The Hindu : Front Page : Kalam favours linking of rivers, justifies rise in defence spending

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Thursday, Jul 15, 2004

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Kalam favours linking of rivers, justifies rise in defence spending

By Our Special Correspondent

HISTORIC ADDRESS: The President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, speaking at the Andhra Pradesh Assembly in Hyderabad on Wednesday. - AP

HYDERABAD,JULY 14. The President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, has strongly defended India going nuclear and the increasing defence spending, saying "we need to have strength to repulse if somebody attacks."

Interacting with the members of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly after addressing the House, Mr. Kalam said India spent much less compared to many other countries and subscribed to the philosophy of "no first use of nuclear weapon systems."

It was for the second time in the history of the State that a President had addressed the Assembly. He fielded questions on a variety of subjects.

Mr. Kalam, who was responding to a question by a Telugu Desam member, P. Keshav, spoke of India's vulnerability down the ages. "Countries after countries and kings after kings kept invading India. The British, the French and the Dutch turned several parts into their colonies. Why were we ruled by others? Did we not have kings and warriors? What we lacked was strength. Ponder over, you will get the answer."

The President also favoured the interlinking of rivers, pointing to the paradox of simultaneous floods and severe drought conditions. "We need connectivity from the Brahmaputra, the Ganges and the Cauvery to overcome such problems," he said, responding to a question by J. Krishna Rao (Independent). He said he would pursue it with the Central Government.

On the issue of the agrarian crisis and farmers committing suicides raised by N. Narsimhaiah (CPI- M) Mr. Kalam said he was sad that the farmers were overtaken by such tragedy. They needed help and the courage to face problems. They needed the right type of quality inputs, water and power and the effort should be to link the budgetary allocations to the problems they were facing.

On 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament, he supported it and said: "My Government is looking forward to it." On the minority communities' contribution to his development vision, he said he would not make any "people-to-people" distinction.

At the same time, some regions and people belonging to certain denominations required help. But those who cried for development of the minorities should strive for vocational education and training for girl children and women.

Earlier in his address, the President said the country faced the major challenge of uplifting 260 million people below the poverty line. For achieving the objective, economists suggested that the economy should grow at the rate of 10 per cent a year consistently for over a decade, from the present GDP rate of five per cent.

He came up with a "Rural Prosperity Through Connectivity" plan for rural development and a 10-mission approach focussing on agriculture, energy, drinking water, healthcare, weather-monitoring and education.

A ticklish poser

HYDERABAD,JULY 14. Creating a flutter during an interaction with the President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, K. Ramulu, a Janata Party legislator, posed a ticklish questioned to him whether he would confer "Bharat Ratna" on the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, for "renouncing" Prime Ministership.

The President, apparently taken aback by the delicate political question, quickly gathered his wits, and said: "Normally, the people whom you recommend the highest award for are not interested [in accepting it]. I am also one among them." — PTI

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