Tuesday, Apr 23, 2002
Tuesday, Apr 23, 2002 |
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By Atul Aneja
The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Nirupama Rao, in response to a question on the Finnish Foreign Minister's interview to an English daily — said that India "does not appreciate'' foreign interference in its internal affairs. "India does not appreciate interference... including utilisation of the Indian media by foreign leaders as well as by visiting dignitaries to make public statements in order to pander to their domestic lobbies,'' she said. Sources here said the spokesperson's remarks should not be seen as "Finland-specific'', but as reflecting India's "generic'' response to all foreign governments on this subject. She declined to comment when asked to respond to a media report that a hard-hitting statement from the European Union was in the offing. "We have seen only press reports and further details are being ascertained. We do not wish to react at this stage.'' According to the report, the E.U., in its forthcoming declaration, has compared the developments in Gujarat to "apartheid''. Significantly, the E.U. this evening delinked itself from the contents of this story. "The remarks contained in an article... are the sole responsibility of its author,'' a communique from the Presidency of the European Union said. The statement, however, pointed out that the EU followed the events in Gujarat "with attention'' and had expressed its "concern''. Sources made three points about the international response to the Gujarat happenings. First, India would remain attentive to any expressions of concern by foreign governments and their leaders on the developments, provided they were privately expressed. But New Delhi would reject observations that were publicly aired and appeared to placate the demands of the domestic constituencies in these countries. Second, India would impress upon foreign governments that it was perfectly capable of handling on its own, the fallout of the complex situation in Gujarat. Third, the developments in the State should not bring into question India's credentials of a secular and pluralistic democracy. Sources said that the "system'' was capable of handling the international fallout. The continuation of rioting in the State, however, could pose serious difficulties to India's interests abroad. The Government, the sources said, was especially concerned that if the violence was not contained, concerns could find an echo in Saudi Arabia and Iran — the key leaders of the Islamic world with whom India has deep linkages.
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