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Vajpayee gets aggressive, demands PoK back

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today rejected Pakistan's call for a referendum in Jammu and Kashmir, saying, "We do not accept the Muslim-majority state argument."

"India has more Muslims than Pakistan's population," he said. "India belongs to all and we will not allow another partition."

Vajpayee revealed that he had said as much to deposed Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharief during his visit to Lahore last year. "India did not accept Partition on communal grounds. Muslims are spread all over India though they may be more in Jammu and Kashmir."

Addressing a select gathering after receiving a draft for Rs 100 million from the Hind Samachar Group of newspapers for the 'Shakti Fund', Vajpayee said: "Referendum in Jammu and Kashmir was subject to the withdrawal of forces by Pakistan from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir." Since Pakistan has not fulfilled that condition, there is no question of a referendum.

He said the people of Jammu and Kashmir had joined the Indian Union of their own free will and reiterated this free will in the 1977 election held during the Janata Party's rule. "Even Pakistan had accepted that election as free and fair," he said.

The prime minister said Pakistan was trying to raise international concerns over Kashmir, but "India will not take any decision under international pressure".

Referring to Islamabad's nuclear threat, Vajpayee wondered if the Pakistani establishment understands the ramifications of such a threat. If Pakistan thinks it can destroy India using nuclear weapons, it is grossly mistaken, he said.

Though India stands committed to the principle of no first use of nuclear weapons, it can retaliate, and retaliate massively, he warned.

"If Pakistan is sincere for a lasting peace with India, let its establishment also commit itself to no first use of nuclear weapons," he challenged.

The prime minister said India was aware of Pakistan's intentions. "We are fully prepared now," he said and urged the people to unite and derive inspiration from Kargil. "After Kargil it is not time to fill our eyes with tears but to shout victory," he said.

Vajpayee said Pakistan had been fighting a war against India over Kashmir for the last 50 years, but India would continue to fight "till we live, till we win".

He said Pakistan had been trying to snatch Kashmir since 1947 through deception and betrayal. "But how can India leave Kashmir when its people had joined India of their own free will?"

He said if Pakistan wanted to talk only about Kashmir, "we are ready. We will talk about the one-third of Kashmir occupied by Pakistan because it belongs to India. The whole of Jammu and Kashmir is India's."

The prime minister said, "Terrorism is an issue [between India and Pakistan] and not Kashmir." Pakistan's sponsorship of terrorism is getting exposed in the world. "We are mobilising world opinion [against terrorism] even while preparing our defences."

"Now we are fully ready unlike in the past in Kargil," he said. But he felt sporadic violence could continue. "If bombs are exploding here, they are exploding in Pakistan too. Though Indians are unaware of this, Pakistan's press is full of it," he pointed out.

He said, "Pakistan is paying a price. I went to Lahore though nobody expected it. Lahore benefitted us as the world came to know of Pakistan's designs. The world came to know it is Pakistan that does not want peace."

He said Pakistan, while launching its Kargil offensive, did not factor in India's competence and will to respond. Hence its calculations went awry.

Pakistan did not believe India would respond immediately and effectively. He said some powers had tried to persuade India to agree to a ceasefire, but India was firm that until the aggressors had been thrown out there was no question of a ceasefire.

He said India could have crossed the Line of Control and entered Pakistan if it had wanted, but "we did not and I will not disclose why".

Others who addressed the function were the chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, and Union ministers Chaman Lal Gupta and Arun Shourie.

Punjab Governor Lieutenant General (retired) J F R Jacob and Bharatiya Janata Party general secretary Narendra Modi were present on the occasion.

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