Overthrow Taliban, says Naipaul

LONDON, OCT 14. Nobel literature prize winner, Mr. V.S. Naipaul, has described Afghanistan's Taliban militia as ``vermin' and said it must be overthrown.

In an interview published in the Sunday Telegraph today, the writer expressed his contempt for the Muslim fundamentalists who have brought terror and misery to Afghanistan's 23 million-strong population.

Mr. Naipaul had raked up a controversy in the past with his critical writing about Islam. But, until now, he has refused to talk publicly about the war in Afghanistan.

This week-end, however, while visiting the Cheltenham festival of literature, which he is attending with his Pakistani wife, he broke his silence when asked about his views on the Taliban government.

``They are absolute vermin,'' said Naipaul's wife, Ms. Nadira Khannum Alvi, and Mr. Naipaul agreed with her assessment. ``I think they are as awful as they appear,'' he said.

Asked whether he believed that the overthrow of the Taliban government should be a war aim of America, Britain and their allies, Ms. Alvi intervened again and said: ``absolutely.'' Once again, Mr. Naipaul agreed. ``I hope so,'' he said, adding ``I think there should be a profounder aim: they should stick to this idea which they announced at the beginning of getting rid of terrorism generally.''

Ms. Nadira Khannum Alvi, 30 years junior to 69-year- old Naipaul, is a respected writer in Pakistan. She is also a well-known newspaper columnist.

Mr. Naipaul regretted there was war and loss of life and suggested that other non-military tactics could have been explored further.

- PTI

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Section  : International
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