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Manmohan: no military solution to J&K

— Photo: PTI

PARTY TIME: Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, Defence Minister A.K. Antony and senior Congress leader M.L. Fotedar share a lighter moment during a book release function in New Delhi on Wednesday.

New Delhi: Indicating that there could be no military solution to disputes like the Kashmir issue, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday said a lasting solution could only be arrived at through dialogue.

Though the armed forces were always vigilant, he said, ``Equally, we have the wisdom and the courage to say that the only lasting solution to any political or bilateral dispute is one that is negotiated through dialogue and discussion, and is arrived at honourably and to the satisfaction of all.''

Releasing the book ``1965 War: The Inside Story'' by the former Governor, R.D. Pradhan, Dr. Singh said, ``There should be no doubt in anyone's mind that we are prepared and determined to deal with any threat to our national security in the appropriate manner. Our armed forces are always ready to deal with any such challenge.''

Mr. Pradhan worked as private secretary under the then Defence Minister Y.B. Chavan during the 22-day war and the book is mostly based on the Minister's hand-written diaries, and analyses through these writings of the attitude and behaviour of politicians and military officials during the crisis.

The Prime Minister said he too had worked under Chavan when he was the Finance Minister. ``I was stuck by the sagacity and wisdom of Chavan on the issue of India-Pakistan relations and the issue of Jammu and Kashmir.

``Yashwantraoji took a determined and considered view that there could be no military solution to the Kashmir issue. He was convinced that any lasting solution has to be a politically negotiated one,'' Dr. Singh said.

He released the book in the presence of the Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh, Defence Minister A.K. Antony, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, service chiefs, several former chiefs and defence analysts K. Subrahmanyam and Jasjit Singh.

Introducing his book, Mr. Pradhan referred to the recent controversy created over claims that India's 1965 war plans were sold to Pakistan and asserted ``there is no evidence to lend an iota of credence to that sensational claim.''

Marshal Arjan Singh, to whom Mr. Pradhan dedicated the book, said he, as then IAF chief, had told Chavan that ``we are in a great hurry.'' Chavan, Mr. Pradhan said, asked Marshal Arjan Singh to launch air attacks without even informing the then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. The attacks were launched within 20 minutes. — PTI

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