Author: Rashmee Z Ahmed
Publication: The Times of India
Date: October 14, 2002
India has reacted with shock to
news of a car bomb attack in the Indonesian tourist resort of Bali, amid
pointed comments urging the international community to end the practice
of "conflicting views on the issue of terrorism or its perception".
Appealing to the world community
to join together to rid the world of "the cancer" of religious extremism,
Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said in London early on Sunday that
"this terrorist incident, inspired by religious extremism, reminds us of
the common responsibility".
Mr Vajpayee's comments in London,
before he boarded a plane home at the end of his three-nation European
tour, came within hours of his explicit and strongly voiced criticism of
"Western double standard" on terrorism.
Commentators said Saturday's suspected
Al Qaida attack on Ball, which is home to a predominantly Hindu culture
in the world's most populous Muslim nation, Indonesia, appeared chillingly
to chime with Mr Vajpayee's own deeply felt reservations about the US-led,
UK backed so-called war on terror.
Late on Saturday, Vajpayee had said
in an otherwise relaxed and friendly speech to a glittering central London
crowd of 600 British Indian MPs, peers, industrialists and community leaders
that "the problem is Western countries see their own terrorism better and
do not see our terrorism as quite so serious".
Mr Vajpayee's criticism of the West
came even as he diplomatically described his discussions in most of the
places he had visited in the last six days-Cyprus, Den. mark and Britain-m
"successful" and "centred on the issue of terrorism".
He said his talks with his British
counterpart Tony Blair revealed "a happy convergence of views on most matters".
But commentators said it was significant
that despite India's diplomatic, officially gracious acceptance of British
and European Union condemnation of "cross-border terrorism", Mr Vajpayee
made his unqualified criticism of Western double standard in the heart
of the British capital, straight after an 80-minute meeting with Mr Blair.
