Journalist: Mr. Ambassador, in a hard-hitting statement Rajiv Gandhi called for a halt to the military offensive launched by Sri Lanka against the Tamil Hindu guerrillas,

Ambassador: That’s right.

Journalist: He described the offensive as ‘‘a coldblooded slaughter of thousands of Sri Lankan citizens by their own government”. Ambassador: Very correct.

Journalist: What about the coldblooded slaughter of thousands of Sikh citizens of India by the Indian army that is currently combing hundreds of villages in Amritar and Gurdaspur districts? Does it mean Sikhs are lesser humans than Tamil Hindus and must live as slaves in Hindu India?

Ambassador: Not in national interest to disclose.

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Journalist: Mr. Ambassador, Bangladesh ruling party has said that communal violence in India is a threat to the peace and stability in the region.

Ambassador: That’s right.

Journalist: In Pakistan agitated Muslims burned Indian flags and effigies of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi while demonstrating against the killing of over 125 Muslims in communal riots that rocked Delhi and Meerut last week.

Ambassador: Very correct.

Journalist; How long do you think rulers from Negru dynasty can politically exploit Hindu fundamentalist voters through State engineered massacre of minorities? Don’t you think by their communal genocide of minorities in India, they are virtually exposing Hindus living in Muslim majority countries to mob vengeance? Ambassador: Not in national interest to disclose.

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Journalist: Mr. Ambassador, Delhi rulers have adopted the so-called “stick and carrot” policy to combat the growing power of the Sikh freedom fighters in Punjab.

Ambassador: That’s right.

Journalist: While Ribeiro has started killing Sikh young men indiscriminately, Rajiv is dangling the carrot of restoring popular rule in Punjab.

Ambassador: Very correct.

Journalist: Do you think Rajiy will succeed where Ahmed Shah Abdali failed, where the mighty British failed and where his own mother failed? Doesn’t he realize that Sikh masses will never, never, allow another “Barnala’ to cheat them out of their aspirations? Ambassador: Not in national interest to disclose.

Article extracted from this publication >>  June 5, 1987