Author:
Publication: The Navhind Times,
Panaji, Goa
Date: July 19, 2001
Sharp differences over use of words
like "dispute", "cross border terrorism" and "freedom struggle" in relation
to Jammu and Kashmir were among the factors that led to a deadlock at the
Vajpayee-Musharraf summit in Agra, highly placed sources said tonight.
Pakistan President, Gen Pervez Musharraf's
meeting with Hurriyat leaders and his televised breakfast meeting with
Indian editors added to vitiating the atmosphere, they said giving details
about the reasons that led to the stalemate.
The two things which really "hurt"
India were Gen Musharraf's meeting with Hurriyat leaders and the televised
meeting with editors where the visiting dignitary attacked New Delhi on
the host's soil.
"The telecast of the meeting caught
the Indian government unawares hurting its sentiments and what added to
the insult was Gen Musharraf's insistence on Kashmir," sources said.
At one point of time India agreed
to give topmost priority to Kashmir in the proposed joint declaration while
making the confidence building measures the second important point.
But when Pakistan refused to accept
inclusion of the phrase cross-border terrorism, India objected to signing
the document.
What was all the more objectionable
was Islamabad insisting there should be a rider that this is all agreed
subject to and dependent upon the "movement" in Kashmir, the sources said.
The sources said though Gen Musharraf agreed at the breakfast meeting with
editors to accept Kashmir as an "issue" and not as a "dispute", at the
time of drafting the declaration the Pakistan leader insisted on using
the word "dispute".
On the phrase "cross border terrorism",
Gen Musharraf was not prepared to accept it saying that what was taking
place in the valley was a "freedom struggle".
Another road block was Gen Musharraf's
rider that till Kashmir issue was not resolved relations between the two
countries cannot be normalised, the sources said.
When Gen Musharraf asked Mr. Vajpayee
before leaving for Islamabad why Kashmir was a "taboo" for India, the Prime
Minister replied that if the Pakistan leader wanted to make Kashmir the
central issue, "then we would have to go back to the partition days."
Mr. Vajpayee told Gen Musharraf
despite the perception that the Pakistan President was the author of Kargil,
he was invited for a summit as India wanted peace "but you spoke of the
1971 Bangladesh war".
Refuting charges that the government
had not done any "home work" before the summit, the sources said all channels
were opened with Pakistan through the ministry of external affairs but
it seems Pakistan was not keen on making pre-summit preparations.