's
image coupled with Kargil victory will help party in securing a
comfortable majority to form a stable Government. Mahajan, in an
exclusive interview with Suresh Kumar Unnithan elucidated his party's
poll strategy.
Q: What are the prime issues you are going to project in your election
campaign Will you harp on Kargil conflict?
A: We strongly believe, Kargil is a national issue. And the success
in Kargil is a national success. If there are any lacunae, they are
national lacunae, national problems. So the vital important issue of
national security should not be subjected to mudslinging in the
election rhetorics. Having said so I can only say that the issue in
the election cannot be decided by a single party. Some times your
opponents compel you to answer some questions which you would not like
to make as an election issue. As far as we are concerned, it would
not be at the national interest to discuss the Kargil issue in glut to
reap electoral benefit. If the Congress puts up questions we are
prepared to answer. But I reiterate, Kargil is not our election
issue.
Q: Then what is your election issue?
A: Our election issue is not Kargil. But Kargil has showed us that
the system is vulnerable. We have won almost a war in Kargil. The
nation has passed through a war-like situation. And at this juncture
of the history while you are at the threshold of the twenty first
century you need a leader, who is tried and tested, to lead this
country into the next millennium. At this point of time there is only
one such leader the country can put faith in. He is Atal Bihari
Vajpayee.
Q: Whether you try to project Kargil as an election issue or not, the
Opposition has already started asking questions on it. How are you
going to counter them?
A: My only response to them is vinasha kaale vipareeta buddhi (at the
time of misfortune wrong ideas come to you). It is not a question of
countering anything, because we will fight elections on our own issues
and not on the issues which our opponents will like us to fight. If
our opponents raise some questions which are significant enough, we
will answer them. Otherwise, we will just ignore.
Q: But opposition parties argue that your Government's failure in the
defence front is responsible for the Kargil confrontation?
A: Nobody in the world will believe that. The Congress is demoralised
and frustrated at this juncture. They are sure of losing the coming
elections. So, naturally they have gone to the extent of blaming
Vajpayee for Kargil conflict when the entire world is castigating
Pakistan. Pakistanis are not blaming Vajpayee for the conflict. You
have won on all fronts - in the military and diplomatic fronts.
Everyone in the country is applauding the Government for handling the
Kargil situation so successfully. While the entire country and the
world are on one side, supporting Vajpayee in the Kargil issue, the
Congress is opposing him.
Q: But don't you feel the meeting between Foreign Minister Jaswant
Singh and Ms Albright in Singapore is a step towards
internationalisation of Kashmir issue?
A: I pity the Congress party for making such statements. If meeting a
foreign emissary becomes internationalisation of Kashmir or Kargil
issue, then you can never make any foreign visit. I pity a party,
which ruled the country for over four decades, making such
irresponsible comments that meeting a foreign emissary tantamounts to
internationalisation of Kashmir issue. Listen, who tried to make
Kashmir an international issue? Was it the BJP or the Congress? Who
took the issue to the United Nations? Who went to Tashkant?
To understand Kargil 1999, You have to study what happened in Kashmir
in 1947, 1965 and 1971.
Today everyone is talking about the Line of Control (LoC). How this
LoC came into existence? When Britishers left this country, they gave
us an international border. And that international border gave us the
entire Kashmir. The day, at the stroke of the midnight, when Pundit
Jawaharlal Nehru was' making his speech here, the first infiltrator
came into this country. Consequently, we lost one third of Kashmir to
Pakistan and the international border was converted to LoC. Remember,
Congress was in power at that time. we lost one third of Kashmir
because Nehru did not deploy armed forces at that time. Then he took
the issue to the United Nations. Here I am trying to give you two
different pictures on the issue. On the one side you have a Congress
Prime Minister, Nehru, during whose regime the first infiltrator
sneaked into the country. India lost one third of Kashmir which we
could not get back till date. International border became Line of
Control and the issue was taken to United Nations. This is how
Congress treated the issue. Now look at how Vajpayee handled the
Kargil issue. As the infiltrators step into our territory he
immediately opted for military operation. Within two months almost
all intruders are driven out. He gets support from all over the world
in the issue. Vajpayee expressed courage to say no to the US
President's invitation for talks on the issue. Remember at a time
when leaders from across the world wait at the door steps of the White
House to have an audience with the US President, Indian Prime Minister
Atal Bihari Vajpayee refused to accept his invitation for talks on
Kargil issue. So people of India know who compounded the Kashmir
issue and who handled the Kargil issue successfully.
Q: Is it true, the intrusion was going in Kargil sector even when
Vajpayee was preparing for his bus trip to Lahore?
A: These are unconfirmed allegations, so they don't deserve any
reply. Intrusion of various sorts are going on in the country for the
past 52 years. Some people have become president of some parties
also.
Q: Here let me ask you. Will you project Sonia Gandhi's foreign
origin as an issue in the coming poll campaigns?
A: Millions of Indians may be illiterate, but they are not ignorant.
At this juncture of the history they can't entrust the country to a
person who is neither tested nor trusted. In today's Indian politics
there is no alternative to Vajpayee. He enjoys the confidence of the
nation. People know his ability. People know the difference between
a leader and a reader (Sonia Gandhi mostly reads out speeches).
Q: How does BJP evaluate the recent reunion of Janata Dal parivar.
Some of your leaders have expressed their reservations about admitting
the JD into the NDA.
A: There are just speculations of the media. We are not worried
about the development. This reunification will benefit us,
particularly in Karnataka and Bihar. Last time also we gave Ramvilas
Paswan his seat. In fact we are unhappy that they should have taken
this decision three months ago, so that this election would not have
happened. What ever happened in Bihar has weakened Laloo in Bihar and
strengthened the Samata Party there. Of course there are some
intricacies in Karnataka, but that will be sorted out soon.
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