DATE=6/4/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-233322
TITLE=INDIA / NUKE / KASHMIR / L
BYLINE=JIM TEEPLE
DATELINE=NEW DELHI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: DURING THEIR DISCUSSIONS IN GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, FOREIGN
MINISTERS OF THE FIVE ORIGINAL NUCLEAR POWERS ARE DISCUSSING THE
CONFLICT IN THE DISPUTED REGION, KASHMIR -- WHICH BOTH INDIA AND
PAKISTAN CLAIM AS THEIR OWN. V-O-A'S JIM TEEPLE REPORTS FROM
NEW DELHI MANY INDIANS FEAR THE GENEVA TALKS COULD BRING
INTERNATIONAL MEDIATION TO THE KASHMIR DISPUTE -- SOMETHING THE
INDIAN GOVERNMENT OPPOSES.
TEXT: SPEAKING IN INDIA'S PARLIAMENT THURSDAY, PRIME MINISTER
ATAL BIHARI VAJPAYEE SAID HIS GOVERNMENT IS WILLING TO RE-START
BILATERAL TALKS ON KASHMIR WITH PAKISTAN. AT THE SAME TIME MR.
VAJPAYEE'S GOVERNMENT REJECTS ANY POSSIBILITY OF OUTSIDE
MEDIATION FOR THE DISPUTED KASHMIR REGION.
INDIA CONTROLS TWO-THIRDS OF KASHMIR AND PAKISTAN ONE-THIRD. TWO
OF THE THREE WARS INDIA AND PAKISTAN HAVE FOUGHT DURING THE PAST
50 YEARS HAVE BEEN OVER KASHMIR. BOTH COUNTRIES CLAIM THE ENTIRE
TERRITORY AS THEIR OWN.
DEEPANKER BANNERJEE IS A RETIRED INDIAN ARMY GENERAL WHO
COMMANDED FORCES IN THE KASHMIR VALLEY. GENERAL BANNERJEE -- WHO
NOW HEADS AN INDEPENDENT THINK TANK IN NEW DELHI -- SAYS PAKISTAN
HAS MANAGED TO LINK THE ISSUE OF A NUCLEAR ARMS RACE IN SOUTH
ASIA TO THE KASHMIR DISPUTE; SOMETHING HE SAYS INDIA HAS SOUGHT
TO AVOID.
// BANNERJEE ACTUALITY //
INDIA FEELS IT (THE KASHMIR DISPUTE) SHOULD BE DISCUSSED
EXCLUSIVELY AT THE BILATERAL LEVEL. PAKISTAN FEELS
THAT, YES, IT NEEDS TO BE DISCUSSED AT THE BILATERAL
LEVEL BUT THAT DOES NOT FORECLOSE ITS OPTIONS OF TAKING
IT TO THE UNITED NATIONS OR ANY OTHER INTERNATIONAL
FORUM. SO THEREFORE ONE OF THE FALLOUTS OF THESE
NUCLEAR TESTS HAS BEEN TO BRING THE KASHMIR QUESTION TO
THE FRONT OF THE SECURITY SITUATION AND WHICH IS
SOMETHING INDIA WOULD HAVE DESPERATELY LIKED TO HAVE
AVOIDED.
// END ACTUALITY //
// OPT // IN 1972 BOTH INDIA AND PAKISTAN AGREED TO DISCUSS
KASHMIR IN A BILATERAL FORUM BUT THE TALKS -- HELD ON A REGULAR
BASIS -- HAVE PRODUCED NO BREAKTHROUGH. HUMAN RIGHTS OBSERVERS
SAY AS MANY AS 25 THOUSAND PEOPLE HAVE DIED SINCE 1989, WHEN
MUSLIM SEPARATISTS SEEKING TO REUNIFY KASHMIR STEPPED UP THEIR
GUERRILLA WAR FOR CONTROL OF THE REGION. INDIA ACCUSES PAKISTAN
OF ARMING AND TRAINING THE SEPARATISTS; A CHARGE PAKISTAN
DENIES. // END OPT //
ANALYSTS SAY INDIA HAS SOUGHT TO DOWNPLAY THE KASHMIR ISSUE IN
RECENT DAYS, INSTEAD FOCUSING ON ITS WILLINGNESS TO SIGN A "NO
FIRST USE" AGREEMENT WITH PAKISTAN ON NUCLEAR WEAPONS. RETIRED
GENERAL DEEPANKER BANNERJEE SAYS -- WITH THE WORLD'S ATTENTION
FOCUSED ON SOUTH ASIA -- INDIA MIGHT WELL HAVE TO ACCEPT SOME
FORM OF INTERNATIONAL MEDIATION ON THE KASHMIR ISSUE.
// BANNERJEE ACTUALITY //
I THINK INDIA WILL NOW -- UNDER THE PRESENT
CIRCUMSTANCES -- HAVE TO ACCEPT THAT YES A VERY LOW
LEVEL FACILITATION PROCESS WHICH WILL ALLOW DISCUSSION
ON JAMMU AND KASHMIR BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTAN.
// END ACTUALITY //
MEANWHILE, A GENERAL STRIKE CALLED BY AN ALLIANCE OF MORE THAN
TWO DOZEN SEPARATISTS GROUPS KEPT MOST PEOPLE AT HOME IN SRINIGAR
-- THE CAPITAL OF THE INDIAN STATE, JAMMU AND KASHMIR --
THURSDAY. SHOPS, SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES WERE REPORTED CLOSED
AND MOST ROADS DESERTED, EXCEPT FOR SECURITY PATROLS, AS THE
STRIKE TOOK EFFECT. (SIGNED)
NEB / JLT / WD / WD
04-Jun-98 6:08 AM EDT (1008 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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