Work air-defence ship may begin by year-end'

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI, MAY 14. Work on the prestigious air-defence ship at Cochin Shipyard is likely to begin by the year-end, according to the Defence Minister, Mr. George Fernandes.

The `infrastructural preparations' for the air-defence shipyard were going on satisfactorily, he told presspersons who met him after he visited the shipyard on Sunday. The ship was still on the design stage. The shipyard was getting equipped for the air- defence ship project (which is likely to cost roughly Rs. 1500 crores).

He said there was no timeframe for the project. He noted that India was the fifth country in the world possessing the capability to indigenously build an air-defence ship.

As regards the purchase of an aircraft-carrier from Russia, Mr. Fernandes said it was now on the price-discussion stage.

Asked about India's stand on the current Sri Lankan situation, the Defence Minister said the country was keeping a close eye on the developments there. Asked about the prospects of Indian intervention, he said curtly: ``We will not repeat the (Rajiv Gandhi regime's) mistake.'' As for Kargil, he said there was full-time surveillance there and India could not be surprised again. ``Kargil can happen only once in history,'' he commented.

Mr. Fernandes was in town to witness the testfiring of the Thrishul missile on INS Dronacharya at the Southern Naval Command headquarters.

No `hidden agenda'

Later in the evening, Mr. Fernandes opened the closing ceremony of the Kerala Catholic Youth Movement's Silver Jubilee. In his opening remarks, Mr. Fernandes, who is also the chief of the Samata Party, said the BJP-led Government kept no ``hidden agenda'' against the minorities, particularly Christians.

He claimed that the isolated attacks on Christian clergymen and nuns in some parts of North India were not political actions and no political personalities were involved in them. Those who were projecting these attacks as an organised campaign of terror against Christians were serving `neither God nor humans'. He complained that falsehood was being spread by vested interests.

Mr. Fernandes recalled that way back in the 1960s, there was a series of attacks on Christians in Arunachal Pradesh. Churches were damaged and burned down. But now, Christians were leading a peaceful life in Arunachal Pradesh.

However, he felt that there was a `lack of dialogue' on the issue. Dialogue was necessary for fostering democracy and understanding.

He said globalisation had spawn an aggressive consumerism. Over 80 per cent of the population could not afford the things and services projected by the consumerist culture. The electronic media was promoting this culture. He felt that globalisation and the resultant consumerism would sow the seeds of social discontent and conflicts.

(Later, when presspersons pointed out that his strong views on globalisation contradicted the NDA Government's, the Minister said it did not. He said the underdeveloped countries were not able to take the full advantage of globalisation. He added that at the macro level in the long term, globalisation's impact would be negative.)

Earlier in the afternoon, Mr. Fernandes visited the Varappuzha Archbishop's House, headquarters of the Latin Catholic Church, and held talks with the Archbishop, Dr. Daniel Acharuparambil. The Archbishop invited him to inaugurate the charitable Christhu Jayanthi Hospital for mother and child care, being built by the Varappuzha Archdiocese on the Vypeen island, sometime in August.

The Kerala Catholic Association presented a memorandum to the Minister urging him to take the initiative to exempt the Latin Catholics from the purview of the creamy layer norm and to press the Centre to introduce a constitutional amendment to drop the economic criterion for determination of backwardness of a community.

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Section  : Regional
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