Now that veteran minister Pranab Mukherjee has taken charge of the External Affairs Ministry, one expects order being restored to India’s foreign policy establishment. In the absence of ministers, bur
November 6, 2006 (Press Release) --
TEST MUSHARRAF’S INTENTIONS THROUGH ANTI-TERROR MECHANISM
M.K.DHAR
Now that veteran minister Pranab Mukherjee has taken charge of the External Affairs Ministry, one expects order being restored to India’s foreign policy establishment. In the absence of ministers, bureaucrats develop a tendency to make pronouncements on a whole gamut of issues, with or without prior authorization and without regard to their repercussions, political or otherwise. During the past year, officials in the Ministry have done more public talking than the Prime minister himself or the Minister of state, generated needless controversies and created difficulties for the government. The national Security Adviser is no exception. His observation that the investigating authorities did not possess “clinching” evidence against ISI and others involved in the Mumbai train blasts and which was welcomed by President Musharraf, provided more ammunition to the opposition and the Prime Minister had to perform the unpleasant task of publicly correcting him. The Prime Minister should advice bureaucrats to exercise restraint while taking to the media and stick to the golden rule that they should speak in public only when asked to.
Unfortunately, even before the ink was dry on the September 16 Havana Agreement between Prime minister Man Mohan Singh and President Pervez Musharraf on establishing a joint anti –terror mechanism, opposition parties in both countries started debunking it and expressing doubts about its usefulness. The modalities are to be settled at the ensuing meeting of the foreign Secretaries of the two countries scheduled for Nov 13. Therefore, before a firm agreement is in place, it would be naïve to pronounce on its utility and start debunking it because the other side is presumed to be insincere. Creating differences and misunderstanding in advance do not serve the interest of peace in the sub continent, which Dr Man Mohan Singh is sincerely trying to further.
Having knocked at the unreceptive doors of foreign powers, such as the US for years with pleas to restrain Pakistan from sponsoring terror against India, without result, the Prime Minister did the right thing in laying the groundwork of an agreed mechanism by which India could talk straight to Pakistan over this serious matter. Persistence of a trust deficit between the two countries is no reason why they should not work towards restoring it, further the peace process and solve all bilateral issues. Even former Director-General of ISI Asad Durani, has whole-heartedly welcomed the Havana Agreement. Building trust would take time. A trust deficit exists even now between the US and its European allies, most of whom opposed the invasion of Iraq and refused to contribute forces, but “where mutual interests are served by cooperation, countries have cooperated. We needed to do the same”.
The security agencies in the two countries, however, remain skeptical and the BJP also says
M.K.DHAR
Now that veteran minister Pranab Mukherjee has taken charge of the External Affairs Ministry, one expects order being restored to India’s foreign policy establishment. In the absence of ministers, bureaucrats develop a tendency to make pronouncements on a whole gamut of issues, with or without prior authorization and without regard to their repercussions, political or otherwise. During the past year, officials in the Ministry have done more public talking than the Prime minister himself or the Minister of state, generated needless controversies and created difficulties for the government. The national Security Adviser is no exception. His observation that the investigating authorities did not possess “clinching” evidence against ISI and others involved in the Mumbai train blasts and which was welcomed by President Musharraf, provided more ammunition to the opposition and the Prime Minister had to perform the unpleasant task of publicly correcting him. The Prime Minister should advice bureaucrats to exercise restraint while taking to the media and stick to the golden rule that they should speak in public only when asked to.
Unfortunately, even before the ink was dry on the September 16 Havana Agreement between Prime minister Man Mohan Singh and President Pervez Musharraf on establishing a joint anti –terror mechanism, opposition parties in both countries started debunking it and expressing doubts about its usefulness. The modalities are to be settled at the ensuing meeting of the foreign Secretaries of the two countries scheduled for Nov 13. Therefore, before a firm agreement is in place, it would be naïve to pronounce on its utility and start debunking it because the other side is presumed to be insincere. Creating differences and misunderstanding in advance do not serve the interest of peace in the sub continent, which Dr Man Mohan Singh is sincerely trying to further.
Having knocked at the unreceptive doors of foreign powers, such as the US for years with pleas to restrain Pakistan from sponsoring terror against India, without result, the Prime Minister did the right thing in laying the groundwork of an agreed mechanism by which India could talk straight to Pakistan over this serious matter. Persistence of a trust deficit between the two countries is no reason why they should not work towards restoring it, further the peace process and solve all bilateral issues. Even former Director-General of ISI Asad Durani, has whole-heartedly welcomed the Havana Agreement. Building trust would take time. A trust deficit exists even now between the US and its European allies, most of whom opposed the invasion of Iraq and refused to contribute forces, but “where mutual interests are served by cooperation, countries have cooperated. We needed to do the same”.
The security agencies in the two countries, however, remain skeptical and the BJP also says
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