Author: Onkar Singh in New Delhi
Publication: Rediff on Net
Date: January 16, 2004
URL: http://www.rediff.com/news/2004/jan/16pak2.htm
Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand
Advani fears a demographic invasion by Pakistanis who come to India with
valid travel documents but then dissolve among the Indian nationals.
"We need to put this to an end.
The Intelligence Bureau, in close coordination with the state police forces,
detected over 231 foreigners, including some Pakistani nationals, in different
parts of the country. Also, over 200 ISI modules have been detected and
destroyed," he told the Internal Security Conference of Chief Secretaries
and Director Generals of Police in Vigyan Bhavan in Delhi on Friday.
He lauded the Intelligence Bureau
for meeting the challenges on the internal security front and its role
in containing terrorist activities.
He described 2003 as a satisfying
year for the Indian government recalling Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's
visit to Jammu and Kashmir in April 2003 after successfully holding free,
fair and transparent assembly elections in 2002.
"In his public address in Srinagar,
Vajpayee had said that he would like to extend the hand of friendship to
Pakistan for the last time. The latter responded positively. This was followed
by confidence building measures and stoppage of shelling in villages on
the international border and on the Line of Control (in J&K). During
the SAARC Summit, Pakistan vowed not to allow its territory or any territory
occupied by it for terrorist activities against India. This is a significant
achievement.
"The government has always been
open to the resolution of conflicts through dialogue and peaceful means.
It was in this spirit that the Centre invited the Hurriyat for talks. I
hope they would make sincere efforts to end the era of violence in J&K,"
Advani said.
He praised Bhutan for forcibly evicting
anti-India militants from its soil. "This was the result of the government's
constant efforts at the diplomatic level with the king of Bhutan. I hope
this development would make the insurgents groups in the Northeast come
forward to resolve outstanding issues by non-violent means, within the
frame work of the constitution," he said.
The National Socialist Council of
Nagalim (I-M) would be holding the next round of talks with the Centre
on the Naga issue in Delhi in March 2004.