DATE=5/30/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-233049
TITLE=INDIA / REACT LONG-ONLY
BYLINE=ANJANA PASRICHA
DATELINE=NEW DELHI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: INDIAN REACTION TO THE LATEST NUCLEAR TESTS BY PAKISTAN
IS LOW-KEY. A SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL SAYS NEW DELHI WILL
NOT CHANGE ITS POLICY ON A VOLUNTARY MORATORIUM ON ITS OWN
FURTHER TESTING. ANJANA PASRICHA REPORTS FROM NEW DELHI.
TEXT: SOON AFTER SATURDAY'S TESTS, A SENIOR AIDE TO INDIA'S
PRIME MINISTER, JASWANT SINGH, TOLD PRIVATELY-OWNED STAR
TELEVISION, THAT THERE WAS NO FEELING OF EMERGENCY OR
APPREHENSION IN INDIA. HE SAID NEW DELHI WAS NEITHER SURPRISED
NOR DISTURBED BY ISLAMABAD'S LATEST TESTS.
MR. SINGH SAYS INDIA WILL NOT BE PROVOKED TO CONDUCT MORE TESTS
AND WOULD ADHERE TO ITS TWO WEEK OLD MORATORIUM. HE MAINTAINS
THAT THE NUCLEAR TESTS BY THE TWO COUNTRIES THIS MONTH WOULD NOT
TRIGGER AN ARMS RACE ON THE SUBCONTINENT.
MR. SINGH SAYS NEW DELHI WILL NOT CONDEMN ISLAMABAD'S TESTS
BECAUSE IT RECOGNIZES PAKISTAN'S EQUAL AND LEGITIMATE SECURITY
CONCERNS IN THE REGION. HE ALSO REITERATED PRIME MINISTER ATAL
BEHARI VAJPAYEE'S OFFER TO DISCUSS ALL ISSUES WITH ISLAMABAD.
JUST HOURS BEFORE NEWS OF THE LATEST NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS IN
PAKISTAN, THE PRIME MINISTER SOUGHT TO EASE SOME OF THE SHARP
RHETORIC BETWEEN THE TWO GOVERNMENTS. SPEAKING TO A POLITICAL
GATHERING SATURDAY, MR. VAJPAYEE SAID INDIA WANTS TO LIVE IN
PEACE WITH ITS NEIGHBORS. HE SAID NEW DELHI WOULD NEVER ENTER
ANOTHER COUNTRY TO DISRUPT ITS PEACE, BUT ADDED, NEITHER WOULD
INDIA ALLOW ITS OWN PEACE TO BE DISTURBED.
NEB/AP/TM/JO
30-May-98 7:50 AM EDT (1150 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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