BRUSSELS, Oct 4: Pakistan’s contention that “non-state actors” are behind terror attacks in India was rejected by President Pranab Mukherjee, who said such elements are not coming from heaven but from territory under its control.
Mukherjee said Pakistan referred to elements perpetrating terrorism as non-state actors.
“…Non-state actors, that is the phrase they used, then I responded by saying that non-state actors are not coming from heaven. Non-state actors are coming from territory under your (Pakistan’s) control,” Mukherjee said.
“And not now, in 2004 Pakistan agreed that their territories will not be allowed to be used by forces inimical to India,” he said in an interview with Euronews.
Mukherjee was asked to comment on India saying such acts are state-sponsored terrorism while Pakistan says they are not.
The President made it clear that while India wants peace with Pakistan, there can be no compromise with its own territorial integrity and state-sponsored terrorism from across the border cannot be accepted.
Mukherjee, on a four-day state visit to Belgium, Mukherjee reiterated that the terror infrastructure in Pakistan needs to be dismantled.
“Terrorist activities must be curbed. And state-sponsored terrorism can never be accepted. Therefore, repeatedly we are saying, please dismantle the terrorist outfits which are located in your area,” he said.
India does not have any territorial ambitions and wants peace with its neighbours while maintaining its own territorial integrity, he said.
“In 1971, when Indira Gandhi was Prime Minister and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was Prime Minister of Pakistan, India entered into an agreement which is known as Simla Agreement …91,000 imprisoned soldiers, prisoners of war, were returned,” he said.
“This was just to show the goodwill that in our basic foreign policy we do not have any territorial ambition, we do not have any ambition to export our ideology to any country or we do not have any commercial interests,” Mukherjee said.
Referring to his stint as Foreign Minister, Mukherjee said that he used to say that “I can change my friends if I like but I cannot change my neighbours if I like. I shall have to accept the neighbour the way he is.
“He is my neighbour. Whether I like it or not does not matter. Therefore, it is for me to decide whether I live with my neighbour in tension or in peace. We opted for peace, Mukherjee said.
“And we have good relations with Nawaz Sharif at the personal level also. But one point is to be understood. No country can compromise its territorial integrity. That is not possible,” he said.
Talking about the forthcoming General elections in the country, the President said people will “express their views” about “certain important programmes” like Food Security Act, Rural Job Guarantee scheme and Right to Education among others.
The President said India is aiming to move towards an inclusive growth for its citizens.
“What I am talking of is that we want to achieve inclusive growth, and inclusive growth of course requires that there must be food, there must be education, there must be health and sanitation.
“We shall have to move for inclusive growth and inclusive growth could be achieved by providing food, education, health, sanitation because after all policy-makers of India are to take care of 1.2 billion plus people and it is a huge task.
“Therefore, our developmental model cannot be framed in the context of other countries’ developmental model. It must be in the context of the socioeconomic conditions prevailing in India,” he said.
He said the wave of a “charismatic” leader who could win elections is usually found “only when” the polls are over.
“Whether a leader is charismatic or not depends on whether he or she is able to catch the vote. Charisma is tested by them. Here I can tell you as a political activist that always we talk during the election of a wave or wind. But wave or wind can be found out only once it is over. When it is coming or when it is blowing, nobody can say where the wind is blowing or the wave is moving,” he said. (PTI)
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