The Hindu : Front Page : India is not for sale, says Manmohan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jul 17, 2005

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India is not for sale, says Manmohan

N. Ravi

Terrorism will figure in talks with U.S.

FRANKFURT: Responding to concerns voiced by the Left that in forging closer ties with the United States, India will be moving away from an independent and non-aligned foreign policy, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh pointed out that the Congress was the architect of the non-aligned movement and it would be a mistake to think that any Prime Minister of the party would sell India cheap.

"India is not for sale," he said on board the aircraft from New Delhi to Frankfurt in response to a question on India moving away from non-alignment and declared that he would safeguard it till the end of his life. India had to reckon with the U.S. as the most important power with influence and strength in all areas of international economic and technological cooperation. The interests of the U.S. might not always coincide with those of India but India could not function in isolation. "We will try to find areas of convergence," he said.

Asked if he would raise the issue of Pakistani connection in the London terrorist attacks in his talks, the Prime Minister said issues of India's security including terrorism would figure in the talks. The civilised world had recognised after what had happened in London that international terrorism was a threat to the entire world and there was an obligation to work together.

In reply to another question whether he would take up the common Pakistani connection to terrorism in Kashmir and in London, Dr. Singh said terrorists were terrorists and he would not like to demonise any people. "Nationally, we will never compromise with terrorism," he asserted.

As he saw it, the purpose of his visit to Washington was to brief the U.S. administration on India's domestic and international concerns and enlist its cooperation to accelerate economic and social development. While the bulk of the resources for development was being mobilised domestically, international finance and transfer of technology would at the margin be important. If the U.S. with its influence in shaping the international finance and technology transfer systems cooperated, the international environment would become more favourable.

At the moment, India was subject to "discriminatory restrictions" that had affected the state of technological development in a number of areas. Dr. Singh hoped the world would have a better appreciation of the country's role as a responsible nuclear power and recognise that the restrictions had outlived their utility. Technological modernisation was a priority for him on this visit.

The Prime Minister will reach Washington on Sunday evening and goes into his meeting with President George Bush on Monday morning.

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