[Reader-list] News Items posted on the net on Multipurpose National Identity Cards-78

Sat Jan 24 02:10:38 IST 2009

http://www.indianexpress.com/res/web/pIe/ie/daily/19981019/29350584.html

Indian Express
Monday, October 19, 1998

"If Govt decides to send a recommendation on Bihar again, it can do it"
Ajay Suri
He may be known more for his tough posturing and hard-hitting
approach, but that is not all to Union Home Minister L.K. Advani. He
makes no bones about the dangers awaiting the Kashmiri Pandits should
they decide to return to the Valley at this juncture. His advice to
the north-eastern states to talk with the militants further betray the
sensitive (some may say soft) aspect of the second most important man
in the Central Government. AJAY SURI spoke to him at length. Excerpts
of the interview:

How far has the Government gone ahead with its `pro-active' approach
on militancy-infested Kashmir?

One of the principal touchstones whereby the Government would come to
the conclusion that normalcy has returned is the rehabilitation of the
Kashmiri Pandits who have been thrown out of their hearths and homes.
We propose to have a session with Kashmiri Pandits and their
representatives, along with Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq
Abdullah. A measure of risk would be there for everyone (including
thePandits). We would like to provide the Kashmiri Pandits with the
best possible safety measures, but I can say that those who belong to
the countryside would be more willing to return than those from the
urban areas. In these few years, many of them have found a job and
they would not be very ready to go...land jinki hai woh jane to tayyar
honge, but risk land walon ke liye jyada hai...The state Government
would have to contribute, even to those whose property has been
destroyed. We will hold the talks soon.

Can you foresee a time-frame in which the Kashmir problem could be solved?

It is not possible. We have lost valuable time. After all, at one
stage, hot pursuit would have yielded immediate results. The
deterioration in the situation began in 1984 when when they (Pakistan)
started implementing their strategy through Punjab. We succumbed to
the campaign they unleashed against Jagmohan in which Pakistan was a
principal party and Indian political parties joined hands...I still
regard hotpursuit as a legitimate right of a country that is subjected
to this kind of attack. But I do not do regard it appropriate at this
point of time. Because of the present situation, I would like to take
steps which do not enlarge the conflict. But one gratifying aspect
certainly is that tourists have returned to the Valley and most of the
militants apprehended or killed these days are foreign mercenaries,
sent from Pakistan, Afghanistan and other Islamic countries. Not many
of them are the residents of Kashmir. We have already unearthed 18
modules run by ISI in the country. We will make more progress in this
direction.

Is the Bihar chapter as good as closed?

Bihar is certainly not a closed chapter. It may be that the particular
recommendation being sent second time is closed. But if at all the
Government decides to send a recommendation again, it can certainly do
it...The view that it's a fit case was expressed by the whole Cabinet,
even while saying that in deference to the wishes of the Presidentwe
are not pursuing the matter for the moment. One constraint on the Govt
action was the interpretation put by the President on the Bommai
judgment whereby no Government could recommend dissolution of a State
Assembly until first Parliament had first adopted the proclamation.
There are different legal views which say this is not correct. They
hold that the judgment is not binding on the Government. In any case,
we are calling a Chief Ministers' meeting of the Inter-State Council
to resume the debate on Article 356.

Why did the Government go for a desperate gamble in changing the Delhi
Chief Minister just before the state elections? Isn't it a direct
admission of failure in governing the capital?

I don't think it is a gamble; in fact, we had been thinking of it for
some time. When the Prime Minister planned a Cabinet expansion in
early October, it became logical move to have a changeover in Delhi.
We wanted to induct Sahib Singh into the Central Government and send
someone like Sushma (Swaraj), or(Madan Lal) Khurana or whosoever we
think would be the best card for us. But the problem occurred when the
Cabinet expansion was deferred.

Changing a Chief Minister at this point is not an admission of
failure. Sushma Swaraj's statements and pronouncements have
consciously sought to erase this feeling and we are going to the
people on the basis of achievements of both the Khurana and the Sahib
Singh governments. However, these comments would be there. Any radical
steps a party takes are bound to evoke comments. We should be willing
to accept those things.

The issue of deportation of illegal Bangladeshis is due for revival,
considering the Maharashtra Government's statement that it would
resume the process after Diwali. There are also talks of giving work
permits to illegal settlers from Bangladesh.

I have not talked about permits as such, but I have said that about
implementing a scheme of drawing up a national register of citizens
and providing all Indian citizens with multi-purpose identitycards. In
that process, we would also like to register all non-citizens who are
residents in India. In case of groups like that of Bangladeshis, this
non-citizen identity card will for all practical purpose become a work
permit. In that case also, according to the international law and
convention, it is not only our right but our duty to see that they go
back. But the Government has been remit in discharging its duty. Over
the years, we have allowed this problem to grow to a dimension in
which deportation of more than one crore people becomes impossible,
purely for logistic reasons. Maharashtra govt tried to send back 92
persons, and see the hue and cry that has been raised.

The Home Ministry is trying to view the problem in a holistic way and
contain the negative consequences of such a large number of illegal
immigrants. If they have formal non-citizen identity papers, they
would be less of a threat to security, to the polity of the country.
The issue of these 92 deportees (sent by Maharashtra Government)is
before the Calcutta High Court. There is no stay on their deportation
but we would like to wait for the verdict.

The North-East insurgency situation, though presently overshadowed by
Kashmir, could blow on the Government's face any time. How exactly
does the Home Ministry view the problem?

North-East is a matter of concern. All the North-eastern states have
been interacting with us, including those which are afflicted by
militancy. The Central Government has been giving all necessary
assistance and support. but I have been trying to impress upon them
that in Punjab we were ultimately able to overcome militancy. Apart
from the contributions of the Army and the para-military forces, the
principal factor which contributed to our success were the
administration and the police on one hand and the ability of the
leadership to isolate the people from the militants on the other. We
have to ensure there is no sympathy of any kind for the militants.