Committed to ceasefire: PM

By Our Staff Reporter

KOTTAYAM, DEC. 26. The Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, today reiterated India's commitment to the peace process in Jammu and Kashmir and said the ceasefire in the Valley would be reviewed only after January 26.

Mr. Vajpayee who was here en route to Kumarakom, the idyllic waterfront village, for his week-long annual vacation, said certain elements wanted to derail the peace process. He did not want to view the recent escalation in militant activities as machinations to ``test our patience''.

Speaking to the media at the helipad here, Mr. Vajpayee said the ``Red Fort mystery'' had been solved and Pakistan-trained militants apprehended in connection with the attack. Investigations had been extended to Srinagar and the police would give more details shortly.

The Prime Minister hinted that his week-long sojourn in the Christian heartland would be a working vacation saying he intended to meet a number of local dignitaries, including religious leaders. ``I would like meet all of them as friends and well-wishers and not as political or religious leaders,'' he said. However, the Union Minister of State for Railways and Parliamentary Affairs, Mr. O. Rajagopal, who was present, was quick to point out that the details have not been finalised.

Mr. Vajpayee expressed the confidence that the Women's Reservation Bill would be passed after bringing about a consensus on the issue.

The Prime Minister was accompanied by the Kerala Governor, Mr. Sukhdev Singh Kang, and the Chief Minister, Mr. E.K. Nayanar.

He was received at the helipad by Mr. P.J. Joseph, Minister for Education and Mr. T.K. Ramakrishnan, Minister for Cultural Affairs. Mr. K. Suresh Kurup, Mr. Francis George, Mr. Vakkachan Mattathil (all MPs); Mr. Thomas Chazhikadan, Mr. P. Narayanan, Mr. Mons Joseph (all MLAs); and BJP leaders Mr. K. Raman Pillai, state secretary Mr. Ettumanur Radhakrishnan, district president Mr. Radhakrishna Menon, zonal secretary Mr. Narayanan Namboothiri and senior district officials were also present.

The 24-member entourage, including the Prime Minister's adopted daughter and her family, will be at Kumarakom till Jan. 1.

`No rethinking'

NEW DELHI, DEC. 26. The Government today asserted there was no rethinking on the peace process initiated in Jammu and Kashmir, putting at rest speculation over its continuance in the wake of recent attacks by militants at Red Fort and in the valley.

``There is no rethinking on it,'' a Foreign office spokesman told reporters when asked whether the Government was re-considering continuing the peace process in the wake of recent attacks by Lashkar-e-Taiba and other militant groups. The spokesman referred to Mr. Vajpayee's statement that though there has been a decline in incidents of terrorist violence in Jammu and Kashmir, activities of militant organisationscontinued.

- PTI

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