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Interview of Prime Minister of India, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee with Asharq Alawsat’s Amir Taheri Part I and Part II
By Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee
Part I
Pakistan will make every effort to disrupt the Kashmir elections'
Talking to the Arab media for the first time, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee granted a wide-ranging interview to Asharq Alawsat's Amir Taheri on August 27.
The interview, which covered issues ranging from the dispute with Pakistan to the whereabouts of the Al Qaeda terrorists, was conducted at the Prime Minister's official residence. Excerpts:
Q: Mr Prime Minister, permit me to begin by thanking you for granting your first ever interview with the Arab media to Asharq Alawsat. This gives our readers in the Arab world and in the broader Muslim world, an opportunity to hear your views directly.
A: India is fully aware of the importance of its Muslim community and the contribution it has made to the debate within Islam. Ever since Independence, India has established and developed numerous ties with Muslim states. Today, our bilateral relations with all Muslim countries could be described as rich and strong. It is only with our neighbour Pakistan that we have some problems. But that is a bilateral issue that need not affect India's relations with the broader Muslim world. Let me recall that India has always maintained a strong and principled position on the issue of Palestine. We have called for justice for the Palestinians, and were among the first to support the creation of an independent and free state of Palestine. Of course, you might say that more can be done, and I agree. This is why our government attaches special importance to developing richer and deeper ties with all Muslim countries.
Q: When you were first sworn in as Prime Minister of India in 1996, you promised radical change that would put the country on a new course. Since then, you have become the only leader after Pandit Nehru to serve as India's Prime Minister for three consecutive terms. Looking back over the past years, would you say that your government has succeeded in reshaping India's domestic and foreign policies?
A: In a country like India, there cannot be any radical shaping of policies in a short time. This is especially true about India's foreign policy, which has, right from the time of our Independence in 1947, stood on the strong foundation of consensus and continuity. This does not mean that our foreign policy is cast in an unchanging mould. It is a dynamic policy which has always responded to the changing needs of regional and global developments. In the last four-and-a-half years that our government has been in office, we have tried to add some new dimensions to our foreign policy — such as the "Look East Policy" that seeks to strengthen India's ties with countries in Southeast and East Asia; a "New Silk Route Initiative" to expand our relations with countries in Central Asia, and, of course, our efforts to constantly deepen our ties with friendly countries around the world, including those in the Arab world. On the domestic front, the reshaping of policies has been more pronounced, economic reforms have accelerated over the past four-and-a-half years. Our economy is steadily strengthening. It is successfully gearing itself up to face the challenges of globalisation, as we enter the second generation of our reform process. Indeed, in some sectors, such as information technology, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, auto components etc., India's prowess has come to be recognised globally. Even our farm sector has a strong global focus today. Besides making India self-sufficient, our farmers have succeeded in exporting foodgrains and other agricultural products to more than 25 countries around the world.