The Hindu : Nuclear proliferation a matter of global concern: Sinha

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 19, 2004

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Nuclear proliferation a matter of global concern: Sinha

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, FEB. 18. The Minister for External Affairs, Yashwant Sinha, has said that nuclear black marketing or proliferation is not a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan but a matter of concern for the entire international community.

"India has no wish to make it an issue (with Pakistan)," Mr. Sinha said at a press conference at the Lake View guest house here today. The "flourishing nuclear black marketing" was a matter of international concern. Terrorist groups in the country should not take nuclear weapons or technology into their hands. There was no immediate threat as such of nuclear black marketing to the country, but there was this apprehension over the possibility of terrorists accessing technology.

Mr. Sinha was here to address a public meeting organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party, a lecture on "India's Middle East Policy" at a meeting by the United Minority Front and review the functioning of the Regional Passport Office, stated to be one of the largest in the country.

Mr. Sinha said the green signal for the Indian cricket team's visit to Pakistan should not be viewed as an "election-related" move or as a "diplomatic match." This was part of the confidence-building measures to facilitate people-to-people contacts between the two countries. Cricket should be played in the spirit of the game. He denied that there was any `confusion' in this regard. When it threatened to become an "issue," the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vapayee, called a review meeting where the tour was okayed. Mr. Sinha quoted the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, as saying that the "attitude of the Home Ministry was clearly misunderstood." He hoped that more visas would be given to enable Indians to watch the matches.

On business process outsourcing (BPO), the Minister said it affected India more than any country. A number of leaders representing Governments in Europe had met him in the recent past and clearly voiced their opposition to the curbs on BPO.

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