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Kargil and Beyond
Speech by Sh. Jaswant Singh, Minister of External Affairs at
India International Centre on July 20, 1999
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and
Gentlemen,
It is now time to look ahead; to
look beyond Kargil. But even in
charting our course for the fu-
ture we have to assess what
Kargil 1999 was all about? What
were the challenges — military
and diplomatic? What new fac-
ets of our total national com-
mitment and endeavour
emerged? What lessons for the
years that lie ahead? ‘Operation
Vijay’ — as the Prime Minister
said some days back — has
resulted in ‘Vijay’ for India. As
we re-examine the military and
diplomatic challenges that then
confronted us, and which were
successfully managed, we need
to have a preliminary analysis,
draw some first conclusions and
above all, looking beyond Kargil,
draw a route chart for the to-
morrows to come.
First, the military dimension.
Kargil was a military aggression
by Pakistan, with Pak army regu-
lars, across a stretch of the LoC,
in four pockets, from the
Mushkoh Valley in the west to
Tartuk in the Yaldor-Batalik
sector in the East. Initially, with
the aggressor — as with all
aggressors lay the element of
surprise. This was soon coun-
tered locally. Initially, the ter-
rain, too, conferred some ad-
vantage to the aggressor. They
had intruded along ridgelines to
occupy some key heights and
features that dominated a vital
road link, between Dras and
Kargil. The depth of the ridge-
2 INDIANEWS « August 15, 1999
Go gle
lines north of the LoC and their
gradients, along with nullah ap-
proaches enabled the Pakistan
army to provide crucial logisti-
cal and administrative support
to their troops.
The Indian army’s response to
the military challenge was mea-
sured yet swift, it was focussed,
thus effective. The first task was
to contain the intrusion. For this
an accurate assessment was
necessary about the degree and
extent of it. This involved,
amongst other activities the
drawing of fire. Simultaneously,
a redeployment of troops took
place. Through a successful
containment of the aggressor’s
intrusion was ensured the inevi-
table defeat of this misadven-
ture by Pakistan. The element
of surprise was countered by the
Indian army through the speed
and lethality of its response. On
26th May, the Air Force swung
into action in support of the
ground operations.
Our military objective had been
clearly spelt out to the intruders
retreat or the Indian army shall
evict you. In any event once the
intruder’s aim of interfering with
the Dras-Kargil Highway had
been thwarted the whole ratio-
nale of this aggression had got
defeated. A mere holding of
heights was militarily a counter
productive venture. They were
bound to be evicted — in detail
— one by one; for their occupa-
tion served scant military pur-
pose. For India, occupation of
territory, south of the LoC, was
simply not acceptable both
physically and as a violation of
a principle. Tactical surprise
having been lost early by the
aggressor, the military principles
of superior force, concentration
and firepower were bound to tell.
And they did, decisively. This
phase of eviction did not, in-
deed could not be a phase of
battles of maneuver. The nature
of the terrain, the adversary’s
dispositions plus most impor-
tantly our self-imposed restraints
about the LoC, precluded those
options. The battles for the
heights thus became classic
infantry actions in high altitude,
combining mountaineering and
fighting, against fixed enemy
positions at a higher elevation.
They were actions that de-
manded grit, stamina and daunt-
less courage. Our troops dis-
played all these qualities in full
measure.
Let us be clear about one other
vital aspect. This aggression in
Kargil sector was by the Pak
regular army, it had the logistic
and administrative support of
not the Pakistani Army alone
but of their total state machin-
ery. Secondly, this misadven-
ture was not aimed at infiltrat-
ing into the Srinagar Valley, it
was to occupy territory in Kargil
and in holding that. This pur-
pose, too, was defeated.
The Kargil aggression is not an
extension of the problem of ex-
ternally aided and abetted cross
border terrorism that we have
combated uptill now. It is an
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overspill of the ‘Afghanistan’ dis-
order syndrome’. That is also
why it had to be defeated.
In parallel to the military, we
also had major diplomatic chal-
lenges on our hands. A firm sig-
nal had to be conveyed to Paki-
stan, as also a clear and unam-
biguous message to the interna-
tional community. Let us accept
that in today’s age no conflict,
least of all one between two
nuclear weapons possessing
states can escape global media
spotlight. This was an additional
and a new factor. Managing all
these required a qualitatively
new level of coordination be-
tween the two wings of the
South Block — the Ministries of
Defence and External Affairs.
This, too was achieved to de-
monstrable effect.
Of course, Kargil posed a chal-
lenge both to the substance of
our foreign policy as also to the
conduct of our diplomacy. The
Prime Minister had at the very
beginning directed the MEA that
the true challenge lay in turning
back the aggressor, in defeating
all his designs, in reversing the
aggression but with the maxi-
mum of restraint. The MEA had,
therefore, also placed before it-
self the objective of protecting
the international flank of the
MoD; so that our operations on
the ground and in the air could
go on unhindered. This was also
achieved in no insignificant
measure. The first requirement,
thus was establishing the fact of
Pakistan’s intrusion and aggres-
sion. | would venture to claim
that we succeeded in doing so.
The next requirement was to
spell our objectives with clarity,
consistency and candour. This
was done early, repeated when-
ever necessary and can be
summed up, sequentially, as the
following irreducible minimums.
Google
They were:
A] Pakistan’s armed intrusion
in Kargil will be evicted and
its aggression vacated. All
Pakistan regular troops and
extremist elements under its
command and control will
have to withdraw. For this
purpose, our armed forces
will take all necessary ac-
tion on our side of the Line
of Control.
B] Once this intrusion has
been cleared, Pakistan
would need to reaffirm the
inviolability and sanctity of
the Line of Control.
C] Dialogue, as part of the
Lahore process, which
afterall, was initiated by us
could only then be re-
sumed.
Our diplomatic machinery was
geared fully to convey these ob-
jectives to the international com-
munity, as being valid and wor-
thy of support. Continuous in-
teraction was maintained, with
all the major powers, and the
rest of the international com-
munity through our diplomatic
missions abroad, the diplomatic
community in New Delhi and
through personal interaction. It
is a measure of the justness of
India’s cause that what | have
cited above, as the irreducible
minimums, found such a large
community of countries stand-
ing up in support. Principally,
let me repeat, it was because
India’s stand was recognised as
just, thus it was acted upon. |
wish to also emphasize that the
importance of the inviolability
and sanctity of the Line of Con-
trol, for maintaining peace and
tranquility, was totally accepted
by the international community,
and Pakistan was held as hav-
ing violated this Line. Its efforts
at terming it as imprecise also
failed. Even more, the interna-
tional community accepted
India’s view that Pakistan was
guilty also of transgressing the
territory of trust. The interna-
tional community also con-
curred with our assertion that
Kargil was a manifestation of
this medieval malevolence spill-
ing over from Afghanistan, that
these were no freedom fighters,
thus there was a need to con-
front such impulses; in the in-
terest not just of our region but
of the larger global community.
It is noteworthy that under the
leadership of the Prime Minister
the Ministries of External Affairs
and the Ministry of Defence’
worked as one, the combined
synergy of which demonstrated
the true power and effectiveness
of the Indian State. This is, of
course, how it should be. But it
is a matter of satisfaction nev-
ertheless, that this was achieved
at a time of trial, a time which
tests the mettle of any
Government's machinery. In this
is also a lesson for the future.
There was an added dimension
to our total national endeavour.
It was the role of our media
during Kargil operations. It was
marked by exuberant enthusi-
asm bordering, at times, on the
reckless. These young men and
women of the media, who were
in Kargil brought the valour of
our troops, in the face of great
odds, directly into the homes of
our citizens. They touched our
hearts and eyes with the tales of
the bereaved and the families of
the fallen. This was our first ex-
perience of conflict in the TV/
information age. We learnt as
we went along. It would be no
exaggeration, therefore, to say
that the role of the electronic
See KARGIL, Page 4
INDIA NEWS ¢ August 15,1999 3
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KARGIL, from page 3
and the print media, in fully in-
forming and mobilizing public
opinion, was an invaluable part
of the total national effort to meet
the challenge of Kargil.
Why did Pakistan undertake such
an ill-conceived misadventure?
Perhaps, they thought that they
could translate the advantage of
tactical surprise into a strategic
gain by bringing about a defacto
realignment of the LoC, in the
region, thus rendering the
Srinagar-Leh National Highway
vulnerable. They were wrong.
They miscalculated India’s re-
solve, they did not comprehend
the sense of national outrage at
this blatant breach of trust, the
sheer motivation of the Indian
soldiers and the leadership qual-
ity of the Indian Army officers
who led from the front.
Perhaps, Pakistan calculated on
provoking India into an escala-
tion. They were wrong again be-
cause the decision of not cross-
ing the LoC was taken early and
maintained scrupulously, in the
face of high casualities and even
when the decision to employ air
power was taken. The area of
conflict was not expanded. Pa-
kistan having disowned its troops
as “freedom fighters”, could
hardly thereafter have opened
up a new front, to ease pressure
in Kargil.
What of the future? Looking be-
yond Kargil provides us an op-
portunity to renew our faith in
ourselves, our society, our pol-
ity and our nation. It compels us
to look ahead in all fields of
national endeavour but particu-
larly, in the spheres of national
security and foreign policy. One
simple message emanating from
4 INDIANEWS © August 15, 1999
Go gle
Kargil is that adequate resources
have to be made available for
national defence, that the kind
of relegation of defence needs
that we witnessed in the late
eighties and nineties is unsound
policy, that technological up-
gradation cannot be postponed,
that the nation must always think
of the welfare of those who are
in the first rank of its defence.
Kargil has many pointers for our
foreign policy and diplomacy
too. As in the present instance,
we should always be ready to
engage with the world as full and
responsible members of the in-
ternational community, but, of
course, keeping our national
priorities and interests as the
guiding principle; we ought to
have no reluctance, leave alone
fear, in engaging with the world
on any issue. Indeed, we serve
the national interest when we en-
gage the world on the basis of
equality and mutual respect.
Such engagement is the very
substance of diplomacy. That is
not any internationalization of an
issue. Nor does it imply media-
tion or any acceptance of inter-
mediaries.
Issues have to be addressed bi-
laterally between concerned
countries, and in the case of India
and Pakistan, that is what the
Lahore process is all about. We
would like to renew that process
and we would like Pakistan to
facilitate a resumption of the
process, by reaffirming the in-
violability and sanctity of the Line
of Control. Clearly, a sponsor-
ship of terrorism across the Line
of Control, or elsewhere, is a
violation of the Line of Control,
as indeed of Simla Agreement
and Lahore Declaration. There
is a need, for Pakistan, to abjure
sponsoring, aiding or abetting
cross-border terrorism. These
are not any pre-conditions for
dialogue. We are after all, the
initiators of this dialogue pro-
cess and our commitment to it
is firm and abiding. But it is only
right for our nation, at this junc-
ture, to expect that Pakistan will
repair the damage that it has
done to trust, that it demon-
strates this through concrete and
tangible steps. Trust is not built
by engaging in dialogue in win-
ter and committing aggression
in summer. Continuous calls for
Jihad can also hardly be read as
messages for dialogue and
peace. And it is in this vein that
I suggest that high pitched pro-
paganda against India also does
not inspire confidence in Paki-
stan’s interest in dialogue.
I would venture to suggest that
Pakistan, too, has to come to
terms with its history, as indeed
with its geography. It has to re-
alize that there simply is no
military solution to what it pre-
sumes is its locus-standii in
Jammu and Kashmir. It is, of
course, for Pakistan to determine
its priorities but fomenting reli-
gious fundamentalism can hardly
be employed as a tool against
want and poverty. India recog-
nizes the permanance of the
sovereign state of Pakistan and
that is final. While India remains
ready for dialogue, the pace at
which it can move forward will
depend entirely on when and
how the state of Pakistan, and
what it has now become, per-
mits it to do so.
Our foreign policy has not been
fixated on Pakistan, but that has
been a significant preoccupation
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of it. We need to re-examine
this in detail. Globally, India has
to move purposefully towards
realizing its true dimensions —
as a major civilisational state,
with its own strategic autonomy
and strategic space, born out of
its economic and political inter-
action with other countries par-
ticularly in the Asia-Pacific com-
munity. The real wealth of a
nation is its people. History and
paucity of appropriate resources
prevented us from participating
in the economic transformations
brought about since the Indus-
trial Revolution. In 1820, Asia
contributed 58 per cent of the
World GDP; today it is at 37 per
cent; by 2020, expectations are
that it could regain the level of
200 years ago. India has a sig-
nal role to play in the coming
decades. With our democratic
institutions, a large skilled man-
power base, geographic loca-
tion, we must ensure that India
rides the crest of this wave.
Through the travail and fire of
Kargil our nation has been re-
newed. The mood though som-
bre, is confident. National will
stands sharpened. The sacrifice
of our youth has not and will not
be in vain. That is the solemn
message of Kargil to the nation
and to the world. I close with the
poignant words of the memorial
at Kohima, that stands tall and
proud on a hill, commemorat-
ing those who fell in another war:
“When you go home
Tell them of us
And say
For your Tomorrow
We gave our Today.”
Go gle
Embassy Diary:
e With approvals from several US authorities in hand, the
plans for the construction of the Mahatma Gandhi
Memorial are now in their final stages. The memorial, which
will be installed on Massachusetts Avenue opposite the
Embassy, will have a statue of the Father of the Nation as
its centerpiece.
The Embassy worked on all fronts to put forward India’s
position during the Kargil crisis to US policy makers both
in the US Congress and in the Administration. The
Ambassador, Deputy Chief of Mission and other senior
Officials also met prominent members of think tanks and
the US media to keep them up-to-date on developments.
Embassy's website www.indianembassy.org was also
usefully employed to project India’s viewpoints during
the Karsil crisis.
The Embassy continued its efforts to reach out to different
sections of the United States public as well as the Indian
American community. The Ambassador and the Deputy
Chief of Mission sent out letters at regular intervals to
apprise the community of current developments in Indo-
US relations and Goverment of India’s policies. They and
other officers also participated in several community
functions both in Washington and other parts of the
country including the Indo-American Friendship Council's
annual meeting in Washington, Independence Day
festivities and Parade in Chicago, the 17th Annual American
Association of the Physicians of India’s origin, San
Francisco, JAINA Convention, Philadelphia besides several
other functions.
The Embassy continued its interaction with all sections of
the media including major television networks.
Ambassador Naresh Chandra spoke at a function at
National Press Club on May 20 and Deputy Chief of Mission
Mr. T.P. Sreenivasan spoke at another function organized
at the National Press Club on August 9.
The Embassy cooperated with the Smithsonian Institution
in organizing a six part lecture series on Rajasthan, with
the National Museum for Women in Arts to present the
creation of Indian women, and with the John Hopkins
Institute and the Smithsonian Institute for their programme
on religion and traditions in India.
—]
INDIA NEWS ¢ August 15,1999 5
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PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS from page 1
in the future. We have to remain united and prepared not
only when war-like situations come upon us, but in normal
times also, so that we are not ever again taken unawares
by surprise attacks. We have to pay special attention to
strengthening our armed forces, equip them with the latest
weapons and force multipliers. Hitherto our expenditure
on defence has been one of the lowest in the world in
terms of percentage of the GDP, much lower than that of
our neighbours. It is incumbent upon us to rectify this
imbalance.
At the same time let us remember that a country is de-
fended not by arms alone but by wise policies and the
strength of its economy, by the justice and cohesion of its
society, by the unity of its people. We are a peace-loving
people by nature and tradition. We wish to live in peace
with our neighbours and with the entire world. Indeed it
was due to this passion for peace and our desire to avoid
a fratricidal civil war, in the sub-continent, that the leaders
of the Indian National Congress agreed to the partition of
our motherland into India and Pakistan. It is ironic that this
great sacrifice on our part and our desire to live in peace
with Pakistan have not prevented unprovoked aggression
and subversion against our country. In October 1947, in
the very first year of our independence, Pakistan launched
an attack on us in order to wrest Jammu and Kashmir
from the Indian Union. On October 29th Mahatma Gandhi
said at his prayer meeting in Delhi that now that “the
Maharaja of Kashmir has announced his decision to ac-
cede to the Indian Union ...and that he has taken refuge
in the Indian Union, he should be protected”. Answering
the question as to what should the small band of Indian
soldiers sent to Srinagar by air do, Gandhiji said: “Let
them fight to the end. The job of armed soldiers is to
march ahead and repel the attacking enemy. They die in
fighting, but never retreat”. It was this advice by the Father
of the Nation and the apostle of non-violence that our
brave soldiers followed in 1947 and in the recent attack on
us in the Kargil area in Jammu and Kashmir.
In January 1948 Gandhiji said “We must never, under any
circumstances, treat anyone as our enemy...My reason
and my heart tell me that, if for some reason, we are
unable to forge friendship between Muslims and Hindus,
not only here but in Pakistan and in the whole world, we
shall not be able to keep our free India for long. It will pass
into the hands of others”, and the freedom gained by both
India and Pakistan “will be lost”. On the awful prospect of
a war between India and Pakistan he further warmed, with
his shrewd insight into the real politik of the world, that “If
you imagine to-day that we can fight and win, let me say
that even before you do so, some other world power is
going to swallow us up. It will swallow, in fact, both the
countries.
If all my friends who are sensible people and who have
spent several years with me in my work, understand that
much, we would all be safe”.
While driving this basic point home Gandhiji had a clear
grasp of the reality of the situation and said “The fact is
that Pakistan has invaded Kashmir. Indian troops have
gone there as defenders at the express Invitation of the
6 INDIANEWS « August 15, 1999
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Maharaja of the State and of Sheik Abdullah who is the
real leader of the Kashmiri people. | shall advise Pakistan
and India to sit together and decide the matter. If they are
interested in a settlement what is the need for an arbitra-
tor.” Gandhiji was against the intervention of a third party
or of a foreign hand as arbitrator. I recall these words
today because they sum up the totality of the position
which we have followed. That was our position at the
Shimla Summit in 1972 and that was the position our
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee took when he traveled
to Lahore this year and signed the Lahore Declaration with
the Prime Minister of Pakistan. We adhere to the same
friendly stand but, as we have been let down more than
once in the past, it is prudent of us and it is our duty to
our people to be prepared for any surprise attack on us.
We have to act according to the old adage that eternal
vigilance is the price of freedom as well as of peace.
Friends, as we celebrate our Independence to-morrow we
recall in grateful remembrance the band of great and
selfless men and women who led us in the struggle —
Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai
Patel, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Babu Rajendra Prasad,
Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, Sarojini Naidu and the in-
comparable Netaji Subash Chandra Bose, and a host of
others. We also recall the foot soldiers of that struggle,
countless heroes and heroines who carried aloft the ban-
ner of Swaraj. Their aim was to free this ancient land so
that millions of Indians sunk in poverty, disease and squa-
lor would rise and live in dignity as free human beings. We
have yet to redeem the pledge they gave to our people.
One third of our people still live below the poverty level,
almost half of our adult population is illiterate, and more
than half of our children are under-nourished. And withal
our population is increasing at an alarming rate - it has
been estimated that India’s population would cross the
one billion mark on Independence Day. The great strides
we have made in economic development and in the im-
provement in the condition of our people has been, to
some extent, negatived by this population explosion. We
have to gather the political and social will to stem this tide,
instead of frittering away our energies in the pursuit of the
politics of power and pelf. Great causes cry out for our
urgent attention. The women of India have not yet come
out of the long night of discrimination, inequality and
denial of rights in which they have been living for ages.
But it is gratifying to note that in different parts of India
they have been rising and organizing themselves in move-
ments for self-employment and economic empowerment.
They need political support. The struggle for the basic and
minimum needs of our people - for food, nutrition, health,
education, drinking water and energy — remain an unfin-
ished business. The magnitude of these problems is so
immense that if we do not address them as our over-riding
political, social and economic priorities, the galloping popu-
lation would overwhelm us in the future. Against this
background | am glad to recognize the grass-root move-
ments cropping up in different parts of our country for
supervision of development programmes by the people
for education, health, employment, etc. for which Govem-
ment has set apart large sums of money. The Right to
information is one such grass-root movement which de-
serves wider popular and legislative support. Our natural
environment and life sources such as air, water and land
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are to-day receiving greater attention than before, thanks
to the efforts of citizens and NGO's. But I am afraid, by and
large, we remain reckless consumers than preservers of
these life-sources. It is time that we took conservation and
other environmental questions not as fashionable posi-
tions but as matters of life and death. No development will
be sustainable or justifiable that ignores Nature and the
human being.
On the 26th of November this year it will be 50 years since
we adopted, enacted and gave to ourselves the Constitu-
tion of India. The Constitution is the sheet anchor of our
polity. It is my earnest hope that it would continue to be
tespected by all, and be an instrument of social change
and transformation of the status of the underprivileged as
envisaged by Babasaheb Ambedkar.
Science and technology, which occupy the centre stage in
our progress is paying heed to the human dimensions of
development. Thanks to the efforts put in during the first
two or three decades India can today boast of a stabilized
green revolution, a diversified industrial infrastructure, and
a Science and Technology-base for our further develop-
ment. While Jawaharlal Nehru’s vision of “science solving
the problem of hunger and poverty” in our country has not
yet been fulfilled, we have been able to break the back of
the demon of hunger by resort to science in our agricul-
ture. Our progress in the development of satellites, atomic
energy, information technology and bio-technology are
not merely climbing the high peaks of Science and Tech-
nology, but are applying the techniques to grass-root prob-
lems and to the human needs of the country. It is hearten-
ing that our scientists are now wide awake to the impor-
tance of patenting our diverse genetic riches before they
are taken away by the advanced nations. India is bound to
emerge as a major scientific-technological power in the
new millennium.
Rolling back or putting a cap on the advancement of
science is contrary to the very spirit and nature of science,
and against the equitable world order that we are pledged
to bring into being.
Friends, in a few weeks from now the people of India will
be exercising their franchise to elect the 13th Lok Sabha
and some of the State Assemblies. Our record of orderly
elections, which form the basis of our democratic polity, is
now acknowledged by the world. Indian voters have exer-
cised their franchise and chosen their representatives with
practical common sense; they have reposed confidence
with generosity; withdrawn it without ambiguity; created,
preserved and demolished mandates. No one dares take
the Indian voter for granted. It is gratifying for us that today
the world significance of Indian democracy has begun to
dawn upon the developed democracies of the world. But
still we must not forget that often in global power-politics
the blood of strategic affinity is thicker than the life-giving
waters of democracy.
I would like to avail this opportunity to urge all contestants
and campaigners in the coming polls to maintain our
democracy’s track record, to abjure appeals of a narrow
sectarian nature and show a broad tolerance of opinions of
others. I trust that the ugly phenomenon of voter-intimida-
tion and booth-capturing which has marred voting in some
Google
pockets in the past, will not be tolerated anywhere on this
occasion. The firmness shown in this regard by our Elec-
tion Commission has been widely appreciated.
Our Election Commission, our Judiciary and other Consti-
tutional authorities like the Office of the Comptroller and
Auditor General of India, are institutions of which we are
proud for their impartiality, objectivity and sense of re-
sponsibility.
Likewise we derive great satisfaction from the functioning
of the National Commissions that have been set up for the
welfare of our minorities, women, scheduled castes and
scheduled tribes and other vulnerable sections of our so-
ciety.
Fellow citizens and friends, on this last Independence Day
of the century we have every reason to look forward to the
new millennium with hope and self-assurance. Despite all
the obstacles set in our path we are well served by the
strength of our democratic institutions and we draw suste-
nance from our rich heritage from the past and from the
reawakened spirit of our people. In this spirit we send our
greetings to our neighbours in South Asia - to Bangladesh,
Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Pakistan with
whom we are engaged in the adventure of building up
SAARC as a prosperous and viable regional entity. We
also send our greetings to the friendly countries of ASEAN
with whom we are closely associated, to Japan and to the
countries of West Asia and Central Asia with whom we
have traditional ties of friendship. | am delighted that our
relations with the People’s Republic of China have im-
proved. On the 50th anniversary of the founding of the
People’s Republic of China and of the establishment of
diplomatic relations between the two countries, | would
like to send our warm greetings to the people and govern-
ment of China. It is a matter of satisfaction to us that our
relations with the countries of the sister continent of Africa,
the Commonwealth of Nations, the European Union and
the United States of America are marked by warmth and
understanding. Our close relations with our time-tested
friend, Russia, continue to develop and diversify in several
fields as well as in multilateral fora; this is most gratifying.
From the inception of our independence India has been
striving for a one-world that is free from the scourge of war
and free of weapons of mass destruction. In the new
century that is at our doorstep we pledge ourselves to
persist with this effort. Towards this we would like to see
the full potential and scope of the United Nations Organi-
zation realized through wider representation and restruc-
turing. We will continue to attach the greatest importance
to the Non-Aligned Movement in the formation of which
we take pride and which has played an important role in
ending the nightmare of the Cold War and which we be-
lieve is of relevance in providing stability and balance to
the pluralistic world order that is emerging.
Friends, on this Independence Day let us resolve to imbue
our lives with the spirit of that midnight hour when we
made our tryst with destiny. May the tricolor continue to
inspire us and fulfil our destiny as a people and as a
nation.
Jai Hind
INDIA NEWS © August 15,1999 7
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Text of Joint India-US Communique on the Exchange of the
Instruments of Ratification of the Indo-US Extradition Treaty
New Delhi, July 21, 1999
“The Governments of India and the United States today exchanged instruments of ratification for
the bilateral Extradition Treaty which was signed by both countries in June 1997. The exchange
has brought this treaty into force from today.
The new extradition treaty has replaced the 1931 Extradition Treaty between the United States
and the United Kingdom which was, till date, also in force between the United States and India.
The treaty is an important step in India-US law enforcement cooperation and cooperation in the
area of counter-terrorism. This exchange constitutes yet another milestone in the continuing
cooperation between our two democracies to promote the continued growth of our contacts and
exchanges in different areas on the basis of mutual benefit and goodwill.”
Salient Points of the Extradition Treaty
signed between India and the U.S. in June 1997
Extraditable offenses:
The offense is extraditable if punishable under the
laws in both contracting parties by imprisonments
for more than one year or by a more severe pen-
alty. This applies:
a) whether or not the laws in the contracting state
place the offense within the same category of
offenses or describe the offense by the same
terminology;
©) whether or not the office is one for which
United States federal law requires the showing
of such matters as interstate transportation, or
use of the mails or of other facilities affecting
interstate or foreign commerce, such matters
being merely for the purpose of establishing
jurisdiction in a United States federal court; or
c) whether or not it relates to taxation or revenue
or is one of a purely fiscal character.
Extradition shall be granted for an extraditable
offense regardless of where the act or acts consti-
tuting the offense were committed.
While extradition shall not be granted for a politi-
cal offense, the following shall not be considered
to be political offenses:
Murder or other willful crime against a Head of
8 INDIA NEWS © August 15, 1999
Go gle
State or Head of Govemment or a member of their
family, aircraft hijacking offenses, aviation sabo-
tage, crimes against internationally protected per-
sons including diplomats, hostage taking, offenses
related to illegal drugs, or any other offenses for
which both contracting states have the obligation
to extradite the person pursuant to a multilateral
intemational agreement.
Procedures:
All requests for extradition shall be submitted
through the diplomatic channel and be supported
oy required documents, statements, information
describing the facts of the offense, statements of
the relevant provisions of the law regarding the
offense as well as the punishment, a copy of the
warrant or the order of arrest, and such informa-
tion as would justify the committal for trial of the
person in the requested state. For those already
convicted of an offense, extradition request shall
be supported also by a copy of the judgement of
conviction or a statement by a judicial authority
that the person has been convicted.
In case of urgency, a contracting state may request
the provisional arrest the person sought pending
proposal of the request of extradition.
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Prime Minister Vajpayee’s
Independence Day address to the Nation
Sisters, Brothers and
Dear Children,
Accept my greetings on the sacred occasion of Inde-
pendence Day. This is a day of hallowed remem-
brance for us. This is a day of dedication for us.
This year’s Independence Day has special signifi-
cance for all of us. The present century is coming to
an end. The world will have entered the next century
by the time of the next Independence Day.
As we stand at the sunset of the 20th century, and
look back at the events of the era that has passed, we
see the end of colonialism from Indian soil to be the
most important development. Our great leaders, and
many generations of our countrymen, waged a pow-
erful struggle for independence. By doing so, they
paved the way for the independence of other coun-
tries, too. We pay our homage to those self-sacrific-
ing and devoted leaders and patriots who struggled
for freedom throughout their lives, and, when neces-
sary, even laid down their lives as aahuti (offering) in
the great yagya of freedom.
Come, all my countrymen, let us strive to become
worthy heirs to those great leaders. We dedicate
today’s sacred day to their memory.
In the same way, | offer my condolences to the val-
iant jawans, officers and others belonging to the Army
and the Air Force, who displayed magnificent hero-
ism and the spirit of sacrifice in recapturing that part
of our Motherland in Kargil from the enemy. All of us
bow our heads in gratitude for those who were
martyred in the Kargil war.
Almost all our countrymen have seen on television
glimpses of the impossible summits, which our he-
roes overcame and pushed out the enemy. To gain
victory at such heights is not only to surmount the
sky-piercing peaks, it displays the full might of the
jot It is a symbol of the bravery of our Armed
orces.
How can we forget such heroes?
How can we forget those wounded soldiers whose
only wish was: how fast can we get well and rejoin
our battalion to repulse the enemy?
How can we forget the members of the families of
those brave martyrs, who, on receiving the body of
their beloved, said, “We do not have tears in our
eyes, we have pride in our heart”? How can we forget
the mother whose lament was that she had had only
one son, and therefore, could not send another to
fight for our country?
I know that mere words of solace are not enough. We
Google
have to take concrete measures for the families of
the martyrs and wounded soldiers so that they may
live a life of comfort and dignity. It has been said that
we remember and honour soldiers during a war, and
in the immediate aftermath. But as the days pass, we
forget them. And it is a sad fact that many who sac-
tificed their life and limb in previous wars were often
forgotten. I give you my personal pledge that this will
not happen again.
This Red Fort and its world-renowned ramparts are
not merely a geographical spot. The very heartbeat
of India’s freedom struggle is linked to this fort and
its ramparts. In the First War of Independence of
1857, this is where Bahadur Shah Zafar was held a
prisoner.
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose made this very fort the
target of his campaign in 1943 and, blowing the bugle
of Independence, gave the stirring call to his coun-
trymen: “Dilli Chalo, Chalo Lal Kile”
It is from this very fort that our first Prime Minister,
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru hoisted for the first time, the
tricolour of Free India in 1947.
More than half a century has passed. Today, we stand
at the threshold of a new era. Come, let us enter this
new era united in step and united in resolve.
When | addressed you from this rampart last year,
there was uncertainty and cynicism in the atmosphere.
: was being asked:
® Will we be able to withstand economic sanctions?
© To what extent will we be able to ward off the
economic crisis, which had struck the Tiger econo-
mies of Southeast Asia?
e Will the Government be allowed to carry on its
work?
Today, speaking to a self-confident India, | declare:
© Sanctions have lost their effect. They have be-
come a thing of the past. We have dealt with them
in such a way that they hardly had any effect on
our economy;
© We kept the South-east Asian economic crisis at
bay;
e Yes, the Government was brought down, but the
country was not. It continued to march ahead, ful-
filling the mantra of Charaiveti, Charaiveti (Move
on, Move on). The Government continued to dis-
charge its duty.
© Most important, a war was imposed on us.
We have not just triumphed over difficulties, we have
achieved much. In spite of obstacles that were put in
our way,
See PRIME MINISTER'S ADDRESS Page 10
INDIA NEWS ¢ August 15,1999 9
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PRIME MINISTER’S ADDRESS
from page 9
¢ Our National Income has grown by 6 percent;
Having crossed 200 million tonnes, production of
foodgrains is higher today than ever before;
© Food stocks are higher today than ever. For this
our kisans deserve our felicitations. Our agricul-
tural scientists are also worthy of our praise.
Industrial production is reviving at an energetic
pace;
© The new initiatives which have been taken in infra-
structure have infused a new purposefulness right
across the economy;
At over 30 billion dollars our foreign exchange
reserves are higher than ever before;
© The Sensex in the stock market has risen to record
levels. In spite of Kargil, our companies have been
able to increase their market value by over Rs.
200,000 crore.
e The off-take of cement for building houses is 22
percent higher than it has ever been;
Facilities which were known only to the rich, to the
few, and in our cities alone — insurance for their
output, credit cards — are now available to, and
are being taken advantage of by farmers and by
others in our far-flung villages.
And we are stronger than ever. Pokharan has given
us enviable strength and self-confidence. AGNI-2 has
been tested — in the face of pressures — and will be
integrated into our defence arsenal.
PSLV and INSAT 2-E have been launched. What a
feat our scientists have accomplished: sending not
just one, but three satellites on a single rocket far out
into space, and placing each of them at the precise
point in space, which had been fixed. This has been
a magnificent achievement.
Yes, one thing has certainly come down. It is the rate
of inflation. At 1.3 percent, this is the lowest rate in
seventeen years.
There has also been a sea change in the way the
world sees us. Last year we had taken a major step
— Pokharan-2 — which was essential for our secu-
rity, a step which had been contemplated for long
but which could not be taken because of the pres-
sures which were put on successive governments.
Some did not agree with our assessment. Some even
sought to portray us as an irresponsible nation. How-
ever today, within a year, in the councils of the world,
“India” is synonymous with “responsibility”.
The world has seen that we will protect our national
interest at all costs: whether it is in developing an
atomic weapons capability, whether it is in develop-
ing missile-capability, whether it is in driving adver-
saries out of our land:
¢ The world has seen that we will withstand all pres-
sures that are intended to keep us from taking the
10 INDIA NEWS « August 15, 1999
Google
measures that we consider necessary in our na-
tional interest;
¢ Also the world has seen that whatever we will do
will be for self-defence, never for aggression.
But the world has also seen that we are capable of
doing so with utmost restraint, with utmost respon-
sibility. These were the principles, which guided us
when Pakistan forced the Kargil war on us. Our re-
sponse was well-thought out. It was so effective that
it left the enemy stunned.
The world today has well realized that we would do
whatever is required to protect our country. The world
has also understood that we would act with utmost
responsibility and restraint even when so gravely pro-
voked. This has raised the reputation of India in the
international community.
The Lahore bus journey was taken to improve our
relations with Pakistan. This made the world realize
that we truly want peace and friendship. This journey
was not a showpiece. It was a serious and well-con-
sidered move, which we made knowing fully well that
there could be risks in it.
Our honesty made an impact on the international
community. Later, when the bus to Lahore was taken
to Kargil, it did not take much time for the world to
realize that Pakistan not only violated the Shimla
Agreement and the Lahore Declaration, but it also
crossed the borders of trust and goodwill.
That is what tured the world’s opinion. Pakistan stood
completely isolated on the world stage. India received
widespread support in the world for the first time.
I do hope that the people of Pakistan too will reflect
on these events. We reached out to you with a mes-
sage of friendship. What did we gain in return? Hun-
dreds lost their lives. Relations were spoilt. The re-
sources which ought to have been used for economic
and social development were instead spent on war.
We need peace in order to raise the standard of living
of the people in both countries. For peace, we need
trust. Has trust increased on account of all that hap-
pened in Kargil, Does the path of armed intrusion
lead to friendship?
Terrorists are being trained in Pakistan. Camps are
being run for them. Hordes of terrorists are being
sent into India. They are killing innocent people. They
are targeting women and children. How can mean-
ingful dialogue take place in this atmosphere?
Pakistan must realize that no problem can be re-
solved if it continues to promote terrorist activities.
We shall not let the evil designs of terrorists succeed.
Today, Punjab is free of terrorism. The people of
Jammu and Kashmir are fed up with terrorism. Even
Assam and the North-East are affected.
All of us want peace. People are worried about the
future of their children.
Terrorism is a curse on the world. When it is com-
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bined with religious extremism, it becomes a graver
danger to humanity. All of you are familiar with the
saying “Karela Aur Neem Chadha” (The bitterness of
Karela is further worsened by adding to it the bitter-
ness of Neem.)
In our case, over thirty five thousand of our people
have been killed by terrorists. Terrorism has become
a big problem in many other parts of the world, too.
It is obstructing the path of peace and development.
Today, there is a need to mobilize world opinion
against terrorism. Today, on the occasion of Inde-
pendence Day, India stands with full self-confidence.
Our gaze is turned to the future. Our standing in the
world has risen. Now, the people are not attracted by
the controversies and narrow_disputes of yesterday.
Throughout the war in Kargil, | was specially satis-
fea by two features.
© There was no communal tension anywhere in the
country. Goodwill and brotherhood prevailed ev-
erywhere, including in Jammu and Kashmir. This
must have despaired those who thought that riots
would break out in India as soon as the spark of
war is lit. Those who hatched the conspiracy of
strife, must have been truly disillusioned. The
people of all sections of society worked for India’s
success in the war. A powerful wave of patriotism
traveled everywhere.
e When | went to Kargil and met our jawans, I saw
our entire country there: soldiers from Nagaland,
from Assam, from Tamil Nadu, from almost every
state were fighting for the country. There was not
the slightest distance between them on account of
caste or religion or region.
This is the real India. We must make their oneness
our own. We have to live for this India. We have to
work for this India. And, if necessary, we have to lay
down our lives for this India, as our brave jawans did.
Kargil has once again shown that whenever our pa-
triotism is aroused, all of us stand as one with full
confidence and determination, as a fist clenched in
conviction. We face our challenges unitedly. Our
adversaries should beware of this.
At the same time, there is an equally important les-
son for us. Now that the crisis has been beaten back,
do not unclench this fist of unity.
The battle is not over. New challenges are knocking
at our doors. The patriotism that coursed through the
veins of Indians should be made a permanent feature
of our lives.
All of us remember the talisman Gandhiji gave us:
when in doubt about what to do, he taught us, think
of the least, of the most helpless man you have seen,
ask yourself, “Will this step be in his interest?” he
said, and you will see all your doubts melt away.
Kargil gives us a second talisman: As we contem-
plate a step, let us ask ourselves: “Is it worthy of the
sojdier who gave his life on those mountains? Does
Google
the impulse which lies behind it measure up to the
spirit which filled that soldier as he fought to protect
our Motherland?”
The challenges that confront us cannot be overcome
only by the men on the frontiers doing their duty.
There is a need for an organized and disciplined nation
to stand behind them. We must defend our country
and develop our society by keeping national inter-
ests utmost in our minds. If our economy is not strong,
and if we are not self-reliant in important matters of
national security, then we cannot successfully face
external challenges.
All of us, wherever we may be, whatever work we
may be doing, we should discharge our responsibili-
ties well. We must never allow any limb of our nation
or society to become weak. It is clear from the effec-
tive way in which we have overcome our challenges
and dealt with our difficulties, that we can do any-
thing if we resolve to do it. What is needed is to take
a pledge: that whatever we can do, we will now do.
I have a vision of India: an India free of hunger and
fear, an India free of illiteracy and want.
| dream of an India that is prosperous, strong and
caring. An India, that regains a place of honour in the
comity of great nations.
¢ Come, let us build an India in which we have bal-
anced development that benefits all regions and
all sections of society. | note with regret that sev-
eral regions in the country — including the North-
Eastern States — have been the victims of unbal-
anced progress. The nation has an especially press-
ing obligation to bring the people of the North-East
into the developmental mainstream.
© Come, let us build an India in which Dalits, Adivasis,
and Backward Classes are not only freed from eco-
nomic deprivation, but also enjoy the fruits of so-
cial justice. The path that will take us to this ideal
is the path of samata, mamata, and samajik
samarasata.
© Come, let us build an India in which our nari shakti
—our women — are able to realize its full potential
— from shaping the future of their families to shap-
ing the future of the nation. It is our collective
responsibility to empower them economically, so-
cially, educationally and also politically. In this
regard, | would like to see early passage of the
legislation to reserve seats for women in Parlia-
ment and State Assemblies. We have already seen
how women have given an excellent account of
themselves wherever they have got an opportunity
to serve in panchayats and other local bodies.
Come, let us build an India in which the minorities
fully enjoy the fruits of national development, while
having full opportunities to contribute to it. Our
country belongs to all. And all are entitled to equal
and fair treatment in the eyes of the law and the
Government. India, which is home to the great secu-
See PRIME MINISTER’S ADDRESS Page 12
INDIA NEWS © August 15,1999 11
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PRIME MINISTER’S ADDRESS
from page 11
lar principle of Sarva Panth Samabhau, fully guar-
antees the religious freedom of all communities. It
is a matter of immense pride for India that all the
religions of the world have a harmonious co-exist-
ence here. Unity in Diversity is our priceless heri-
tage.
It is also a matter of much satisfaction that the past
year has seen a record low in communal violence.
© India is the largest democracy in the world. The
tradition of democracy in our country is very old.
When this Century opened, democracy was the
preserve of just a handful of countries, and even in
them it was limited to small sections of the people.
Today there are just a handful who are still out of
the pale of democracy. There is scarcely a country
whose people do not aspire to it.
Come, let us strengthen Indian democracy. Let us
make it an ideal for other countries of the world. Let
us transform our political democracy into economic
and social democracy.
© Come, let us make India a nation of high achievers
— in every sphere. In business and economy, in
education, in science and technology, in arts and
culture, and also in sports. Let us make India syn-
onymous with “achievement”, achievement of the
kind that can be benchmarked globally. All of us
are heartened by what our young men and women
have achieved in recent times. The success stories
of young Indians working abroad are making head-
lines almost every day. If young Indians can script
such shining successes abroad, why shouldn't we
create conditions for them to do so right here?
Come let us together build a Parishrami Bharat, a
Parakrami Bharat, a Vijayi Bharat.
To realize this vision, let us step out of the swamp of
negativity.
Let us not be obsessed with the past. Face the future.
March with confidence towards the goal.
Turn from problems — to solutions.
Today, when the 20th century is coming to an end,
and the 21st century is knocking at our doorsteps, let
us draw inspiration from our glorious past and re-
solve to build an even more glorious future.
We are inheritors of an ageless culture and a proud
civilization. Greatness is our past — and also our
future.
Come, let us make good use of the natural and hu-
man resources of our Motherland, Bharat and make
the 21st century, India’s century.
Come, let all of us together raise our voice in saying:
Jai Hind,
Jai Hind,
Jai Hind.
12 INDIA NEWS © August 15, 1999
Excerpts from
Ambassador Naresh Chandra’s Chat
on Rediff on the Net — August 11, 1999
Q. “Dear Mr. Chandra, congratulations to you and your
staff at Washington, for doing such a wonderful
Job in presenting India’s case during the Kargil cri-
sis. What do you think the NRI community in the
US should do to better represent India?”
A. “Thank you for your good wishes. People of Indian
origin and NRIs are doing a great job and all | can
suggest is that all should keep themselves informed
and interact meaningfully with our American friends
to point out areas of mutual interest and concerns.
This way we can utilise Indo-US relationships for the
benefit of the South Asia region as a whole.”
Q. “Hello Mr. Chandra, hearty congratulations to you
on a job well done. Sir, what repercussions do you
see to India downing a Pakistani surveillance plane?
In fact, today they have fired a missile at us. Do you
agree that the main battle will be won on the diplo-
matic front? Are we prepared for it?”
A. “Thank you. I agree with you that a solution does not
lie in military activity. Diplomacy is a better option,
but the best option is to improve people-to-people re-
lations. There is a lot of goodwill in India for people in
Pakistan and | am sure many sections of Pakistani
people reciprocate this feeling. What we have to pre-
are for, is to do everything possible to counter misin-
formation and propaganda and promote more under-
standing between the peoples for their mutual benefit
and development.”
Q. Mr. Chandra, Indla has been at odds with Pakistan
since Independence . . . . How do you see us resolv-
ing our differences? Is there a middle road? What In
your opinion is the best solution? Why can't we de-
marcate the border properly once and for all?”
A. It is unfortunate that India and Pakistan have been at
odds but believe me, there is a middle road and the
people of South Asia are increasingly realising that
their future lies in cooperation and economic devel-
opment. To reach this best solution, we have to counter
terrorist and propagandist activity, ie, discourage the
wrong set of people and encourage the more respon-
sible sections for our mutual benefit.”
Q. “Hello Mr. Chandra. It is true that Kargil has indeed
changed US perceptions towards India — albelt toa
small extent? That is certainly encouraging. But do
we — the Government of India, the diplomatic corps
and you people on the spot who are the pointsmen
— have the big picture in mind? A comprehensive
strategy to put India-US relations on a truly collabo-
rative course? If so what are its salient features?”
US perceptions about India and Pakistan have been
changing for some time. Kargil only helped to bring it
out into the open. The US and other Western coun-
tries as well as China are concerned at the growth of
fanaticism and fundamentalism in Pakistan and Af-
ghanistan. Kargil was the latest example of a very
dangerous nexus between terrorists and a professional
army. This has alarmed most countries who in a
friendly way are also deeply concerned about its ad-
verse effects on Pakistani society itself. We have the
big picture in mind and our attempt is not to show
Pakistan down but to normalise the situation and bring
about the necessary atmosphere for meaningful dia-
logue and cooperation with them. That is the big pic-
ture we have for India-Pakistan and other people in
South Asia”
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National Defence Fund
Government of India and Embassy of India continue to receive a number of offers for contributions
to the welfare of the armed forces in India. Taking these into account, the Government of India
has decided that those who wish to make voluntary contributions may do so by sending check
in dollars or rupees to the National Defence Fund.
Checks/Money Orders should be drawn in favor of
one of the following addresses.
can be sent to any
National Defence Fund National Defence Fund
Embassy of India Secretary
Attn: Commodore V.K. Bhansali Prime Minister’s Office
Naval Attaché South Block, New Delhi 110011
2107 Massachusetts Avenue, NW India
Washington, DC 20008
Additionally, Checks/Money Orders can also be sent to Army Welfare Fund. The checks/money
order should be drawn in favor of
should be drawn in favor of
for credit to
Subroto Park, New Delhi Branch- 110 010 INDIA
Deputy Director(CW-8)
Army Central Welfare Fund,
Adjutant General’s Branch .
Army Headquarters,
West Block-Ill
R.K. Puram, New Delhi 110 066
India
To facilitate payment by NRI's in the US, ICICI Banking Corporation Limited has opened an
account in New York. Contributors must instruct there banks with the following instructions:
First Union Bank International,
180 Maiden Lane, 18th Floor
NY 10038, New York, USA
Swift Code: PNBPUS3NNYC
Routing Number: (FEDWIRE ABA) - 021000021
CHIPS UID No: 340828 for Credit of Account No. 2000191000069
ICICI] Banking Corporation Ltd,
Account No. 01/6823 at New Delhi, INDIA
Checks/Money Orders can also be sent to Air Force Welfare Fund. The checks/money order
Indian Air Force Central Welfare Fund
AFGIS Building, Subroto Park, New Delhi - 110010 INDIA
For Non-Resident Indians: Contributors may remit their donations in
CITI BANK N.A,
111 Wall Street,
New York-NY-10043, USA
CANARA BANK,
Foreign Department,
New Delhi,
A/C No. 36052814
for further credit to Indian Air Force Central Welfare Fund
A/C No. ‘KRG-IAF-503’
INDIA NEWS ¢ August 15,1999 13
Google
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The Election Commission
Role
Under Article 324 of the Indian constitution the
Election Commission is vested with the role of
supervision, direction and control of prepara-
tion of the electoral rolls for, and the conduct of,
all elections to Parliament and to the Legisla-
ture of every state and of elections to the offices
of the President and Vice President.
General Elections 1952 - 1998
There has been a marked increase in the total number of candidates
contesting in the elections. While in 1952 there were 1864
candidates for 489 seats, the number steadily increased to 4,620
candidates in 1980. During the 1991 elections the number of
candidates contesting had increased almost twice fold to 8,699.
In the 11th General elections a record of 13,952 candidates
contested for the 543 seats. During the 12th General elections
however the number had fallen to 4,750 due to the increase of
security deposit amount.
me | st [onan | tee | vores | ee
Fase | en | aoe rraeraees | roms [600 |
957 [a4 | 164 | 195658067 | 195.46,615 | 290,78
fee [94 | 1905 [oreares | 119904 | e50946
fr [seo [9369] 249003354 | 159,724.67 | 267555
fant [ sie | s.7e4 | 7694. | 151596608 | 960
for [se] 94a | 1,74307 | 194985975 [358908 |
543 i
a
99 a "
*Excluding Jammu & Kashmir
E
Before each general election to the House of the
People, the Legislative Assembly of each State,
the first general election and thereafter before
each biennial election to the Legislative Council
of each State having such Council, the Presi-
dent may also appoint Regional Commission-
ers as he may consider necessary to assist the
Election Commission in the performance of
functions listed above. The conditions of ser-
vice and tenure of office of the Election Com-
missioners and the Regional Commissioners
14 INDIA NEWS © August 15, 1999
Go gle
shall be determined by the President as per
tules, and subject to the provisions of any law
made by Parliament:
The President or the Governor of a State, will
make available as many staff as is required by
the Election Commissioner the discharge of
duties conferred on the Election Commission
as stated above.
General Electoral Roll and Elections
based on adult suffrage
There can be no special category, electoral role
based on grounds of religion, sex or race, and
elections to the House of the People and to the
Legislative assemblies is to be on the basis of
adult suffrage, i.e, every Indian citizen who is
not less than eighteen years of age on such
date as may be fixed under any law, made by
the appropriate Legislature and is not otherwise
disqualified on grounds of non-residence, un-
soundness of mind, crime or corrupt legal prac-
tice, shall be entitled to be registered as a voter
at any such election.
Representation of Women in the Lok Sabha
* One member was nominated by the President
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EMBASSY OF INDIA
Press & Information
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Washington, DC 20008
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Address to the Nation by The President of
India K.R. Narayanan on the Eve of
INdepeNndence Day .......eeerssceseceersessseeeseres 1
Message from Ambassador Naresh Chandra...... 1
Kargll and Beyond (Statement by Sh. Jaswant
Singh, Minister of External Affairs) ............000 Q
Embassy Dlary......c.cccsccssssesscssesscesercessseseesseeseees 5
Joint India-US Communique on the Exchange
of the Instruments of the Indo-US
Extradition Treaty .......cccscsscsssscscsrssesssesserees 8
Salient Point of the Extradition Treaty signed
between India and the US in June 1997........ 8
Prime Minister Vajpayee’s Independence Day
Address to the Nation ......cccsssessenesesssesees 9
Excerpts from Ambassador Naresh Chandra's
Chat on Rediff on the Net .. “
National Defence FUN ......sseccccsscstscessseneeene
The Election COMMISSION. .....c..ccsscesesreesereees
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The issue of this periodical Sept. 1999
is not available. Please ask at a service desk
for alternative access to articles in this issue.
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Draft Report of
National Security Advisory Board on
Indian Nuclear Doctrine
August 17, 1999
Preamble
1.1. The use of nuclear weapons in particular as well as
other weapons of mass destruction constitutes the grav-
est threat to humanity and to peace and stability in the
international system. Unlike the other two categories of
weapons of mass destruction, biological and chemical
weapons which have been outlawed by international trea-
ties, nuclear weapons remain instruments for national
and collective security, the possession of which on a
selective basis has been sought to be legitimised through
permanent extension of the Nuclear. Non-proliferation
Treaty (NPT) in May 1995. Nuclear weapon states have
asserted that they will continue to rely on nuclear weap-
ons with some of them adopting policies to use them
even in a non-nuclear context. These developments
amount to virtual abandonment of nuclear disarmament.
This is a serious setback to the struggle of the international
community to abolish weapons of mass destruction.
1.2. India’s primary objective is to achieve economic,
political, social, scientific and technological development
within a peaceful and democratic framework. This re-
quires an environment of durable peace and insurance
against potential risks to peace and stability. It will be
India’s endeavour to proceed towards this overall objec-
tive in cooperation with the global democratic trends and
to play a constructive role in advancing the international
system toward a just, peaceful and equitable order.
1.3. Autonomy of decision making in the developmen-
tal process and in strategic matters is an inalienable
democratic right of the Indian people. India will strenu-
ously guard this right in a world where nuclear weapons
for a select few are sought to be legitimised for an indefi-
nite future, and where there is growing complexity and
frequency in the use of force for political purposes.
1.4. India’s security is an integral component of its
development process. India continuously aims at pro-
moting an ever-expanding area of peace and stability
around it so that developmental priorities can be pursued
without disruption.
1.5. However, the very existence of offensive doctrine
pertaining to the first use of nuclear weapons and the
insistence of some nuclear weapons states on the legiti-
macy of their use even against non-nuclear weapon coun-
tries constitute a threat to peace, stability and
1.6. This document outlines the broad principles for the
development, deployment and employment of India’s
nuclear forces. Details of policy and strategy concerning
force structures, deployment and employment of nuclear
forces will flow from this framework and will be laid down
separately and kept under constant review.
2 INDIANEWS © October 1, 1999
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2. Objectives
2.1. Inthe absence of global nuclear disarmament India’s
strategic interests require effective, credible nuclear de-
terrence and adequate retaliatory capability should de-
terrence fail. This is consistent with the UN Charter,
which sanctions the right of self-defence.
2.2. The requirements of deterrence should be care-
fully weighed in the design of Indian nuclear forces and
in the strategy to provide for a level of capability consis-
tent with maximum credibility, survivability, effective-
ness, safety and security.
2.3. India shall pursue a doctrine of credible minimum
nuclear deterrence. In this policy of “retaliation only”, the
survivability of our arsenal is critical. This is a dynamic
concept related to the strategic environment, technologi-
cal imperatives and the needs of national security. The
actual size components, deployment and employment of
nuclear forces will be decided in the light of these factors.
India’s peacetime posture aims at convincing any poten-
tial aggressor that:
(a) any threat of use of nuclear weapons against India
shall invoke measures to counter the threat: and
(b) any nuclear attack on India and its forces shall result
in punitive retaliation with nuclear weapons to inflict
damage unacceptable to the aggressor.
2.4. The fundamental purpose of Indian nuclear weap-
ons is to deter the use and threat of use of nuclear
weapons by any State or entity against India and its
forces. India will not be the first to initiate a nuclear strike,
but will respond with punitive retaliation should deter-
rence fail.
2.5. India will not resort to the use or threat of use of
nuclear weapons against States which do not possess
nuclear weapons, or are not aligned with nuclear weapon
powers.
2.6. Deterrence requires that India maintain:
(a) Sufficient, survivable and operationally prepared
nuclear forces,
(b) a robust command and control system,
(c) effective intelligence and early warning capabilities,
and
(d) comprehensive planning and training for operations
in line with the strategy, and
(e) the will to employ nuclear forces and weapons
2.7. Highly effective conventional military capabilities
shall be maintained to raise the threshold of outbreak
both of conventional military conflict as well as that of
threat or use of nuclear weapons.
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3. Nuclear Forces
3.1. India’s nuclear forces will be effective, enduring,
diverse, flexible, and responsive to the requirements in
accordance with the concept of credible minimum deter-
rence. These forces will be based on a triad of aircraft,
mobile land-based missiles and sea-based assets in keep-
ing with the objectives outlined above.
Survivability of the forces will be enhanced by a combi-
nation of multiple redundant systems, mobility, disper-
sion and deception.
3.2. The doctrine envisages assured capability to shift
from peacetime deployment to fully employable forces in
the shortest possible time, and the ability to retaliate
effectively even in a case of significant degradation by
hostile strikes.
4. Credibility and Survivability
The following principles are central to India’s nuclear
deterrent
4.1. Credibility: Any adversary must know that India
can and will retaliate with sufficient nuclear weapons to
inflict destruction and punishment that the aggressor will
find unacceptable if nuclear weapons are used against
India and its forces.
4.2. Effectiveness: The efficacy of India’s nuclear de-
terrent be maximised through synergy among all ele-
ments involving reliability, timeliness, accuracy and weight
of the attack.
4.3 Survivability:
(i) India’s nuclear forces and their command and control
shall be organised for very high survivability against
surprise attacks and for rapid punitive response. They
shall be designed and deployed to ensure survival
against a first strike and to endure repetitive attrition
attempts with adequate retaliatory capabilities for a
punishing strike which would be unacceptable to the
aggressor.
(ii) Procedures for the continuity of nuclear command
and control shall ensure a continuing capability to
effectively employ nuclear weapons.
5. Command and Control
5.1. Nuclear weapons shall be tightly controlled and
released for use at the highest political level. the authority
to release nuclear weapons for use resides in the person
of the Prime Minister of India, or the designated
successor(s).
5.2. An effective and survivable command and control
system with requisite flexibility and responsiveness shall
be in place. An integrated operational plan, or a series of
sequential plans, predicated on strategic objectives and a
targetting policy shall form part of the system.
5.3. For effective employment the unity of command
and control of nuclear forces including dual capable de-
livery systems shall be ensured.
5.4. The survivability of the nuclear arsenal and effec-
tive command, control, communications, computing, in-
telligence and information (C412) systems shall be as-
sured,
5.5. The Indian defence forces shall be in a position to,
execute operations in an NBC environment with minimal
degradation;
5.6. Space based and other assets shall be created to
provide early warning, communications, damage/deto-
nation assessment.
6. Security and Safety
6.1. Security: Extraordinary precautions shall be taken
to ensure that nuclear weapons, their manufacture, trans-
portation and storage are fully guarded against possible
theft, loss, sabotage, damage or unauthorised access or
use.
6.2. Safety is an absolute requirement and tamper proof
procedures and systems shall be instituted to ensure that
unauthorised or inadvertent activation/use of nuclear
weapons does not take place and risks of accident are
avoided.
6.3. Disaster control: India shall develop an appropri-
ate disaster control system capable of handling the unique
requirements of potential incidents involving nuclear
weapons and materials;
7. Research and Development
7.1. India should step up efforts in research and devel-
opment to keep up with technological advances in this
field.
7.2. While India is committed to maintain the deploy-
ment of a deterrent which is both minimum and credible,
it will not accept any restraints on building its R&D
capability.
8. Disarmament and Arms Control
8.1. Global, verifiable and non-discriminatory nuclear
disarmament is a national security objective. India shall
continue its efforts to achieve the goal of a nuclear
weapon-free world at an early date.
8.2. Since no-first use of nuclear weapons is India’s
basic commitment, every effort shall be made to per-
suade other States possessing nuclear weapons to join
an international treaty banning first use.
8.3. Having provided unqualified negative security as-
surances, India shall work for internationally binding un-
conditional negative security assurances by nuclear
weapon states to non-nuclear weapon states.
8.4. Nuclear arms control measures shall be sought as
part of national security policy to reduce potential threats
and to protect our own capability and its effectiveness.
8.5. In view of the very high destructive potential of
nuclear weapons, appropriate nuclear risk reduction and
confidence building measures shall be sought, negoti-
ated and instituted.
INDIA NEWS © October 1,1999 3
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Frequently Asked Questions
about Indian Parliament
The composition of
Parliament of India
According to Article 79 of the Consti-
tution of India, the Parliament con-
sists of President of India and the two
Houses of Parliament known as Coun-
cil of States (Rajya Sabha) and House
of the People (Lok Sabha).
Who elects the
President of India?
The President is elected by the mem-
bers of an electoral college consist-
ing of the elected members of both
the Houses of Parliament and the
elected members of the Legislative
Assemblies of States and the Union
Territories of Delhi and Pondicherry.
What is the maximum
number of members of
Rajya Sabha?
The maximum number of members
of Rajya Sabha can be 250.
What is the present strength
of the Rajya Sabha,
including the nominated
members?
The present strength of Rajya Sabha
is 245 (233 elected and 12 nomi-
nated).
What is the life of
Rajya Sabha?
Rajya Sabha is a Permanent House
and is not subject to dissolution as
per Article 83 (1) of the Constitution
of India. But as nearly as possible,
one third of its members shall retire
every 2nd year and an equal number
of members are chosen to replace
them.
Who elects the members of
the Rajya Sabha?
Elected members of the State Legis-
lative Assemblies Article 80(4) of
Constitution of India provides that
members of Rajya Sabha shall be
4 INDIA NEWS © October 1, 1999
Google
elected by the elected members of
State Legislative Assemblies through
the system of proportional represen-
tation by means of the single trans-
ferable vote.
Who nominates the
members of the Rajya
Sabha?
The President of India nominates 12
members of Rajya Sabha.
Is there any special
qualification for
nomination?
Article 80 (3) of the Constitution of
India provides that the members to
be nominated by the President to
Rajya Sabha should have special
knowledge or practical experience in
matters like literature, science, art and
social service. Article 84 (b) stipu-
lates that a person shall be of not less
than 30 (Thirty) years of age.
What is the term of Lok
Sabha?
Article 83 (2) of the Constitution
stipulates that Lok Sabha shall have
a normal term of 5 years from the
date appointed for its first meeting
and no longer. However, the Presi-
dent may dissolve the House earlier.
For instance, the present Lok Sabha
was dissolved on April 26, 1999, al-
though it had not completed its nor-
mal term of 5 years.
What can be the maximum
number of members of the
Lok Sabha?
The maximum number of elected
members of Lok Sabha is 550. Ar-
ticle 81 of the Constitution provides
that not more than 530 members will
be elected from the States and not
more than 20 members from Union
Territories. Article 331 of the Consti-
tution provides that not more than 2
members from the Ango Indian Com-
munity may be nominated by the
President of India, if in his opinion
that community is not adequately
represented in that House.
What is the present strength
of the Lok Sabha?
The present strength of Lok Sabha is
543 elected members.
How are the members of
Lok Sabha elected?
Under Sec 14 of Representation of
People Act 1951, the President of
India by a notification will call upon
the constituencies to elect their mem-
bers to the House of People. There-
after the electors of the Parliamen-
tary Constituencies will directly elect
the Lok Sabha members. As per ar-
ticle 326 of the Constitution of India,
elections to the House of the People
shall be on the basis of adult suf-
frage.
How many members
are elected by the electors
of a Parliamentary
Constituency?
Each Parliamentary Constituency will
elect only one member.
What is the number of the
present general election to
Lok Sabha?
This General Election being held in
September-October 1999 is the 13th
general election to constitute the 13th
Lok Sabha.
When was the Ist general
election held in India?
The first general election was held in
India during 1951-1952.
At that time, what was the
total strength of the Lok
Sabha?
The total strength of Lok Sabha at
that time was 489.
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Excerpts from
Ambassador Naresh Chandra’s live chat on MSNBC
September 7, 1999
MSNBC: What are the defining issues in this
election, and can we expect to see substantial
change from the next government?
Naresh Chandra: The main issue concerns resolv-
ing economic questions. They are in the forefront,
followed by security, and law & order. Underlying
all that is the strong demand by different factions
for better standard of living and education and health.
Question: What are the areas in which India
and US can work together when the new
Government is elected next month? Is there
any high optimism prevailing towards an out-
standing growth in business as well as secu-
rity relationship between the two biggest de-
mocracies in the world?
Naresh Chandra: We have had very good progress
in our trade and investment relations since 1991-
92. We are sure that this is going to be a very
productive area. We have also been having a stra-
tegic dialogue at a high level. These discussions
are going on and both sides have been able to
narrow down differences. | think there is much bet-
ter understanding now in US about India’s security
concerns and the great role that India can play as a
very responsible factor for peace and stability in
Asia and the world.
Question: India is about to become the sec-
ond nation on earth to achieve a population
of 1 billion. Is India near the breaking point
in terms of food production, medical care,
etc.?
Naresh Chandra: | think the population needs to be
properly managed and controlled. Higher popula-
tion is not a goal we're trying to achieve. But on the
other hand, our food production have ensured that
there is no problem with availability. There have
been vast improvements in healthcare. Some states
have done very well. In many areas there is need
for improvement.
Question: Why can’t India draw closer to the
d.S. With China growing in power and Paki-
stan no longer a bulwark against the USSR,
isn't that in both country’s interests?
Naresh Chandra: | think from our side we have
always attempted to maintain as much progress as
possible in strengthening India-US relations. We
Google
should now be able to work together much more.
We feel that with the dissolution of the old USSR
and the opening up of the Indian market the chances
are even greater. We wish for better relations with
China, our great neighbour to the North. We also
don’t look at Pakistan as an enemy or even as
permanent adversary. We would like to cooperate
with all the people in our neighbourhood. We have
a large number of Indian-American families who
act as a bridge between India and US. This has
been extremely helpful in strengthening this rela-
tionship.
MSNBC: Do you think India will ever win a
seat on the UN Security Council?
Naresh Chandra: Yes, | think it would. It’s not a
case of putting up a line of argument or making a
strong case. What has to be seen is India has no
aggressive design on any country. It has always
come forward to take part in UN peace-keeping
operations. India has also proved despite its diver-
sity it can rule according to law in a democratic
manner. We have also shown that the Indian people
are capable of contributing in every field of human
activity including science and technology. It will be
extremely odd if 1/6 of the human race with such
potential and history is kept out of the Security
Council in the 21st century. Without India the Secu-
rity Council would not be properly representative.
MSNBC: A lot of technical folks are coming to
work in the U.S. What can India do to main-
tain it’s own high-tech industry in the face of
this exodus?
Naresh Chandra: There has been some exodus, but
there has also been some return. Therefore, we
have derived some benefits also. We have been
keeping an eye on it but since we have thousands
of trained and technologically qualified persons, the
drain is not high enough to hurt India’s interests.
With this kind of exchange of technical personnel,
we have derived much mutual benefit in the growth
of high-tech business between India and US.
MSNBC: Final Thoughts...
Naresh Chandra: | would like to thank all of you tor
your questions. We are in the process of general
elections and the exercise will show that we have a
strong democratic tradition. Thank you and good
evening.
INDIA NEWS ° October 1,1999 5
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¢ The intruder was given a further opportunity to prove
his bona fides. This was done through an accepted
signalling system. This involves two aircraft moving
to the side of the intruding aircraft, conveying a
visual signal i.e. wiggling of wings and leftward move-
ment. These are universally recognised signals con-
veying that intruder is in our airspace, and asking
him to follow and land as well as indicating to him
the place he should land. The intruder is expected
to respond indicating that the landing place con-
veyed to his is practical. This effort to communicate
with him was sustained, and every opportunity was
given to him to respond and land peacefully. The
intruder could have proven his bona fides by re-
sponding and complying with the indications. In-
stead, he not only disregarded our aircraft signals,
but also turned towards the interceptor aircraft in an
aggressive, evasive movement. Given the unusual
movements of the intruder over our territory, al-
ready monitored and described above and his sub-
sequent conduct after giving him the opportunity to
land safely, our Air Force could have reached no
conclusion other than this was a hostile military
operation, which required counter-action.
There is no weakness in these rules of engagement.
What they require is that both sides must observe
them honestly. If one side decides to break them the
system becomes unworkable, regardless of how re-
fined and foolproof it might be.
e Pak conduct in this matter is a major violation of an
important CBM. The 1991 Agreement was one of
the 4 CBMs put in place from 1998 onwards, at our
instance. We are committed to observance of CBMs.
e The Pak combat aircraft was hit on its left engine
which caught fire. The indication is that, as a result
it started moving in a leftward arc even though dam-
aged. Apparently in its attempt to head back into
Pak airspace, it cut an arc cross the border into
Pakistan, and then seems to have impacted very
near the border itself. As it moved, it would also
have started breaking up which is why there has
been wreckage found in both India and Pakistan. An
aircraft such as this does not fall vertically but fol-
lows a trajectory based on constantly changing aero-
dynamics. This explains why there are pieces of
wreckage that we have retrieved, and others that
Pakistan has been displaying on TV.
e
Precise location of pieces of wreckage in itself cannot
in this instance, be correlated categorically with the
movement of the aircraft on its flight path before it
was hit. It is natural for wreckage to scatter and this
does not in any way impinge on the basic issue that
aircraft was in Indian airspace as indicated above.
¢ The crucial question is what then prevented the Pak
aircraft from proving its bona fides when it had
every opportunity to do so under the rules of en-
gagement of which they are fully aware.
The question again arises that if the aircraft was
indeed engaged on an innocent, routine mission,
why it could not prove this by complying with the
mutually accepted procedures of engagement when
every opportunity was given to it.
Google
e The part of the border in Kutch where there is a
divergence in interpretation of the boundary is the
mouth of the Sir Creek, which is somewhat removed
from the place where the air intrusions occurred.
The essential point is that at one sector of the bor-
der where three intrusions took place, the boundary
alignment is not in question at all. Therefore it can-
not in anyway cast doubt on air space violation. In
the other sector where the single fourth intrusion
took place, the divergence in interpretation of bound-
ary demarcation is very small (350 meters at maxi-
mum) and this does not in any way detract from the
fact of the air space violation.
© The place where there is a substantial divergence
was not the site of the recent air intrusion, and it is,
therefore, not relevant.
© There have been violations in different sectors of the
border over the past months and years. Many of
them are high-speed aircraft entering and existing
in minutes. It is not possible to intercept them but
they are none the less intrusions and violations of
the 1991 Agreement. Some may be inadvertent.
The existing mechanism i.e. the 1991 Agreement,
taken together with the rules of engagement provide
for fool proof handling of all these possibilities. We
have taken up all major cases with Pakistan govern-
ment.
Recent provocation is yet another serious under-
mining of what should be a common effort to re-
duce tensions and improve relations. It is clear that
this incident was totally avoidable.
It is unfortunate that they have compounded this
with yet another provocation by firing missiles at
our unarmed helicopters carrying civilians (journal-
ists) while within our airspace (on Aug 12). We did
not retaliate in this instance.
e We continue to operate in a larger consistent frame-
work and vision of good neighbourly relations with
Pakistan. We seek to build cooperation and confi-
dence and resolve issues through peaceful bilateral
discussions, working towards realistic solutions. The
Simla Agreement provides the framework. We seek
to build a stable, broad-based relationship on this
basis. We will continue our initiatives as in the past,
including the composite dialogue and the Lahore
process. We remain committed to the Lahore pro-
cess and dialogue.
¢ The Lahore process and dialogue have been greatly
undermined by Pakistan's adventurism in Kargil and
by its renewed cross border terrorism. They have
the responsibility of repairing damage and restoring
trust. We call on Pakistan to take concrete steps for
this purpose. This would facilitate resumption of
Lahore process and composite dialogue. This re-
quires reaffirmation of inviolability and sanctity of
LOC. Sponsorship of terrorism across LOC in any
particular sector, is violation of LOC, as indeed of
Simla Agreement and Lahore understandings. This
also prevents return of trust. Hence, Pakistan must
abjure instigating, sponsoring, aiding and abetting
cross border terrorism.
INDIA NEWS © October 1,1999 7
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EMBASSY OF INDIA
Press & Information
2107 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20008
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
22303-2938
FIRST CLASS MAIL
India News is published by the Press & Information Wing,
Embassy of India. An electronic edition is available at
the Embassy’s web site:
http://www.indianemhassy.org
You can also receive an email version of India News. Join
the Embassy Announcement List by sending email to
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The Embassy also maintains a discussion group for India
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or by visiting the following site:
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Washington, DC 20008
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First Class
U.S. Postage
PAID
Silver Spring, MD
Permit No. 3966
VeabibidaUPetdorcaDeselalbatabesbesboeelll
EN THIS SSUES
Ambassador Naresh Chandra
Meets Members of India Interest
Group ...... ee ee 1
Draft Report of National Security
Advisory Board on Indian
Nuclear Doctrine ...........cccccccseneseees
Frequently Asked Questions about
Indian ParliaMent ...........ccccccereseeeeee
Excerpts from Ambassador Naresh
Chandra’s live chat on MSNBC........
Note on Violation of India’s airspace
by Pakistan’s Atlantique aircraft
and consequent action ............006
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INDIA NEWS
PUBLISHED BY PRESS & INFORMATION, EMBASSY OF INDIA, WASHINGTON, DC
NOVEMBER 1, 1999
Vajpayee Sworn in as
Prime Minister .....«
Address to the Nation by ™”™
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayeevevn-,
October 16, 1999
My dear
countrymen,
gentler and more tolerant society, free from all
discrimination, fear and insecurity.
Free and fair elections are the lifeblood of a
democracy. It is a matter of great pride for all of
See PRIME MINISTER’S ADDRESS, Page 2
I] address you today
to perform a very
pleasant duty: to
thank all of you for
your positive and
clear mandate to the
National Democratic
Alliance and _ its
friendly parties in Total: “J J 543 Seats
this election. Elections held: 538 Seats
Declared: 537 Seats
The NDA represents Prime Minister Party/Alliance Seats won Party/Alliance Seats won
the aspirations of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Natl. Democratic Alliance Congress & Allies
every region of our BUP 182 Congress
great nation and every section of our vibrant BJD i 10 ADMK
society. The NDA, in fact, reflects the spirit of DMK 12 Kerela Congress (M)
India in all its diversity. It also mirrors the HVC 4 MUL
fundamental unity in this diversity. INLD 5 RJD
Janata Dal (U) 20 RLD
We may have been sent to Parliament under the Loktantrik Congress 1 Total
banners of different parties. But we all have a MDMK 4
common commitment: To give India a stable MSCP 1
and good Government. PMK 5
SAD 2 Left Parties
We are all guided by the lofty principles of Shiv Sena iS Others
Secularism, Social Justice, Social Harmony and Trinamul Congress 8
Women’s Empowerment. Ours is a Government TOP 29
wedded to a common ideal: To create a kinder, Total 296
Google
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PRIME MINISTER’S ADDRESS
(Continued from page 1)
us that our nation has once again demonstrated
its unshakable commitment to democracy.
Our nation continues to march on the path she
adopted when she became a republic in 1950.
With the successful completion of the last elec-
tion of this century, India stands taller in the
eyes of all democracy-loving people of the world.
It has been a long campaign. A lot of heat and
dust were generated during this general election.
But now that the election is over, we should put
the acrimony and bitterness of the last couple
of months behind us. And get down to the task
of nation-building. There is not a moment to lose.
The Opposition’s role in a democracy is no less
important than that of the Government. It is a
role mandated by the people and comes with a
lot of responsibility.
Constructive criticism is an essential input for
good policies and programmes. Consensus on
national issues is necessary for effective action.
I look forward to both constructive criticism
and consensus on national issues.
My countrymen, the world rushes ahead —
whether or not we look up from our narrow
concerns.
Neither do the tasks that confront us abate.
The number of young women and men jobs
must be provided continues to increase. Chil-
dren still go to bed hungry. A sense of insecur-
ity prevails.
The soul of India rebels against this reality.
Starting today, our Government has set itself
the task of implementing our Agenda for a
Proud, Prosperous India. It is my solemn pledge
to all of you that nothing shall prevent us from
the task of good governance.
We talk of the 21st century. In just ten weeks
from today, India along with the rest of the
world, will enter a new era of challenges and
opportunities.
We are pledged to the emergence of a ‘new’
India in the new century.
2 INDIA NEWS © November 1, 1999
Go gle
We can redeem this pledge through collective
effort, by resolutely meeting the challenges and
seizing the opportunities of the 21st century.
We may have been sent to Parliament under
the banners of different parties. But we have all
been sent for a common task: to make India a
strong, vigorous, prosperous and caring country.
To meet the challenges, we have to act now. In
the coming days, our Government proposes to:
© Speed up economic reforms and focus atten-
tion on infrastructure development. The new
century demands a new mindset.
e Introduce new laws for financial sector re-
forms so that India can keep pace with the
rest of the world.
Evolve a programme for achieving fiscal recti-
tude by improved expenditure management,
deep tax reforms and a new mechanism for
speedier restructuring and disinvestment of
Public Sector Units.
Promote investment, Including foreign direct
investment, by adoption of suitable measures
and removing bottlenecks that lead to costly
delays.
Re-arrange priorities of development by re-
deploying resources and strengthening insti-
tutions for providing to all:
© Safe drinking water
¢ Primary health services
e Primary education
e Rural roads
e Housing to rural homeless
In this task, we seek the participation of the
private sector.
My countrymen, all these tasks can be com-
pleted if we work together.
Let us proceed, as the Gita counsels us,
Bodhyanta parasparam—imparting wisdom to
each other.
The opportunities are unlimited. We can use
each one of them to our national advantage if
we stand united-both in prosperity and in the
face of adversity. India’s greatest asset is her
unity, and my Government is determined to
maintain this unity at all cost.
See PRIME MINISTER’S ADDRESS, Page 3
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PRIME MINISTER’S ADDRESS
(Continued from page 2)
One of our immediate tasks will be to firmly
put down terrorism, which has come to cast its
cruel shadow on innocent people. Our mes-
sage is loud and clear: The life of every India
citizen under our dispensation is precious. In
our fight against terrorism, we will be guided by
the principle of ‘Zero Tolerance’.
The same principle of ‘Zero Tolerance’ will apply
while dealing with corruption that has bred con-
tempt for the law. One of the first legislations
we will take up is the Lokpal Bill so that the rot
can be checked from the top.
A broad consensus already exists on electoral
reforms to weed out muscle and money power.
We propose to soon introduce in Parliament a
comprehensive electoral reform Bill.
We often talk of the future belonging to our
youth. But, for decades their problems, espe-
cially that of unemployment, have remain un-
attended. We believe that our young women
and men will be the architects of the ‘new’ India
of the 21st century.
I am confident that a buoyant national economy
will create tremendous employment opportuni-
ties. | am equally confident that our focus on
education and health will prepare today’s youth
for tomorrow’s challenges.
The Government of free India had set itself the
noble task of wiping every tear from every eye,
of ending centuries-old discriminations and
social inequities. Somewhere along the journey
from freedom to the eve of this century, Gov-
ernment lost track of that task.
Illiteracy is a curse and a denial of human dig-
nity. As is gender discrimination or, for that
matter, lack of something as basic and essen-
tial as drinking water and primary health care.
My dear countrymen,
e India today needs a Government that cares;
e India needs a Government that will reach out
to the last person in the last row.
Our Government pledges itself to narrowing the
gap between our performance and your expec-
tation.
The Mandate of ’99 is a bond of trust between
people and Government.
Google
We shall not betray this trust.
With the help of a billion people proud of being
Indian,
© There is nothing that we cannot achieve;
e No problem we cannot tackle;
e No challenge we cannot face; and,
e No opportunity we cannot seize.
Jai Hind!
Trade Events
India Intemational Trade Fair '99. Household/
Consumer/Industrial Products. November 14-
27, 1999. India Trade Promotion Organiza-
tion, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi 110001. Tel:
+91 11 337 1390/1831. Fax: +91 11 331 81492/
7896.
IT World 99/Comdex India. Information Tech-
nology Products. December 2-5, 1999. Busi-
ness India Exhibitions, E-22, 2nd Floor, Hauz
Khas Market, New Delhi 110016, Tel: +91 11
685 9402.
International Security and Fire Exhibition 99.
Security Products, Technology and Equip-
ment. December 8-11, 1999. India Trade Pro-
motion Organization. Pragati Maidan, New
Delhi 110001. Tel: +91 11 331 5977. Fax: +91
11 3371869/331 7869.
Broadcast Satellite Communications India '99.
Telephones/Radio/Satellite Communications.
TV and Radio Broadcasting, Electronics Test
Equipment, Components and Subassemblies,
Lasers, Fibre Optics. December 8-11, 1999.
Exhibitions India, C-390 Defence Colony, New
Delhi 110024. Tel: +91 11 463 8880/1/2/3.
Fax: +91 11 462 3320/463 3506.
Inside Outside Mega Show. Designer Products
and Materials for Architects, Interior Design-
ers, Builders and Contractors. December 1999.
Business India Exhibitions, E-22, 2nd Floor,
Hauz Khas Market, New Delhi 110016. Tel:
+91 11 685 9402/9403/1256.
Infranet '99. Networking for Infrastructure. De-
cember 16-18, 1999. Confederation of Indian
Industry, Gate No 31, North Block, Jawaharlal
Nehru Stadium, New Delhi 110003. Tel: +91
11 462 6295. Fax: +91 11 462 6271.
INDIA NEWS ¢ November 1, 1999 3
|
|
Excerpts from
Ambassador Naresh Chandra’s interview on NewsHour on
Senate’s rejection to ratify the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty,
Q: Ambassador Chandra,
today the President in par-
ticular called on India and
Pakistan not to take this
vote as a green light to step
up your nuclear weapons
program. How do you read
it?
NARESH CHANDRA: Well, we
have already made an announce-
ment at prime minister’s level that
we have taken a decision not to
test anymore. In fact, the an-
nouncement was made on the
13th of May '98, by my govern-
ment. And the Prime Minister of
India reiterated our approach to
CTBT in the UN General Assem-
bly and also in Parliament. We
don’t oppose and we have said
that we are working to reach ar-
rangements with our friendly pow-
ers, including the P-Five - in or-
der not to -
Q: You’re talking about the
big five nuclear powers?
NARESH CHANDRA: Nuclear
powers. So we have said that we
will try reach an understanding
so that we don’t stand in the way
of the treaty going into force.
Q: All right. But are you
saying, one, that India will
continue to adhere to your
own sort of voluntary ban
on testing?
NARESH CHANDRA: That’s true.
4 INDIA NEWS © November 1, 1999
Google
October 14, 1999
Q: And what about sign-
ing this treaty, which In-
dia has not done?
NARESH CHANDRA: Well, we
are in the stage of evolving a con-
sensus inside India. And this pro-
cess has got delayed because we
had a general election, which
lasted a long time. The new gov-
emment has taken oath of office
yesterday, and it’s a priority for
them to determine their approach
now and the future on the signing
on the CTBT.
Q: Ambassador Chandra,
what about the point — or
how do you respond to the
point that Senator Levin
made; that is, setting aside
perhaps India for a mo-
ment, but that it is difficult
for the United States to
have the moral authority
now to call on other coun-
tries either not to test or to
sign or ratify the treaty
when the U.S. hasn’t done
the latter?
Well, there are two aspects: One
is the treaty ratification. The other
is the U.S. policy as enunciated
by the President and executed. It
is true that non-ratification will
have a bearing on the strength
that the U.S. administration would
have had in persuading other
powers to their point of view. At
the same time, the fact that the
President has indicated that his
policy of non-testing and continu-
ing commitment to the treaty
would lend them some weight
there. As far as India is con-
cerned, for us the debate in the
Senate is a very important input
for our deliberations. When we
consider about signing the CTBT,
the debate in the Senate, the ob-
servations which have been made
will be very carefully taken into
account. But the ultimate test,
whether we sign or not, there is
only one criteria, and that is the
national security interests of the
Indian people. It is on that test
that parliament and government
of India will decide whether to sign
the test ban treaty or not.
Q: Do you see, Mr. Ambas-
sador, a United States that’s
disengaging from the world
at all?
NARESH CHANDRA: | would put
it this way. In every democracy,
both points of view are present in
the national parliament or in the
Congress. And it depends on
which point, what point of view
prevails because politics is es-
sentially local, and nobody can
blame elected representatives
from keeping a sharp eye on what
the voters’ interest is. So it’s a
case of a balance. I| think in the
national parliament, people ex-
pect that a much broader view is
taken. So there is a balance be-
tween isolationists’ view and the
world view.
|
|
© NOURW No
Prime Minister and the Cabinet
October 13, 1999
Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee has been sworn-in as the Prime Minister of India. The
President Shri K.R. Narayanan administered the oath of office and secrecy at the
Rashtrapati Bhawan. Shri Vajpayee has assumed the office of the Prime Minister of
India for the third time.
Cabinet ministers
. LK Advani - Home
Ananth Kumar - Culture, Youth Affairs and
Sports
T R Balu - Environment and Forests
Ms Mamata Banerjee - Railways
George Fernandes - Defense
Jagmohan - Urban Development
Dr Satyanarain Jaitya - Urban Employment
and Poverty Alleviation
. Ram Jethamalani - Law, Justice and Com-
pany Affairs
. Manohar Joshi - Heavy Industries and Public
Enterprises
. Murli Manohar Joshi - Human Resource De-
velopment and Science and Technology.
. P R Kumaramangalam - Power
. Pramod Mahajan - Parliamentary Affairs and
Water Resources
. Murasoli Maran - Commerce and Industry
. Ram Naik - Petroleum and Natural Gas
. Nitish Kumar - Surface Transport
. Joel Oram - Tribal Affairs
. Ram Vilas Paswan - Communications
. Naveen Patnaik - Mines and Minerals
. Sunderlal Patwa - Rural Development
. Suresh Prabhu - Chemicals and Fertilizers
. Kashiram Rana - Textiles
. Shanta Kumar - Consumer Affairs and Public
Distribution
. Jaswant Singh - External Affairs
. Yashwant Sinha - Finance
. Sharad Yadav - Civil Aviation
Minister of state (Independent)
26
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
. Maneka Gandhi - Social Justice and Empow-
erment
Arun Jaitley - Information and Broadcasting
M. Kannappan - Non-Conventional Energy
Sources
Dilip Ray - Steel
Ms Vasundhara Raje - Small-Scale Industries
N T Shanmugham - Health and Family Wel-
fare
Ms Uma Bharati - Tourism
Ministers of State
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
65.
66.
67.
68.
69.
Bandaru Dattatraya - Urban Development
Jaisingh Rao Patil - Human Resource Develop-
ment
Santosh Gangwar - Science and Technology
Chaman Lal Gupta - Civil Aviation
Dr Vallabhnhai Kathiriya - Heavy Industries and
Public Enterprises
Faggan Singh Kulaste - Parliamentary Affairs
V. Dhananjay Kumar - Finance
Bangaru Laxman - Planning and Program
Implementation
Ms Sumitra Mahajan - Human Resource Devel-
opment
. Subhash Maharia - Rural Development
. Babulal Marandi - Environment and Forests
. Ms Jayawanti Mehta - Power
. Munni Lal - Labor and Employment
. Omar Faroog Abdullah - Commerce and In-
dustries
. Ajit Kumar Panja - External Affairs
. Hiran Pathak - Defense
. Devendra Pradhan - Surface Transport
. E Punnuswami - Petroleum
. A Raja - Rural Development
. O Rajgopal - Law Justice and Company Af-
fairs
. Dr Raman - Commerce and Industries
- N G Ramachandran - Textiles
. Vidaya Sagar Rao - Home
. SBPPK Satyanarayanan Rao - Agriculture
. Bachi Singh Rawat - Defense
. Syed Shahnawaz Hussain - Food Processing
. Tapan Sikdar - Communication
. Digvijay Singh - Railways
. T. H. Chaoba Singh - Culture Youth Affairs
Sports
V. Sreenivasa Prasad - Consumer Affairs and
Public Distribution
I. D. Swami - Home
Dr (Ms.) Rita Verma - Mines and Minerals
Balasaheb Vikhe Patil - Finance
Hukumdeo Narayan Yadav - Agriculture
The Prime Minister will look after unallocated port-
folios. Ms Vasundhara Raje will also assist the Prime
Minister in handling the ministries of Personnel, Pub-
lic Grievances and Pensions, Department of En-
33. Ramesh Bais - Chemicals and Fertilizers
34. Bijoya Chakravarty - Water Resources
35. Shriram Chauhan - Parliamentary Affairs
ergy and Department of Space. Mr. Dilip Ray and
Santosh Gangwar will also assist the Minister of
Parliamentary Affairs.
Go gle
INDIA NEWS © November 1, 1999 5
|
|
Profile of
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee has been sworn-in
as the Prime Minister of India. The President
Shri K.R. Narayanan administered the oath of
office and secrecy at the Rashtrapati Bhawan
on October 13, 1999. Shri Vajpayee has as-
sumed the office of the Prime Minister of In-
dia for the third time.
Earlier, Shri Vajpayee was Prime Minister of
India from May 16-31, 1996 and a second
time from March 19, 1998 till date. With his
swearing-in today as Prime Minister, he be-
comes the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal
Nehru to occupy the office of the Prime Min-
ister of India through three successive man-
dates. Shri Vajpayee is also the first Prime
Minister since Smt. Indira Gandhi to lead his
party to victory in successive elections.
Born on December 25, 1924 at Gwalior, Madhya
Pradesh to Shri Krishna Bihari Vajpayee and
Smt. Krishna Devi, Shri Vajpayee brings with
him a long parliamentary experience span-
ning over four decades. He has been a Mem-
ber of Parliament since 1957. He was elected
to the 5th, 6th and 7th Lok Sabha and again
to the 10th, 11th and 12th Lok Sabha and to
Rajya Sabha in 1962 and 1986. He has again
been elected to Parliament from Lucknow in
Uttar Pradesh for the fourth time consecu-
tively. He is the only parliamentarian elected
from four different States at different times
namely - UP, Gujarat, MP and Delhi.
Elected leader of the National Democratic
Alliance, which is a pre-election coming to-
gether of political parties from different re-
gions of the country and which enjoys a com-
fortable backing and support of the elected
Members of the 13th Lok Sabha, Shri Vajpayee
was earlier elected leader of his own Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP) parliamentary party which
has also again emerged as the single largest
party in the 13th Lok Sabha as was the case
in the 12th Lok Sabha.
Educated at Victoria (now Laxmi Bai) College,
6 INDIA NEWS ¢ November 1, 1999
Go gle
Gwalior and DAV College, Kanpur, Uttar Pra-
desh, Shri Vajpayee holds an M.A (Political
Science) degree and has many literary, artis-
tic and scientific accomplishments to his credit.
He edited Rashtradharma (a Hindi monthly), ~
Panchjanya (a Hindi weekly) and the dailies
Swadesh and Veer Arjun. His published works
include “Meri Sansadiya Yatra” (in four vol-
umes), “Meri Ikkyavan Kavitayen”, “Sankalp
Kaal”, “Shakti-se-Shanti”, “Four Decades in
Parliament” (speeches in three volumes), 1957-
95, “Lok Sabha mein Atalji” (a collection of
speeches); Mrityu Ya Hatya”, “Amar Balidan”,
“Kaidi Kaviraj Ki Kundalian” (a collection of
poems written in jail during Emergency);
“New Dimensions of India’s Foreign Policy”
(a collection of speeches delivered as Exter-
nal Affairs Minister during 1977-79); “Jan
Sangh Aur Mussalman”; “Sansad Mein Teen
Dashak” (Hindi) (speeches in Parliament -
1957-1992 - three volumes; and “Amar Aag
Hai” (a collection of poems) 1994.
Shri Vajpayee has participated in various so-
cial and cultural activities. He has been a
Member of the National Integration Council
since 1961. Some of his other associations
include - (i) President, All India Station Masters
and Assistant Station Masters Association
(1965-70); (ii) Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay
Smarak Samiti (1968-84); (iii) Deen Dayal
Dham, Farah, Mathura, U.P; and (iv) Jan-
mabhomi Smarak Samiti, 1969 onwards.
Founder-member of the erstwhile Jana Sangh
(1951), President, Bharatiya Jana Sangh (1968-
1973), leader of the Jana Sangh parliamen-
tary party (1955-1977) and a founder-mem-
ber of the Janata Party (1977-1980), Shri
Vajpayee was President, BJP (1980-1986) and
the leader of BJP parliamentary party during
1980-1984, 1986 and 1993-1996. He was
Leader of the Opposition throughout the term
of the 11th Lok Sabha. Earlier, he was India’s
External Affairs Minister in the Morarji Desai
See PROFILE, Page 7
|
|
PROFILE
(Continued from page 6)
Government from March 24, 1977 to July
28, 1979.
Widely respected within the country and
abroad as a statesman of the genre of Pt.
Jawaharlal Nehru, Shri Vajpayee’s 1998-99
stint as Prime Minister has been characterised
as ‘one year of courage of conviction’. It was
during this period that India entered a select
group of nations following a series of suc-
cessful nuclear tests at Pokharan in May 1998.
The bus journey to Pakistan in February 1999
was widely acclaimed for starting a new era
of negotiations to resolve the outstanding
problems of the sub-continent. India’s honesty
made an impact on the world community.
Later, when this gesture of friendship turned
out to be a betrayal of faith in Kargil, Shri
Vajpayee was also hailed for his successful
handling of the situation in repulsing back
the intruders from the Indian soil. It was dur-
ing Shri Vajpayee’s 1998-99 tenure that de-
spite a global recession, India achieved 5.8
per cent GDP growth, which was higher than
the previous year. Higher agricultural pro-
duction and increase in foreign exchange re-
serves during this period were indicative of a
forward-looking economy responding to the
needs of the people. “We must grow faster.
We simply have no other alternative” has
been Shri Vajpayee’s slogan focussing par-
ticularly on economic empowerment of the
rural poor. The bold decisions taken by his
Government for strengthening rural economy,
building a strong infrastructure and revitalising
the human development programmes, fully
demonstrated his Government’s commitment
to a strong and self-reliant nation to meet the
challenges of the next millennium to make
India an economic power in the 21st century.
Speaking from the ramparts of the Red Fort
on the occasion of 52nd Independence Day,
he had said, “I have a vision of India: an India
free of hunger and fear, an India free of illit-
eracy and want.”
Shri Vajpayee has served on a number of
important Committees of Parliament. He was
Go gle
Chairman, Committee on Government Assur-
ances (1966-67); Chairman, Public Accounts
Committee (1967-70); Member, General Pur-
poses Committee (1986); Member, House
Committee and Member, Business Advisory
Committee, Rajya Sabha (1988-90); Chair-
man, Committee on Petitions, Rajya Sabha
(1990-91); Chairman, Public Accounts
Committee, Lok Sabha (1991-93); Chairman,
Standing Committee on External Affairs
(1993-96).
Shri Vajpayee participated in the freedom
* struggle and went to jail in 1942. He was
detained during Emergency in 1975-77.
Widely travelled, Shri Vajpayee has been tak-
ing a keen interest in international affairs,
upliftment of Scheduled Castes and Sched-
uled Tribes, women and child welfare. Some
of his travels abroad include visits such as -
Member, Parliamentary Goodwill Mission to
East Africa, 1965; Parliamentary Delegation
to Australia, 1967; European Parliament,
1983; Canada, 1987; Indian delegation to
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association
meetings held in Canada, 1966 and 1994,
Zambia, 1980, Isle of Man 1984, Indian dele-
gation to Inter-Parliamentary Union Confer-
ence, Japan, 1974; Sri Lanka, 1975; Switzer-
land, 1984; Indian Delegation to the UN Gen-
eral Assembly, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993
and 1994; Leader, Indian Delegation to the
Human Rights Commission Conference,
Geneva, 1993.
Shri Vajpayee was conferred Padma Vibhushan
in 1992 in recognition of his services to the
nation. He was also conferred the Lokmanya
Tilak Puruskar and the Bharat Ratna Pt.
Govind Ballabh Pant Award for the Best Par-
liamentarian, both in 1994. Earlier, the Kanpur
University honoured him with an Honorary
Doctorate of Philosophy in 1993.
Well known and respected for his love for
poetry and as an eloquent speaker, Shri
Vajpayee is known to be a voracious reader.
He is fond of Indian music and dance.
INDIA NEWS © November 1,1999 7
|
|
India News is published by the Press & Information Wing,
Embassy of India. An electronic edition is available at the
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http://www.indianembassy.org
You can also receive an email version of India News. Join
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TTY ual TW Sl eT 11 hd il ee 9 Gi tl al Pl
IN THIS ISSUE
Address to the Nation by
Atal Bihari Vajpayee .................. re |
Election Results of 1999.
Trade Events
Excerpts from Ambassador Naresh
Chandra’s interview on NewsHour
on Senate’s rejection to ratify the
Nuclear Test Ban Treaty................66 4
Prime Minister and the Cabinet
Profile of Prime Minister
Atal Bihari Vajpayee ........... Wii seaside 6
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DECEMBER 1, 1999
India not to engage in a nuclear arms race:
Jaswant Singh, external affairs minister
You have been engaged in
extended talks with the
d.S. since the nuclear tests
last year. How would you
assess the results so far?
First, by restating the objec-
tives from our side. They are
two-fold: in the first place, to
reconcile the stated U.S. non-
proliferation concerns with
India’s national security ob-
jectives; secondly, and, in a
broader context, to develop
greater mutual understanding so that both countries
are enabled to work together in tapping the real poten-
tial of a qualitatively new relationship, essential in
this post-Cold War environment.
Jaswant Singh
The results of my discussions with Mr. Strobe Talbott
are encouraging. There is recognition that India shall
maintain a minimum nuclear deterrent as determined
by us. There is now no longer any talk of a ‘roll-back’.
The U.S. also accepts that India’s security concerns
are not geographically limited. Foreign policy tasks
and challenges are a continuing process, therefore,
we need to consolidate these understandings across
all sections that make up the U.S. foreign policy
establishment.
Do you have a timeframe for concluding this
dialogue?
In the management of foreign policy, deadlines are
both impractical and unrealistic. But if we manage
through the objectives, then the first part is the
restoration of our relationship to the pre-May 1998
position. As for the next, I would consider it attained
when both India and the U.S. engage in regular
aad dialogue on a range of issues covering bilateral,
aur
ow regional and global political and economic issues.
en yf Can you define these issues?
wi
a Of course, | cannot draw up a total list. But, self-
Google
evidently, these would range from discussing coop-
eration in the field of energy, science and technology,
environment, trade, taxation and economic develop-
ment, to global concerns such as terrorism, narcotics,
non-proliferation, disarmament, reform of multilateral
institutions, expansion of the U.N. Security Council
and regional developments in Asia-Pacific etc. Obvi-
ously, a multifaceted dialogue of this nature can
simply not imply an agreement on all; it is the den-
sity and depth of engagement that is the criteria.
A principal item on the agenda is the CTBT and
there seems to be considerable confusion about
India’s stand on this issue. Where exactly are
we?
Our stand on the CTBT has been clear. In 1996, we
decided that we could not accept the CTBT because
it was not consistent with India’s national security
interest. Over the decades, successive Governments
took necessary steps to safeguard India’s nuclear
option. In 1996, it was clear to all that subscription
to the CTBT at that time would have limited India's
nuclear potential at an unacceptably low level. After
conducting the nuclear tests of May 1998, to validate
and update our technology, we have ensured the
credibility of our nuclear deterrent into the foresee-
able future; our scientists are now confident of
conducting sub-critical tests, as also other non-
explosive R&D activity necessary for the purpose.
That is why, we declared a voluntary moratorium.
This, in essence, meets the basic obligations of the
CTBT. We also announced a willingness to convert
this undertaking into a de jure obligation. Clearly,
this could not be done in a political vacuum. A
positive environment had to be created. In reaction,
a number of countries decided to impose restrictive
economic measures on India. We have conveyed our
disappointment at these actions. That, however, does
not mean that we do not value our bilateral relation-
ships with these countries. Our endeavour has been
See JASWANT SINGH INTERVIEW, Page 2
|
|
JASWANT SINGH INTERVIEW
(Continued from page 1)
to generate a better appreciation of India’s security
concerns. Obviously, this is possible only through a
sustained, bilateral dialogue process. An understand-
ing in this regard will restore our relationship to the
pre-May 1998 position. | am also optimistic that this
process of restoration will result in an acceptance of
a secure, self-confident India, thus imparting a new
momentum to these ties.
At the same time, there is no denying that the
manner in which the CTBT was negotiated,
particularly during the last stages, left a great
deal to be desired. This led to resentment
against the proposed treaty. Many in India see
it as part of a discriminatory, nuclear non-
proliferation regime.
The Government’s commitment to nuclear non-pro-
liferation remains unchanged. The priority of our
meeting the country’s national security concems
having been addressed, the Government believes
that we now need to convey reassurance to the
international community and, in this regard, desires
to develop a national consensus. The need for a
consensus in any democratic society is self-evident.
I have explained this in the past to the U.S. admin-
istration, and they better understand this approach
after their own difficulties on this issue in their Sen-
ate.
There appears to be lack of clarity about sign-
ing and ratification. Can you elaborate?
Three separate decisions are required of the Gov-
ernment as part of adherence to any international
treaty: signature, ratification and deposition of the
instrument of ratification. These decisions are taken
by the Cabinet. Each of them is a separate decision.
To recall a recent example, in January 1993, the
Cabinet decided that India will become a signatory
to the Chemical Weapons Convention; the decision
to ratify was taken in October 1995, followed by
another decision to deposit the instrument of ratifi-
cation in September 1996.
In your view, how far should India go in
terms of its adherence to the CTBT at this
stage, particularly in light of the uncertainty
about the Treaty’s future created by the U.S.
Senate vote?
As | have already clarified, the process of adherence
to an international treaty is a step-by-step process.
While India’s decisions will be made by the Indian
Government, there is no denying that this negative
vote by the U.S. Senate does have a bearing on the
2 INDIA NEWS © December 1, 1999
Google
future of this treaty. | would, therefore, consider it
natural for India to also disaggregate its decision.
Is India ready to join in a moratorium on the
production of fissile material for nuclear
Weapon purposes?
We have, after the tests last year, announced our
readiness to engage in multilateral negotiations in
the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva for a
non-discriminatory and verifiable treaty to ban future
production of fissile materials for nuclear weapon
purposes. This decision was taken after due consid-
eration, which included an assessment of timeframes
for negotiations and entry into force of an FMCT. At
this stage, India cannot accept a voluntary mora-
torium on production of fissile materials. Let me add
that FMCT negotiations are a complex exercise it
will be important, therefore, as we go along to
constantly monitor the pace, direction and content
of these negotiations.
Export controls is another element of dialogue
with the U.S. What are the prospects of an
understanding in this area?
India has remained committed to non-proliferation
and maintains a highly effective system of export
controls on sensitive and dual-use technologies and
equipment. We have conveyed our willingness to
strengthen this further, where necessary. In this
regard, an inter-ministerial expert group has been
established. | must add that we do remain greatly
concerned about the fact that certain civilian pro-
grammes in high technology areas such as space,
remain targeted. Our participation in ad hoc export
control regimes, such as Nuclear Suppliers Group
and MTCR will be on the basis of equality. The U.S.
does appreciate that India has a system of laws and
an effective institutional mechanism to implement
non proliferation-related export controls but we need
to make further progress.
There is a perception in the international com-
munity that the document prepared by the
National Security Advisory Board for the
National Security Council is India’s official
nuclear doctrine. What is the status of this
document?
Let me correct this perception. The National Security
Advisory Board is a group of non-official strategic
experts and analysts. It was tasked by the National
Security Council to prepare a number of papers,
including one on a possible ‘Indian Nuclear Doc-
trine’. This it prepared and submitted to the Na-
tional Security Adviser, also releasing it publicly for
a larger debate. That debate is now under way. It is
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Orissa Cyclones
On the morning of October 29, 1999, a cyclone struck the coast of Orissa, in
northeastern India on the Bay of Bengal. Winds of between 155 and 161
. miles an hour, heavy rains and waves between 13 and 20 feet high accompa-
nied the storm. Orissa is home to 32 million people. This storm struck just
10 days after another cyclone hit Orissa on the evening of October 17. The
first storm ripped across the Gopalpur coast, devastating the district of Ganjam,
which was in the eye of the storm.
Prime Minister's
Relief Fund
Government of India and Em-
bassy of India continue to re-
ceive a number of offers for con-
tributions to the cyclone relief
activities in Orissa, India. Those
who wish to make voluntary
contributions may do so by
sending checks in dollars or ru-
pees to the Prime Minister's
Facts on Orissa
Relief Fund. Checks/Money Or-
ders should be drawn in favor of
“Prime Minister’s Relief Fund”
can be sent to any one of the
following addresses.
Prime Minister’s Relief Fund
Embassy of India
Attn: Head of Chancery
2107 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20008
(OR)
Orissa is located in the northeast of India. Its northern pla-
teau slopes down to fertile green coastal plains on the Bay
of Bengal. To the northeast lies the state of West Bengal, and
its capital, Calcutta. About one-third of Orissa is covered
with forests.
Orissa state has a population of nearly 32 million people.
Area of the State is just over 62,000 square miles.
The capital, Bhubaneshwar, is known as the “Temple City of
India.”
Orissa’s economy is largely based on agriculture, which
provides 80 percent of rural employment and more than -
half of the state’s income. One-tenth of India’s rice produc-
tion comes from Orissa. Other major crops include pulses,
oil seeds, jute, sugarcane, turmeric and coconut.
Orissa lies in the tropics. The average rainfall is about 59
inches a year. The temperature ranges from a high of 120
degrees in the summer to a low of 41 degrees in the winter.
4 INDIANEWS ¢ December 1, 1999
Google
Prime Minister’s Relief Fund
Prime Minister’s Office
South Block, New Delhi 110011
India
Relief efforts by
non-governmental
organizations
National Council of Asian In-
dian Associations (NCAIA)
NCAIA has set up a cyclone re-
lief fund for the victims in Orissa.
NCAIA is a registered nonprofit,
tax-exempt organization located
in Maryland, USA. (http://
www.icharity.org/go/india/cy-
clone)
NCAIA
9326 Lanham Severn Rd,
Lanham, MD 20706
India Development and Relief
Fund (IDRF)
IDRF has set up an Orissa Cy-
clone <http://www.idrf.org> Re-
lief Fund. Donations to IDRF are
tax exempted in United States
(Tax exempt ID: 52-1555563),
and a receipt will be mailed to
donors. Make checks payable
to IDRF, and mail it to the fol-
lowing address:
|
|
IDRF
1580 Hollenbeck Ave., Apt #4
Sunnyvale, CA-94087 USA.
In the memo, please mention
Orissa Cyclone Relief. For more
information contact: Dr. Vinod
Prakash (301) 984-2127
CRY (Child Relief and You, Inc.)
CRY has set up an Orissa Disas-
ter Relief Program for the vic-
tims in Orissa. CRY is a regis-
tered nonprofit, tax-exempt or-
ganization located in New Jer-
sey and is associated with CRY
India. Click here to make secure
online donation
<http://www.us.cry.org/orissa/>
or send checks to CRY with
memo as “Orissa Relief”
CRY Inc.
PO Box 372,
Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922-
0372
Tel: (877) 233-2222
Orissa Cyclone Relief
Charity Show
Montgomery Blair
High School (new)
51 East University Blvd,
Silver Spring, MD 20901
Friday, December 10, 1999
at 7:30 pm
Ellora Patnaik - Odissi Dancer
Bitu Singh - Ghazal Singer
Coordinated by
IPAP, NFIA, ICCC, FIA, IAFPA,
MKK, & OSA
For More Information:
Pratap Das (301) 972-8059;
Renuka Mishra
(301) 330-5098;
Pradeep Ganguly
(410) 715-4457;
Walton Dawson
(301) 434-0482;
Anu Biswal (301) 598-7570
Google
Information on Cyclone damage
and relief efforts (as of November 27, 1999)
Loss of human life - 9615
Population affected - 12 million
Cattle deaths - 400,000
Number of villages affected - 7,921
Damaged houses - 800,000
Agricultural area damaged - 1.67 million hectares
400 villages are still inaccessible
The relief efforts are now focused on checking the outbreak of
epidemics and environmental pollution. To meet this goal, the
following steps have been taken:
1. Disease surveillance has been intensified.
9. Synthetic pyrethroid spray may be used in the affected
areas to minimize the potential risk of malaria outbreak.
3. Malaria treatment/Drug distribution centers have been
setup.
4. Measles vaccination to all children less than 5 years old.
5. Surveillance of enteric fever have been initiated.
6. Guidelines have been issued to State health authorities
for management of post trauma stress syndrome.
7. 80% of wells that supply drinking water have been disin-
fected.
The army has cleared the roads connecting Bhubaneshwar, the
capital city, to other major cities in Orissa. Food and medical
supplies are received from all parts of the country as road and
rail traffic have been partially restored. Telecommunications
have been partially restored (Puri, Dhenkanal, Balasore and
Baripada - 100%, Bhubaneswar - 78.5%, Cuttack-73%, Bhadrak
98%, Khurda 97%, Jajpur -50%, Jagatsinghpur 24%, Kendrapara
34% and Paradip 28%).
The Prime Minister visited the cyclone hit areas twice and
assured the State of all possible assistance.
——
CARE
CARE
CARE has set up a Orissa Emer-
gency fund. Donors can make a
secure online donation to CARE.
<https://secure5.nmpinc.com/
carelink/forms/
donate_india.html>
151 Ellis Street,
Atlanta Georgia 30303-2426
Tel: 800-422-7385
Fax: 404-577-5977
INDIA NEWS © December 1,1999 5
|
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ME IN.THIS ISSUE Mk.
India News is published by the Press & Information Wing,
Embassy of India. An electronic edition is available at
the Embassy’s web site: India not to engage in a nuclear arms race:
http://www.indianembassy.org Jaswant Singh
You can also receive an email version of India News. Join
the Embassy Announcement List by sending email to Orissa Cyclones
Prime Minister's Relief Fund
Relief efforts by non-governmental
or visit the following site: organizations
http://www.egroups.com/group/indianembassy/info.html Facts on Orissa
Information on Cyclone Damage
indianembassy @egroups.com
The Embassy also maintains a discussion group for India
News readers. You can join by sending email to:
: india_discussion@egroups.com SE armeaecccdaie proposal to seeeee 6
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2107 Massachusetts Ave., NW New civil aviation policy soon
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Bobz-E0622 YA Bl TASAz}O [EY
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PTUTBUTA 40 A}TSUBATUN
Q96E ‘ON NWueq GALSANOAA JOIAUAS SSAANadadV
GW ‘Buds senlis TIVIN SSV19 LSUYIS ‘
80007 Od ‘UO BUIYSEAA
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INDIA NEWS ONLINE: http://www.indianembassy.org
t INDIA-ISEWS
PUBLISHED BY PRESS & INFORMA TAORY EMBAG. OF INDIA, WASHINGTON, DC
(-agattessilta, VA
January/February 2000
President K.R. Narayanan’s address
on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Republic of India
Central Hall of Parliament, January 27, 2000
It gives me great pleasure to
be here amidst you at this sol-
emn function to mark the
Golden Jubilee Celebrations of
the birth of the Indian Republic
and the commencement of our
Constitution. The establish-
ment of the democratic Re-
public of India was obviously,
a significant and glorious
event for India, for the free-
dom and welfare of the hun-
dreds and millions of its
people. But it was also a world
event of far-reaching significance. People talk about the
triumph of democracy in the world against other forms
of Government. For that triumphal outcome, democ-
racy in India has had a meaningful part to play not in the
way of taking part in the ideological cold war, but in the
sense of setting an over powering example to the world.
What Sir Anthony Eden, the Prime Minister of Britain,
said at the time of the emergence of Indian Republic is
relevant in this context. “Of all the experiments in gov-
ernment, which have been attempted since the begin-
ning of time, | believe thatsthe Indian venture into par-
liamentary government is the most exciting. A vast sub-
continent is attempting to apply to its tens and thou-
sands of millions a system of free democracy... It is a
brave thing to try to do so. The Indian venture is not a
pale imitation of our practice at home, but a magnified
and multiplied reproduction on a scale we have never
dreamt of. If it succeeds, its influence on Asia is incal-
culable for good. Whatever the outcome we must honour
those who attempt it.”
Even more meaningful was the opinion expressed by an
American Constitutional authority, Prof. Granville Aus-
tin who wrote that, what the Indian Constituent Assem-
bly began was “perhaps the greatest political venture
since that originated in Philadelphia in 1787.”
Mahatma Gandhi had visualized the new Constitution of
India in terms of universal values applied to the specific
and special conditions of India. As early as 1931 he had
written “I shall strive for a Constitution which will release
India from thraldom and patronage. | shall work for an
Google
India in which the poorest shall feel that it is their coun-
try in whose making they have an effective voice: an
India in which there is no high class or low class of
people, an India in which all communities shall live in
perfect harmony. There can be no room in such an India
for the curse of untouchability. We shall be at peace with
the rest of the world neither exploiting nor exploited. All
interests not in conflict with the interests of the dumb
millions will be scrupulously respected whether foreign
or indigenous. Personally, | hate the distinction between
foreign and indigenous. This is the India of my dreams
for which I shall struggle”.
At the core of the Constitution lies the essence of this
Gandhian dream in the form of social justice and social
democracy. Prof. Granville Austin has described the In-
dian Constitution as “first and foremost a social docu-
ment”. He further explained that “the majority of India’s
constitutional provisions are either directly arrived at
furthering the aim of social revolution or attempt to fos-
ter this revolution by establishing conditions necessary
for its achievement”. The very same point was elabo-
rated in eloquent terms by Dr. Ambedkar and Pandit
Nehru. What makes our Constitution relevant to the con-
ditions and the problems of India and the developing
world as a whole, is, in fact, the socio-economic soul of
it. Its uniqueness is that it has combined this harmoni-
ously with the liberal rights and freedoms as conceived
by the Western democracies.
It is after deep thought and considerable debate that the
founding fathers adopted the philosophy and the form of
Government for India. Speaking on the draft of the Con-
stitution Dr. Ambedkar claimed that “It is workable, it is
flexible and it is strong enough to hold the country to-
gether both in peace time and in war time. Indeed, if |
may say so, if things go wrong under the new Constitu-
tion, the reason will not be that we had a bad Constitu-
tion. What we will have to say is that Man is vile”. Today
when there is so much talk about revising the Constitu-
tion or even writing a new Constitution, we have to con-
sider whether it is the Constitution that has failed us or
whether it is we who have failed the Constitution. Dr.
Rajendra Prasad, as President of the Constituent Assem-
bly, had pointed out: “If the people who are elected are
See PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS, Page 2
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India.com goes Global
Excerpts from an article written by
Dewang Mehta, Director,
National Association of Software and Service Companies
The Indian software industry has
zoomed from a mere $20 million ten
years ago to a whopping US $3.9
billion in 1998-99. No industry has
done as much for the competitive-
ness of global corporations and, cer-
tainly, no industry has created as
many millionaires in India in such a
short span of time. In 1998-99, 203
out of the Fortune 500 outsourced
their software requirements from In-
dia. And US customers bought 61
percent of the software that Indian
companies exported to 91 countries
around the world.
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, by
picking the Indian city of Hyderabad
to house his company’s first-ever de-
velopment center outside the US,
has already paid the ultimate tribute
to the skill-base of the industry.
Internet and
E-Commerce
Industry experts believe that once
the Internet — although there are
just about 1.4 million users today,
has the potential to explode to 37
million once Net connections are
available on cable-spreads across
India, and will position India as a
global hub for content development
and e-commerce. Currently, more
than 437 of Indian softwaagemouses
provide web based applications and
services, That the Internet is becom-
ing an integral part of the Indian soft-
ware business is also evident from
its use alongside that of high-speed
satellite connectivity for software de-
velopment and delivery. The deliv-
ery through high-speed connectiv-
ity has been a successful factor for
globalization of the Indian software
industry.
Already, in the year 1999-2000,
Internet and E-Commerce related
software solutions exports from In-
dia are expected to bring US $340
million out of estimated US $3.9
billion of Indian software exports.
This is expected to increase to US
Google
$2 billion of e-commerce solutions
exports by 2002, when total Indian
software exports are projected to be
US $8.7 billion, during that year.
Global Presence
Already, 212 Indian software com-
panies have either subsidiaries or
branches overseas, mostly in the US.
Proximity to markets is helping them
to anticipate market conditions and
client requirements, besides
strengthening relationships further
and helping build-enduring partner-
ships.
High Quality
According to NASSCOM's survey,
out of the top 300 companies, about
140 software companies have ac-
quired ISO 9000 certification, and
about 70 more companies are in the
pipeline to be certified. In fact, the
Indian software industry will soon
have more ISO 9000-certified com-
panies than any other country in the
world. Many of its members are now
focusing on acquiring SEI-CMM
(Software Engineering Institute -
Capability Maturity Model) certifi-
cates of quality.
The State
In India, the success of software in-
dustry can be attributed in no small
measure to the excellent teamwork
between Government and Industry.
The Government of India, impressed
by the excellent performance of the
Indian software industry has pro-
vided all support, including fiscal
benefits, the availability of high-
speed data communications and in-
frastructure, besides ensuring an
almost red tape-free system. The
government, in fact, has given the
ted-carpet treatment to this indus-
try. The fiscal benefits include trade
free zones, Software Technology
Park schemes, zero import duty on
software, and 100% exemption on
profits from software exports.
ECONOMIC
NEWS
UPDATES
India and US sign
pact for lifting
Quantitative Restrictions
After months of negotiations India
and US inked an agreement for a 15-
month phase-out of import curbs
between the two countries. Announc-
ing this U.S. Trade Representatives
Charlene Barshefsky said that tariff
restrictions on half of the 1400 odd
India still maintained on imports from
U.S. would be lifted by April 1, 2000.
On the remaining 714 items India
would lift the import curbs by April
1, 2001, She said adding items on
which India maintained import restric-
tions included agriculture and textile
items. India had originally maintained
what has come to be known as quan-
titative restrictions on imports from
United States in as many as 2,700
items.
As per the WTO agreement India had
to phase out these import curbs and
it had so far dismantled it on over
1,300 items. The curbs were main-
tained for balance of payments pur-
poses. On the phase-out of the re-
maining 1429 tariff lines, there was a
dispute between India and US over
the phase out time schedule. With
the rejection of New Delhi's plea by
the WTO appellate panel in Septem-
ber last, the two countries concluded
the bilateral agreement here recently.
India and Singapore to
Work for Asian Free
Trade (AFT) Zone
The Union Finance Minister, Shri
Yashwant Sinha has said that there
is a great merit in the concept of
Asian Free Trade Zone and the issue
must be approached proactively by
all Asian countries. Welcoming the
suggestion of the Prime Minister of
Singapore, Mr. Goh Chok Tong in this
regard, Shri Sinha has suggested that
Singapore should take the initiative
See UPDATES, Page 4
INDIA NEWS ¢ January/February 2000 3
|
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ECONOMIC NEWS UPDATES
(Continued from page 3)
in this regard and a task force con-
sisting of the Finance Ministers of
India and Singapore can be formed
to work out the modalities. Shri Sinha
also said that such an exercise should
be carried out by the private sector
with both the Governments playing
the role of facilitators.
While appreciating the ongoing eco-
nomic reform process in India, Mr.
Tong suggested that the pace of re-
forms should be increased so that
India is not submerged by the strong
Western economies. The Prime Min-
ister has also felt that Asian coun-
tries should not be overwhelmed by
the West and use technology and
competition effectively to enhance its
trade and commerce in the world
market. He has also observed that
India is a big country with lot of po-
tential to become a major economic
power
Shri Sinha in turn reiterated his
Government’s commitment to go
ahead with the economic liberaliza-
tion programme. Though, Informa-
tion Technology, Bio-technology and
Pharmaceuticals are emerging areas
of India’s strength, traditional sectors
like Textiles, Steel and Cement also
continue to be important for the
economy, he assured. Shri Sinha also
called for more foreign direct invest-
ment in view of the investor friendly
climate created by the Indian Gov-
ernment.
Indian Cabinet clears
Rs. Six billion Cotton
Technology Mission
Indian Cabinet has cleared the Rs.
Six billion (US $1 = Rs. 43) Cotton
Technology Mission (CTM) for en-
hancing the overall performance of
domestic cotton sector. The mission,
first announced by Finance Minister
Yashwant Sinha in his budget speech
in 1998-99, is aimed at improving
the income of cotton growers, en-
hancing per hectare yield, reducing
cultivation cost and upgrading and
modernizing ginning and pressing
factories, according to the official
sources.
The mission to be implemented over
4 INDIA NEWS © January/February 2000
Google
a period of five years through 2003-
04 will have four mini-missions to be
undertaken by Indian Council of Ag-
riculture Research (ICAR), Ministries
of Agriculture and Textiles. While
ICAR and the Agriculture Ministry will
administer the first two missions re-
spectively, the remaining ones would
be implemented by Textiles Ministry.
Indian Government hints
at a new auto policy
The Indian Government has hinted
at formulating a new auto policy to
provide the right framework for the
domestic industry to grow and oper-
ate in the increasingly competitive
global market.
“A policy that will provide the Rs 360
billion automotive industry the right
framework of growth to operate in
the increasingly competitive market
is the need of the hour,” according to
the Minister of Heavy Industries and
Public Enterprises Manohar Joshi.
With Quantitative Restrictions (QRs)
are being removed in 15 months time,
Joshi said the growth engine of the
economy should take on the daunt-
ing challenge of technology driven
market equation. The need of the
hour is to keep pace with technologi-
cal advancement to capture the
minds of consumers, he said. The
automotive industry needs to make
more investments in research and de-
velopment to ensure they conform
to safety and pollution standards, he
said.
Underlining the importance of foreign
direct investment (FCI) in the auto-
motive sector, Joshi said nearly Rs
45 billion FDI has been committed
to the sector, which accounted for
about four per cent of the Gross Do-
mestic Product (GDP) in 1998-99 as
compared to 2.7 per cent of GDP in
1992-93.
FEMA & Insurance Bill
Both the Houses of Parliament passed
the Foreign Exchange Management
(FEMA) on 2nd and 8th December
respectively. The FEMA introduced
in the House on November 29 pro-
posed to replace the FERA and en-
visages stringent penalties for viola-
tion of foreign exchange norms.
FEMA is also aimed at consolidating
and amending the law relating to for-
eign exchange with the objective of
facilitating external trade and pay-
ment and for promoting orderly de-
velopment and maintenance of for-
eign exchange market in the coun-
try.
The Parliament passed the Insurance
Regulatory and Development Author-
ity (IRDA) Bill by both the Houses of
Parliament on 2.12.99 and 7.12.99
respectively, opening the insurance
sector to private and foreign compa-
nies after the government incorpo-
rated all the amendments proposed
by the Congress party; i) insurance
firms should invest 50 per cent of
their funds for infrastructure and so-
cial sector development, ii) grant of
licence to health insurance on a pri-
ority basis, iii) continuation of social
welfare schemes like crop insurance
and iv) insurance for the unorganised
sectors and heavy penalties for er-
rant companies. With the passage of
the measure, the insurance sector will
now be open to private Indian com-
panies who can tie up with foreign
partners with an equity cap of 26 per
cent.
Special Groups to push
reforms
In a move to give boost to second
generation reforms, Prime Minister Atal
Bihari_/ainayee set up eight special
groups consisting of top industrial-
ists who would submit the reports
within four months on major eco-
nomic issues to enable the govern-
ment to formulate policies in these
area. Leading industrialists N.R.
Narayanamurthy and Kumarmanga-
lam Birla constitute the special group
on good governance; Mukesh Ambani
and A.C. Muthiah on education and
health; N. Srinivasan and Rahul Bajaj
for WTO strategies and G.P. Goenka
and Rajiv Chandrasekharan head the
group on disinvestment. The fifth
group on unshackling Indian indus-
try from regulations will comprise
industrialists Ratan Tata and Nusli
Wadia and the sixth on globalisation
pitfalls would comprise Rahul Bajaj
and Sanjeev Goenka.
|
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Information on the hijacked
Indian Airline Flight IC-814
Following is a chronology of events
e Indian Airlines Flight 814 takes off from Kathmandu at 1615 (IST) hours on December 24,
1999.
© The five armed hijackers make the pilot divert the plane over Lucknow and head for Lahore
in Pakistan.
aes e The Lahore airport authorities refuse to permit the aircraft to land, forcing it to head back to
Be Amritsar, India.
a e The plane lands at Amritsar where the hijackers demand that the aircraft be refueled. The
airport is sealed off.
© The airport authorities make preparations for refueling but the aircraft needs to be brought
closer to the tank.
sre © The hijackers make the aircraft take off for Lahore despite short runway available and very low
a fuel levels. They fatally stab one passenger, Mr. Katyal and threaten to kill more people.
me * India persuades the Pakistani authorities to permit the aircraft to land at Lahore.
« Lahore airport is sealed off.
© The aircraft nearly crash lands and is surrounded by Pakistani commandos.
we e It is refueled at hijacker’s request and headed for Kabul. Pakistani authorities refuse permis-
Ss sion for the bleeding Mr. Katyal to come of the plane, despite willingness of the hijackers.
os e Because of the lack of night-landing facilities in Kabul, and later, at Kandahar, the plane is
ee diverted towards Dubai.
e It finally lands at the Al-Minhat air force base, UAE. The hijackers demand food, medicines
and a stepladder since none is available.
e The hijackers release 25 passengers, and allow the body of Mr. Katyal to be released to the
UAE authorities.
© Early on December 25, 1999 morning, the flight takes off from Dubai for Afghanistan. At 0855
wet hours, it lands ateaadahar.
¢ Senior Indian officials open talks with the hijackers to secure the release of hostages.
Ape
* e Hijackers demand release of 35 other jailed terrorists besides Mohammad Masood Azhar
a and US $200 million for the release of 154 hostages.
a e Later hijackers drop their demands for a $200 million ransom and the exhumed remains of
re Afghan terrorist Sajjad Afghani.
© Passengers released on December 31, 1999 after Government of India releases 3 terrorists
with known links to Harkat ul-Ansar. Hijackers head towards Pakistan.
e © On the basis of radio intercepts and collected evidence, the Government of India identifies
the hijackers as Pakistani nationals with links to ISI, an intelligence organization of the Pakistan
Government.
Please visit the Embassy of India web site (http://www. indianembassy.org) for more information
on the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814.
We ws Awe
INDIA NEWS ° January/February 2000 5
Google
|
|
Indian American Forum for
Political Education - LAFPE
The Indian American Forum for Politi-
cal Education was established in 1982
to serve as a non-partisan, non-profit,
political educational forum in Wash-
ington, DC. The Mission of IAFPE to
empower Indian Americans politically
by raising civic consciousness and
increasing participation in community
affairs and the mainstream political
process. Members from all over the
United States discuss political issues
of their concem, participate in their
communities, and find ways to
strengthen ties between the United
States and India. Annual conventions
are held around the country.
The major purposes of the forum are
to function as a catalyst in promoting
political awareness and developing
civic consciousness, promote voter
registration and encourage Indian
Americans to exercise their rights to
vote and to run for public office, iden-
tify issues of concem to Indian Ameri-
cans and pursue solutions within the
political system and to provide oppor-
tunities for learning various aspects of
issues affecting the lives of individual
of Indian origin residing in the United
States. This learning process takes
place through discussions on contem-
porary civic, economic, and political
developments.
More information on IAFPE can be
obtained by visiting their web site at:
http://www.iafpe.com
South Asian
Journalists Association
South Asian Joumalists Association
(SAJA) was estabtiShed in Me.un 1994
with 18 members. Currently, SAJA
membership is risen to more than 600
journalists of South Asian origin in New
York and other cities in the US and
Canada. SAJA has 70+ students
among its members.
SAJA's activities include:
e Monthly meetings with distin-
guished speakers (open to the
public)
e The SAJA Journalism Awards
e The SAJA Stylebook, Job Bank
and South Asian Events Calendar
e SAJA Directory lists our mem-
bers
e Free career counseling and feed-
Google
NetSAP - DC
The Network of South Asian Professionals of the greater Washington area
(NetSAP-DC) is an organization committed to providing networking, profes-
sional development, political education, and community service opportuni-
ties to those interested in South Asian-American related affairs. The Network
of Indian Professionals (NetIP-USA) was founded in 1990 in Chicago. Over
the last six years, the establishment of 21 chapters nationwide has contrib-
uted to NetiP’s increasingly significant role in the South Asian professional
community in the United States. The national membership today boasts over
2,500 members and is growing everyday.
The Washington DC chapter is called the Network of South Asian Profession-
als (NetSAP-DC) and was formed in May 1995. Our membership has grown
dramatically over the past couple of years and now numbers over 550. NetSAP-
DC continues to attract more South Asian professionals in the Washington
area through its diverse, widely acclaimed programming and members’ en-
thusiasm. NetSAP-DC relies on its internal resources for its growth and po-
tential. The organization attributes it success to the creativity, diligence, and
commitment of its members. Committees continually seek people with new
ideas and a little time. NetSAP-DC can be accessed on the Internet at
http://www.netsap.org
Indian American woman is among
top 50 U.S. pharmacists
Nishaminy Kasbekar, 29, is selected to be among the top 50 pharmacists in
the United States. The clinical specialist, who specializes in infectious dis-
eases, has been acknowledged by the American Druggist magazine as among
the top 50 Influential Pharmacists in the U.S. for her work and implementation
of the Anti-microbial Management Program at the Presbyterian Medical Center
(PMC), & division of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, in Philadel-
phia.
This year, she won both the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists’
Best Practice Award and the Pennsylvania Society of Health System Pharma-
cists Innovative Practice award, for a program in which pharmacist’s moni-
tored antibiotic therapy in a community hospital. As a result there is a higher
cure rate with infection and a lower failure rate—these were statistically
significant differences—and a significant trend toward appropriate therapy
when involved with patient care according to Ms. Kasbekar. The hospital
viewed it as a huge success because in the initial cost evaluation, it had
expected to save $150,000, but ended up saving $500,000.
Her plans for the immediate future include making those awards work over-
time for the community. “The award brought us a lot of attention, and we can
use it to bring the issues of global resistance out in the community,” she says.
“We need to get out to the HMOs and give them strict formularies so we can
decrease antibiotic associative resistance.”
back for our student members.
e An occasional e-mail newsletter,
SAJA-online
e SAJA e-mail discussion list of
200+ journalists in 13 countries.
© A daily compendium of US ar-
ticles about South Asia and the
diaspora.
SAJA is helping to foster ties among
South Asian journalists in North
America and improve standards of
journalistic coverage of South Asia and
South Asian America. As an organi-
zation, SAJA's focus has been on jour-
nalism in South Asia and South Asian
America, and not the individual na-
tions of South Asia.
More information on SAJA can be
obtained by visiting their web site at:
http://www.saja.org
INDIA NEWS ¢ January/February 2000 7
|
|
IN THIS ISSUE
India News is published by the Press & Information Wing,
Embassy of India. An electronic edition is available at the
Embassy’s web site: President K.R. Narayanan’s address
http://www.indianembassy,org
Republic Day Celebration at the Embassy
You can also receive an email version of India News. Join
the Embassy Announcement List by sending email to India.com goes Global
indianembassy @egroups.com
oe Economic News Updates ....
or visit the following site:
http://www.egroups.com/group/indianembassy/info.html ce the hijacked Indian Airline
ight IC-814
The Embassy also maintains a discussion group for India
News readers. You can join by sending email to: Cultural Calendar
india_discussion@egroups.com
. ae A Force More Powerful: A Century of
or by visiting the following site: Nonviolent Conflict
http://www.egroups.com/group/india_ciscussion/info.btml
Indian American Forum for IAFPE ....
Embassy of India South Asian Journalists Association
Press & Information
2107 Massachusetts Ave., NW si 6
: Indian American woman is among top
Washington, DC 20008 U.S. pharmacists
NetSAP — DC
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|
|
INDIA NEWS
PUBLISHED BY PRESS & INFORMATION, EMBASSY OF INDIA, WASHINGTON, DC
3 INDIA-U.S. RELATIONS: 2000
March 2000
IN THIS ISSUE
Past U.S. Presidential Visits
to India (Photos)
India-U.S. Space Coopera-
tion: Reaching for a new
frontier
Bilateral visits of Heads of
State/Government
India-U.S. Economic & Trade
Relations: A Growing
Partnership
India-U.S. Science &
Technology Relations —
Harnessing the Potential .... 6
Indian American Commu-
nity: A Story of
Achievements
Internet Guide to India
“..India and the United
States are natural allies
in the quest for a better
future for the world in the
21st century.”
— Prime Minister Vajpayee
September 28, 1998
“..(India) is a great
democracy that has pre-
served their democracy, |
must say, against enor-
mous odds. And we have
an enormous common
interest in shaping the
future with them, and I’m
looking forward to it.
— President Clinton
February 1, 2000
Google
President of the United States
Bill Clinton to visit India
President Clinton's visit to India is the
fourth by a US President. Earlier vis-
its were by Presidents Dwight
Eisenhower (1959), Richard Nixon
(1969) and Jimmy Carter (1978). From
the Indian side, Prime Minister
Jawaharlal Nehru visited in 1949,
1956 and 1961, President Radha-
krishnan in 1963, Prime Minister
Indira Gandhi in 1966, 1971 and 1982,
Prime Minister Morarji Desai in 1978,
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1985
and 1987 and Prime Minister
Narasimha Rao in 1994. President
Clinton’s visit is taking place at a time of warming of relations
between the two countries, and reflects the common desire of
both countries to move towards a new, broad-based, forward-
looking, politically constructive and economically productive part-
nership. The threat of terrorism faced by both countries from the
same source has added a new dimension to India-US cooperation.
India — U.S. Relations
Over five decades, the relationship between the world’s two larg-
est democracies has witnessed periods of ups and downs. Natural
affinities between the two countries, characterized by pluralistic
and open societies, common language, good track records of de-
mocracy and common commitment to the rule of law and basic
freedoms, did not yield the desired results because of differing
positions during the Cold War.
Successive American Administrations concerned with the need to
contain communism did not view India’s leadership of the Non-
aligned Movement very favorably. The US alliance with and mili-
tary support to a country hostile to India was also a cause of
friction. The dominance of the state sector in the Indian economy
was viewed in the US as inefficient and wasteful, and detrimental
to its own interests. The Indian economy nevertheless benefited
considerably during this period from US food aid (PL-480) and
See CLINTON VISIT, Page 2
|
|
CLINTON VISIT
(Continued from page 1)
economic, scientific and technological assistance
that, among others, made the Green Revolution
in the mid-1960s possible.
The end of the Cold War in the 1990s, coinciding
with the liberalization of the Indian economy,
saw a steady improvement in India-US relations
with the Clinton Administration identifying India
as one of the 10 major emerging markets. The
last few years have witnessed a number of high-
level exchanges, unprecedented in the history of
bilateral relations, as well as a commencement
of a “strategic dialogue”, which were expected to
culminate in a US Presidential visit to India in
1998.
The nuclear tests of May 1998 caused a tempo-
rary setback to the relationship. The US imposed
wide-ranging economic sanctions under the 1994
Nuclear Proliferation Prevention Act (Glenn Amend-
ment) besides terminating all forms of defense
cooperation, including IMET. The US has, none-
theless, recognized the need to engage India in
an effort to address its own concerns and to
normalize relations.
Following ten rounds of talks from June 1998
between External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh
and Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott,
normalcy has been restored to the bilateral rela-
tionship, although some issues still remain to be
resolved. President Clinton's forthcoming visit to
India is an opportunity for both countries to
build a new relationship between the world’s
two largest democracies in the 21st century based
on their common strengths, values and interests.
Bilateral trade between the two countries has
exceeded US $12 billion in 1999. There was a
decline in FDI inflows from the US in 1998 (US
$349 million as against US $719 million in 1997),
which could be attributed not only to the impact
of the economic sanctions on the general invest-
ment climate in India, but also to the South East
Asian turmoil and the slowdown in the Indian
economy. There was an upward trend in 1999,
with FDI inflows in the first four months of the
year itself amounting to US$ 186 million. The
waiver of sanctions and the opening up of the
insurance sector in India are likely to further
increase FDI inflows into India in the near future.
Some of the areas in which the two countries are
well placed to launch a new era of cooperation
are science and technology, energy, environment,
infrastructure development and information tech-
nology. Apart from the two governments, co-
operation is also being intensified between
professional societies and business and trade
representatives of the two countries.
Past U.S. Presidential Visits to India
isenhower on arrival
in New Delhi, December 10, 1959 with
Prime Minister Nehru, Vice President
Radhakrishnan, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, and
President of India Rajendra Prasad.
President Dwight
2 INDIA NEWS « March 2000
Google
President Richard Nixon addressed a state
banquet in the Rashtrapati Bhavan in
New Delhi, August 1, 1969; Prime Min-
ister Indira Gandhi is to the right of the
President.
Prime Minister Morarji Desai welcomes
President and Mrs. Jimmy Carter on their
arrival in New Delhi, January 1, 1978.
|
|
India-U.S. Space Cooperation:
Reaching for new frontiers
In the early 1960’s, the United States had offered substantial assistance to India in setting up an
Equatorial Rocket Launching Station at Thumba (TERLS). Subsequently, India dedicated this facility
to the United Nations in 1968. Since then, scientists from various countries have launched more
than 3000 sounding rockets for research purposes.
During 1975-76, under a collaborative bilateral agreement, an experiment, Satellite Instrumental
Television Experiment (SITE) was conducted. Under this agreement, a U.S. satellite, ATS-6, beamed
educational programs to direct reception television sets to 2400 far flung villages exposing them
to a new and immensely powerful medium of television.
Anuradha, an Indian experiment for cosmic ray studies was part of NASA's third Spacelab mission.
The Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG) and Survey of India have made use of data received
from NASA’s MAGSAT Satellite for research and analysis.
India has also participated in Guest Investigator Program of NASA’s Einstein and HEAO-B X-ray
astronomy satellites.
The United States supplied samples of lunar material collected by its lunar probes to India for
research purposes.
Under a Memorandum of Understanding between India and U.S. signed in 1977, India received
data from LANDSAT satellites.
Under a commercial arrangement, Space Imaging of Denver, CO markets the Indian Remote
Sensing satellite imageries of panchromatic resolution of 5m — which until recently has been the
best available in the public domain.
In 1997, NASA & NOAA of United States and Indian Space Research Organization & the Depart-
ment of Science and Technology of India have agreed to share meteorological data from India’s
INSAT satellites. Under this agreement, collaborative research in the area of earth & atmospheric
sciences will also be undertaken.
Bilateral visits of Heads of State/Government
From United States From India
. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru - October 1949
. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru - December 1956
. Vice President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan - March 1958
. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru - November 1961
1. President Dwight D. Eisenhower - December 1959 1
2
3
4
5. President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan - June 1963
6
7
8
2. Vice President Lyndon Johnson - May 1961
3. Vice President Hubert Humphrey - February 1966
4. President Richard Nixon - July 1969
. Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi - March 1966
. Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi - November 1971
. Prime Minister Morarji Desai - June 1978
9. Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi - July 1982
10. Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi - June 1985
11. Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi - September 1987
12. Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao - May 1994
5. President Jimmy Carter - January 1978
6. Vice President George Bush - May 1984
INDIA NEWS ¢ March 2000 3
Google
|
|
CLINTON VISIT
(Continued from page 1)
economic, scientific and technological assistance
that, among others, made the Green Revolution
in the mid-1960s possible.
The end of the Cold War in the 1990s, coinciding
with the liberalization of the Indian economy,
saw a steady improvement in India-US relations
with the Clinton Administration identifying India
as one of the 10 major emerging markets. The
last few years have witnessed a number of high-
level exchanges, unprecedented in the history of
bilateral relations, as well as a commencement
of a “strategic dialogue”, which were expected to
culminate in a US Presidential visit to India in
1998.
The nuclear tests of May 1998 caused a tempo-
rary setback to the relationship. The US imposed
wide-ranging economic sanctions under the 1994
Nuclear Proliferation Prevention Act (Glenn Amend-
ment) besides terminating all forms of defense
cooperation, including IMET. The US has, none-
theless, recognized the need to engage India in
an effort to address its own concerns and to
normalize relations.
Following ten rounds of talks from June 1998
between External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh
and Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott,
normalcy has been restored to the bilateral rela-
tionship, although some issues still remain to be
resolved. President Clinton’s forthcoming visit to
India is an opportunity for both countries to
build a new relationship between the world’s
two largest democracies in the 21st century based
on their common strengths, values and interests.
Bilateral trade between the two countries has
exceeded US $12 billion in 1999. There was a
decline in FD! inflows from the US in 1998 (US
$349 million as against US $719 million in 1997),
which could be attributed not only to the impact
of the economic sanctions on the general invest-
ment climate in India, but also to the South East
Asian turmoil and the slowdown in the Indian
economy. There was an upward trend in 1999,
with FDI inflows in the first four months of the
year itself amounting to US$ 186 million. The
waiver of sanctions and the opening up of the
insurance sector in India are likely to further
increase FDI inflows into India in the near future.
Some of the areas in which the two countries are
well placed to launch a new era of cooperation
are science and technology, energy, environment,
infrastructure development and information tech-
nology. Apart from the two governments, co-
operation is also being intensified between
professional societies and business and trade
representatives of the two countries.
Past U.S. Presidential Visits to India
President Dwight Eisenhower on arrival
in New Delhi, December 10, 1959 with
Prime Minister Nehru, Vice President
Radhakrishnan, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, and
President of India Rajendra Prasad.
2 INDIA NEWS « March 2000
Google
President Richard Nixon addressed a state
banquet in the Rashtrapati Bhavan in
New Delhi, August 1, 1969; Prime Min-
ister Indira Gandhi is to the right of the
President.
Prime Minister Morarji Desai welcomes
President and Mrs. Jimmy Carter on their
arrival in New Delhi, January 1, 1978.
|
|
India-U.S. Space Cooperation:
Reaching for new frontiers
In the early 1960's, the United States had offered substantial assistance to India in setting up an
Equatorial Rocket Launching Station at Thumba (TERLS). Subsequently, India dedicated this facility
to the United Nations in 1968. Since then, scientists from various countries have launched more
than 3000 sounding rockets for research purposes.
During 1975-76, under a collaborative bilateral agreement, an experiment, Satellite Instrumental
Television Experiment (SITE) was conducted. Under this agreement, a ULS. satellite, ATS-6, beamed
educational programs to direct reception television sets to 2400 far flung villages exposing them
to a new and immensely powerful medium of television.
Anuradha, an Indian experiment for cosmic ray studies was part of NASA's third Spacelab mission.
The Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG) and Survey of India have made use of data received
from NASA’s MAGSAT Satellite for research and analysis.
India has also participated in Guest Investigator Program of NASA's Einstein and HEAO-B X-ray
astronomy satellites.
The United States supplied samples of lunar material collected by its lunar probes to India for
research purposes.
Under a Memorandum of Understanding between India and U.S. signed in 1977, India received
data from LANDSAT satellites.
Under a commercial arrangement, Space Imaging of Denver, CO markets the Indian Remote
Sensing satellite imageries of panchromatic resolution of 5m — which until recently has been the
best available in the public domain.
In 1997, NASA & NOAA of United States and Indian Space Research Organization & the Depart-
ment of Science and Technology of India have agreed to share meteorological data from India’s
INSAT satellites. Under this agreement, collaborative research in the area of earth & atmospheric
sciences will also be undertaken.
Bilateral visits of Heads of State/Government
From United States From India
. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru - October 1949
. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru - December 1956
. Vice President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan - March 1958
. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru - November 1961
1. President Dwight D. Eisenhower - December 1959 1
2
3
4
5. President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan - June 1963
6
7
8
2. Vice President Lyndon Johnson - May 1961
3. Vice President Hubert Humphrey - February 1966
4. President Richard Nixon - July 1969
. Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi - March 1966
. Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi - November 1971
. Prime Minister Morarji Desai - June 1978
9. Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi - July 1982
10. Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi - June 1985
11. Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi - September 1987
12. Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao - May 1994
5. President Jimmy Carter - January 1978
6. Vice President George Bush - May 1984
INDIA NEWS ¢ March 2000 3
Google
|
|
India-U.S. Economic & Trade Relations:
A Growing Partnership
India's economic reforms have generated a trade momentum between India and the U.S. that
grows every year. Starting in 1991, India has carried out sweeping changes in its national
economic policies to stimulate domestic and foreign investment in many sectors of the country’s
economy. The effect on trade and investment relations with the United States has been profound.
The U.S. is now not only the largest investor country in India, it is also India’s largest trading
partner.
The trade between the two countries in 1999 totaled US $ 12.79 billion reflecting an increase of
nearly 100% since 1992.
India - U.S. Bilateral Trade
(in US millions)
India’s Exports
India’s Imports
Turnover
Balance
(in favor of India)
Growth Rate
India’s exports to the U.S. have been growing since 1992 at an average rate of 13.7% in dollar
terms.
Imports from the USA have been fluctuating. The rate of growth declined by 0.6% in 1996,
increased by 8.9% in 1997, declined by 1.96% in 1998 and grew by 4.6% in 1999.
Trade composition
4
India’s exports to the US have been rising mainly on account of significant increases in the
exports of diamonds, textiles and ready-made garments, machinery, carpets, footwear and leather
products, dyes, iron and steel products, chemicals, edible fruit and nuts and spices, coffee and
tea.
Six items, namely, textiles and clothing, cut and polished non-industrial diamonds, carpets,
shrimp and prawn, footwear, leather goods and cashew nuts, account for about 75% of total
Indian exports to the US.
The chief items imported from the U.S. at present are machinery including project items, fertilizers,
aircraft and aeronautical equipment, and organic chemicals.
See PARTNERSHIP, Page 5
INDIA NEWS ¢ March 2000
Google
Ins
Oy
a>
ian
|
|
» the
iting
Inns
foun
ra:
PARTNERSHIP (Continued from page 4)
Institutional Framework for Trade and Investment
e Indo-US joint Business Council
The joint Business Council has become more active in recent years and has organized several
promotional events, apart from their annual meeting held alternately in New Delhi and in Washington.
U.S. Investments in India
e India’s gradual and steady integration with the global economy has led to a quantum jump in Indo-
US economic ties. USA continues to be the dominant investor in India in terms of Foreign Direct
Investment (FDI) approvals, actual inflows and portfolio investment.
¢ Total FDI inflows between 1991 and April 1999 were $12.6 billion. US FDI inflows were about $2.3
billion between 1991 and April 1999. Like in FDI Approvals, US lead the FDI Inflows as well.
e The US investments in India accounted for 25% of all foreign direct investment (FDI) approved from
1991 - September 1999.
Foreign Direct Investment Approvals: 1991 - September 1999
(in US millions)
Country 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999* Total
USA 76 466 1100 1112 2138 2873 3769 869 711 13115
TOTAL
(All Countries) 218 1472 2815 4523 9719 10328 | 15248 | 7515 6340 | 58716
FDI Actual Inflows from US
(in US millions)
1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999* Total
43 144 119 205 271 719 349 413 2264
(* Until September, 1999)
e The overall inflow-approval ratio is nearly 23%. This ratio is underestimated due to varying gestation
periods of approved projects, with greater delay in inflows from mega projects (which account for
almost half of the FDI approvals). Excluding mega projects, the inflow-approval ratio works out much
larger at 50%.
e Major industries attracting US investment are fuel (Power & Oil Refinery) and telecommunications.
The other major industries include chemicals, metallurgical industries and service industries. Most
of the leading Fortune 500 US companies have already started their operations in India.
Outlook
The improved performance of the Indian economy during 1999, continued emphasis on economic
reforms and liberalization and India’s technology sectors are the positive reasons for increased interest
in India as a destination for US investments and exports. Going by the current trends, the year 2000
should reach record levels of US FDI and Fil inflows into India.
INDIA NEWS ¢ March 2000 5
Google
|
|
Indian American Community:
A Story of Achievements
There are now more than 1.5 million peoples of Indian origin in America. They reflect the
multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-lingual society of India.
Indian-Americans are represented in many fields including academics and entrepreneurs,
doctors and lawyers, engineers and financiers.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Indian-American median family income is $60,093 as
against the national median family income of $38, 885. The high income clearly reflects the
advanced educational levels achieved by the community.
More than 87% of Indians in America have completed high school while at least 62% have
some college education. As much as 58% of Indian Americans over the age of 25 hold a
bachelor’s degree or higher.
High levels of education have also enabled Indian-Americans to become a productive segment
of the U. S. population, with 72.3% participating in the work force.
Of these work force participants, 43.6% are employed in managerial and professional spe-
cialties.
Technical, sales, and administrative support occupations constitute another 33.2% of the
work force.
The remaining 23.3% of the population works in other areas, such as operators, fabricators,
laborers and precision production.
More than 5,000 Indian-Americans today serve as faculty members in institutions of higher
education in the U. S.
About 300,000 Indian-Americans work in technology firms in California’s Silicon Valley. They
account for more than 15% of high-tech startups in that region. The average income of
Indian-Americans in that region is estimated to be $200,000 a year.
Two Indian-Americans - late Har Gobind Khorana of Massachusetts Institute of Technology
and late Subrahmanyan Chandrashekhar of University of Chicago - were awarded the Nobel
Prize, in medicine and physics respectively.
In deed, the NASA’s premier X-ray observatory was named the Chandra X-ray Observatory in
honor of the late Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar. Known to the world as Chandra, he was widely
regarded as one of the foremost astrophysicists of the twentieth century. The observatory was
launched into space in July 1999.
Dr. Kalpana Chawla added a new chapter to the history of the Indian-American community.
In 1997, She became the first Indian or Indian-American to fly in the US space shuttle. She
was part of the Space Shuttle Columbia Flight STS-87.
The estimated annual buying power of Indian-Americans in the United States is around
twenty billion dollars annually.
Indian-Americans are increasingly beginning to take a more direct role in political activities.
They have traditionally exercised the most political influence through their campaign contri-
butions, and are actively involved in fundraising efforts for political candidates on the federal,
state and local levels.
As a result of these activities, together with the growing commercial interest in investment in
India, the India caucus in the House of Representatives now numbers 118.
INDIA NEWS ¢ March 2000 7
Go gle
|
|
Internet Guide to India
News & Media
The Times of India
The Hindu
The Hindustan Times
India Today
Government
Parliament
President of India
Prime Minister of India
Government/Ministries/States
Election Commission of India
Economy & Trade
The Economic Times
The Business Standard ~~ °
The Reserve Bank of India
Indian Investment Center
History & Culture
History of India
Indian Languages
Indus Civilization
Recipes of various regions
Tourism
India Tourism Department
Non-Governmental Organizations
Comprehensive list of NGOs
Maps
Clickable map of India/States
http://www.timesofindia.com
http://www. hinduonline.com
http://www. hindustantimes.com
http://www. india-today.com/
http://parliamentofindia.nic.in/
http://alfa.nic.in/rb/president.htm
http://pmindia.nic.in/home.htm
http://indiaimage.nic.in/
http://www.eci.gov.in
http://www.economictimes.com
http://www. business-standard.com/
http://www. rbi.org.in
http://iic.nic.in/
http://www. historyofindia.com
http://www. indianlanguages.com/
http://www. harappa.com/
http://www.welcometoindia.com/
http://www.tourindia.com
http://www.indianngos.com/
http://www.mapsofindia.com
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