DATE=04/20/99
TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP
NUMBER=6-11249
TITLE= INDIA'S GOVERNMENT FALLS AS ITS MISSILES FLY
BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE
TELEPHONE=619-3335
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS
CONTENT=
INTRO: EVENTS IN THE ASIAN SUBCONTINENT ARE MOVING TO THE TOP OF
SOME U-S NEWSPAPER EDITORIAL COLUMNS, WITH THE FIRING OF MEDIUM
RANGE, NUCLEAR-CAPABLE MISSILES BY INDIA AND PAKISTAN, AND NOW,
THE FALL OF THE RIGHT WING GOVERNMENT IN NEW DELHI. WE GET A
SAMPLING OF U-S PRESS COMMENT ON THESE DEVELOPMENTS NOW FROM
_______________ IN TODAY'S U-S OPINION ROUNDUP.
TEXT: INDIA'S HINDU NATIONALIST BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY, THE
B-J-P, FAILED TO MAINTAIN ITS MAJORITY IN PARLIAMENT DURING A
ROUTINE VOTE THIS PAST WEEKEND, AND THE GOVERNMENT FELL.
THE RESULTING UNCERTAINTY HAS PLUNGED THE WORLD'S MOST POPULOUS
DEMOCRACY INTO POLITICAL TURMOIL. BUT AFTER NUCLEAR-CAPABLE
MISSILE TESTS DURING THE PAST TEN DAYS BY BOTH INDIA AND
PAKISTAN, SOME OBSERVERS SEE THE SUBCONTINENT AS A GROWING WORRY.
"THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS" SAYS ANY NEW GOVERNMENT IN INDIA MUST
MUST TAKE STEPS TO UNDO THE RECENT BUILD-UP OF "HOME-GROWN"
NUCLEAR MISSILES IN THE ASIAN SUBCONTINENT.
VOICE: A PARTICULAR WEAKNESS OF PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACIES IS
THAT THEY OFTEN PRODUCE FRAGILE COALITION GOVERNMENTS -
- ESPECIALLY, AS IN INDIA'S CASE, WHEN THE COALITIONS
HOLD NEARLY A SCORE OF PARTIES. NONETHELESS, INDIA'S
HINDU-NATIONALIST BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY THOUGHT IT HAD
HIT ON [FOUND] A WINNING FORMULA: INCREASE NUCLEAR
TENSIONS WITH NEIGHBORS PAKISTAN AND CHINA. THE FORMULA
WORKED FOR A WHILE. ... [BUT] SUCCESS WAS SHORT-LIVED.
THE 13-MONTH-OLD [ATAL BEHARI] VAJPAYEE GOVERNMENT FELL
ANY WAY OVER THE WEEKEND ... INDIA DESERVES A
GOVERNMENT THAT CAN ATTEND TO THE COUNTRY'S LEGITIMATE
DEFENSE NEEDS WITHOUT RESORTING TO IGNOMINIOUS RULE BY
NUCLEAR BRINKMANSHIP. SO DOES THE REST OF THE WORLD,
WHICH HAS AN EQUALLY LEGITIMATE STAKE IN PEACE IN SOUTH
ASIA.
TEXT: FROM A SMALL TOWN IN MAINE, NEAR THE FAMED MOUNT DESERT
ISLAND RESORT, THE W E E K L Y "ELLSWORTH AMERICAN" IS ALSO
CONCERNED ABOUT THIS LATEST MISSILE FIRING, AND EDITORIALIZED
JUST BEFORE THE VAJPAYEE GOVERNMENT FELL:
VOICE: INDIA'S GOVERNMENT GOT A GREAT LIFT OUT OF THE FIRST
MISSILE, WITH WHICH IT BREACHED NON-NUCLEAR STATUS, AND
IT MAY BE SAVED FROM DISSOLUTION BY ITS LATEST MISSILE.
NUCLEAR POWER MAY BE A POLITICAL ASSET, BUT IN PRACTICAL
TERMS, IT MAY BE A DISASTER FOR INDIA. FEW COUNTRIES
ARE MORE VULNERABLE TO SUCH WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION.
AN EXCHANGE OF SUCH WEAPONS INVOLVING COUNTRIES OF SUCH
GREAT POPULATION DENSITY WOULD CAUSE UNBELIEVABLE
CASUALTIES. FEW COUNTRIES HAVE A GREATER NEED FOR
NEGOTIATING A NON-NUCLEAR STATUS.
TEXT: "THE SUN" IN BALTIMORE WORRIES ABOUT WHAT IT CALLS, IN
TODAY'S LEAD EDITORIAL HEADLINE, "INDECISION IN INDIA AFTER [THE]
GOVERNMENT'S FALL," BUT IT ALSO CREDITS THE B-J-P LEADERS WITH
SOME PROGRESS AS WELL.
VOICE: THIRTEEN MONTHS OF GOVERNMENT LED BY THE HINDU
NATIONALIST BHARATIYA JANA PARTY DID NOT REMAKE INDIA.
IT DID STIR A NUCLEAR ARMS RACE WITH PAKISTAN AND
RELIGIOUS-CULTURAL BIGOTRY DIRECTED MOSTLY AT MUSLIMS.
BUT THE GOVERNMENT OF PRIME MINISTER ATAL BIHARI
VAJPAYEE ALSO IMPROVED RELATIONS WITH PAKISTAN AND THE
UNITED STATES. AND IT INITIATED ECONOMIC REFORMS THAT
DISMANTLED INEFFICIENT SOCIALISM, LEADING TO HOPES THAT
INDIA MAY HELP LEAD ASIA BACK TO ECONOMIC HEALTH. NOW
THAT IT HAS FALLEN FOR NO GOOD REASON, THE B-J-P
GOVERNMENT CAN BE SEEN AS THE MOST PRODUCTIVE OF THE
FIVE THAT INDIA HAS HAD THROUGH TWO ELECTIONS IN THREE
YEARS. ... INDIA NEEDS THE SECULAR AND INCLUSIVE VISION
THAT BELONGS TO THE CONGRESS PARTY IN RHETORIC, IF NOT
ALWAYS IN PRACTICE. IT ALSO NEEDS THE REFORMS UNDOING
THE DUBIOUS CONGRESS ECONOMIC HERITAGE. HOW TO ACHIEVE
BOTH IS THE CHALLENGE FACING THE WORLD'S MOST POPULOUS
DEMOCRACY WHICH, WHATEVER ITS FAILINGS, REMAINS JUST
THAT.
/// OPT ///
TEXT: "THE NEW YORK TIMES" SEES, AS DOES "THE SUN" BOTH PLUSES
AND MINUSES TO THE 13-MONTH REIGN OF THE B-J-P.
VOICE: MR. VAJPAYEE SPENT 45 YEARS IN THE OPPOSITION AND BARELY
13 MONTHS IN POWER, BUT HE MADE A SINGULAR MARK. HE
SENT HIS COUNTRY DOWN A SELF-DESTRUCTIVE PATH OF TESTING
NUCLEAR WEAPONS. MORE RECENTLY, HOWEVER, HE MET ... THE
PAKISTANI PRIME MINISTER, NAWAZ SHARIF. THERE WAS
REASON TO HOPE THAT, IN SPITE OF THE MISSILE TESTS,
INDIA AND PAKISTAN COULD MAKE MORE PROGRESS TOWARD
HALTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF MISSILES AND WEAPONS-GRADE
NUCLEAR MATERIAL. MRS. GANDHI AND THE CONGRESS PARTY
HAVE NOT BEEN AS SUPPORTIVE OF THESE EFFORTS AS THEY
SHOULD HAVE BEEN.
TEXT: IN THE RHODE ISLAND CAPITOL, "THE PROVIDENCE JOURNAL" IS
MOST CONCERNED ABOUT THE BURGEONING MISSILE DEVELOPMENT BY INDIA
AND PAKISTAN AND WHAT IT BODES FOR THE SUB CONTINENT.
VOICE: THIS WILL EXACERBATE FRICTIONS BETWEEN INDIA AND
PAKISTAN, NEXT-DOOR NEIGHBORS AND PERENNIAL ANTAGONISTS
WITH COMPETING BOUNDARY CLAIMS OVER KASHMIR. IT WILL
GREATLY ANNOY INDIA'S OTHER MAJOR NEIGHBOR, CHINA, WITH
WHOM IT HAS ALSO HAD LONG-RUNNING BOUNDARY FEUDS. AND
IT WILL EXASPERATE WASHINGTON, WHICH HAS BEEN TRYING TO
CAJOLE NEW DELHI INTO SUBMITTING TO INTERNATIONAL
CONSTRAINTS AGAINST NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION. THE MAJOR
PROBLEM THAT U-S DIPLOMATS HAVE WHEN TRYING TO DISSUADE
INDIAN OFFICIALS FROM PURSUING THEIR NUCLEAR PLANS IS
THAT INDIA'S VERY REAL SECURITY NEEDS STRONGLY INCLINE
IT TO SEEK AN EFFECTIVE NUCLEAR DETERRENT. BOTH CHINA
AND PAKISTAN HAVE NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND MISSILES CAPABLE
OF DELIVERING THEM DEEP INTO INDIA'S TERRITORY. ... AT
LEAST AS IMPORTANT IS RECOGNIZING WHAT WE [THE UNITED
STATES GOVERNMENT] ** SHOULDN'T ** [ITALICS FOR
EMPHASIS] DO. WE SHOULDN'T APPEAR TO BE GRANDSTANDING
BY TRYING TO PRESSURE INDIA INTO DOING WHAT WE OURSELVES
-- QUITE WISELY -- HAVE BEEN UNWILLING TO DO - - NAMELY,
GIVE UP OUR NUCLEAR DETERRENT. INDIA IS N O T SOME
INSIGNIFICANT BACKWATER; IT IS BIG ENOUGH TO WANT TO BE
ABLE TO DEFEND ITS OWN NATIONAL SECURITY BY DETERRING
ATTACKS FROM NEARBY NUCLEAR POWERS. THERE IS NO REASON
FOR INDIA TO BELIEVE ... IT COMES UNDER THE PROTECTION
OF OUR NUCLEAR UMBRELLA ...
TEXT: ON THAT NOTE, WE CONCLUDE THIS SAMPLING OF U-S OPINION ON
THE GROWING MISSILE RACE IN THE SUB-CONTINENT AND THE COLLAPSE OF
THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT IN A RECENT NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE.
NEB/ANG/KL
20-Apr-99 2:29 PM EDT (1829 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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