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| FM Sushma disapproves PM Modi's policy towards Pak, Hurriyat | | Gilgit-Baltistan is Indian | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, June 7: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who remained out of scene for months together as Prime Minister Narendra Modi took upon himself the task of managing foreign policy matters, has started asserting her position and authority. On June 1, she declared that India would talk to Pakistan only if it stopped exporting terror to India. She also declared that India could hold bilateral discussions with Pakistan in case Pakistan behaved and overruled third party intervention. Besides, she showed the Hurriyat leaders their rightful place by saying that they were nobody. She, in fact, took a bold stand - bold because it didn't really fit in the scheme of things of PM Modi. Modi on May 30 had talked about some larger picture.
"There is a larger picture there. We have to respect the mandate of the people. It could either be an elected government or Governor's rule. In the latter option, we would have had total control, but that is not what we wanted. It is a fact that the ideologies of the two parties are very different, but people wanted us to work together in both Jammu and Kashmir regions. The alliance in the state is one of the most important developments on the political scene. It has the potential to resolve one of our most difficult national problems," he had told his interviewer. By larger picture, he meant something very serious. Perhaps, he hinted at some compromise formula on Jammu & Kashmir. Earlier on May 15, a top political functionary in Jammu & Kashmir had also talked about some "bigger objective, bigger picture and bigger canvas".
As said, Sushma Swaraj has started asserting her position and authority as External Affairs Minister. If on June 1, two days after the Modi's larger picture statement, she rejected the policy's characterization as "on-off" or "confused" and said: "Our policy's outlining guiding principles are - First, all issues can be resolved amicably through talks. Second, talks will only be held between the two nations without any third party intervention. Third, all this can only happen in a conducive atmosphere that includes action against perpetrators of terror", on June 2, her Foreign Office slammed Pakistani move to hold election in Gilgit-Baltistan on June 8, saying Gilgit-Baltistan was legitimately India.
"Empowerment and Self Government Order is an attempt by Pakistan to camouflage its forcible and illegal occupation of the regions," her External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said, and added that "India's position is well known and it is that the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir which includes the regions of Gilgit and Baltistan is an integral part of India". ''We are concerned at the continued efforts by Pakistan to deny the people of the region their political rights, and the efforts being made to absorb these territories. The fact that a Federal Minister of Pakistan is also the 'Governor' of Gilgit-Baltistan speaks for itself. Unfortunately in recent times the people of the region have also become victims of sectarian conflict, terrorism and extreme economic hardship due to Pakistan's occupationary policies," the Indian Foreign Office further said. Both Sushma and her foreign office continue to hold the position they took six days ago.
That Sushma Swaraj and her Foreign Office made these unambiguous statements on Pakistan, Hurriyat, Gilgit-Baltistan, possibility or otherwise of talks with Pakistan and the political and constitutional status of Jammu & Kashmir clearly suggested a change in the Indian foreign policy vis-à-vis Pakistan as well as Gilgit-Baltistan region. It is pertinent to mention here that BJP-led NDA Government had after September 2014 adopted a very soft approach towards Pakistan and the result was that all defence and strategic affairs experts in India had criticized Narendra Modi and repeatedly said that his policy was no different from that of his predecessor, Manmohan Singh. Modi was dismissed by them as a "weak Prime Minister". They expressed the view that PM Modi's Pakistan and Kashmir policy had to be defeated, if the paramount national interests were to be protected and advanced further. It is heartening that Sushma, who belongs to L K Advani group, has finally asserted. She must stick to her stand as the entire country endorses hr line on Pakistan and Hurriyat. |
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