LONDON (PTI): British home secretary Kenneth Clarke has condemned militant activities in the northern Indian states of Punjab and Kashmir and reiterated his governments support for Indian efforts to deal with militancy.
“Terrorism and violence offer no solution. There are always better and more effective ways as India once showed the British empire” Clarke said here on Nov.19.
Clarke presented the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavans Mahatma Gandhi award to Sitar Maestro Ravi Shankar at a function organized to celebrate former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru birth.
Clarke made a special mention of militancy in Punjab and shared concern of the people of Indian origin in Britain about the safety of their friends and relatives there.
He said “we condemn those who are violent for political ends anywhere in the world and we support the efforts of the Indian government to deal with terrorism.
I make no comment on the underlying political issues. They are not for me but I do say that terrorism and violence offer no solution.”
Clarke expressed satisfaction at the new Indo-British extradition treaty and confiscation agreement of terrorist’s assets in either country which he recently signed with the interior minister S.B.Chavan.
However since extradition is a legal matter courts here would not extradite unless satisfied of a prima facie case a fair trial for the defendant and if found guilty he would be punished according to law Clarke said.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 4, 1992
