NEW DELHI: The Union home minister, S.B.Chavan, Tuesday said Pakistan went Likely 60 incomes its involvement in Punjab in the near future since it did not want any election to be held in the border state.” Violent activities in Punjab are bound to increase as the elections near,” he said.

Chavan told newsmen elections in the state next year would not be postponed under any circumstances. He would not go to Parliament once again to seek yet another spell of Presidents rule since the stale had already been without an elected govt for over four years.

Chavan hoped with the cooperation of the Army and paramilitary forces a situation would be created in which people could exercise their franchise freely. The volatile situation in the state could be tackled only by winning over local people.

He expressed satisfaction over a report presented by the state governor, Surendra Nath, recently that there had been no adverse impact on the morale of the police force due to the recent killing of relatives of the police personnel. The morale continued to be very high, he added. The governor had been asked to fix a date when Chavan could visit Punjab.

It was due to concerted diplomatic efforts that the US and the UK had conveyed to Pakistan their disapproval of that country’s support to militants in Punjab and Kashmir. Efforts were also continuing at the political level but there was no assurance they would have any effect on the Pakistan chose to remain noncommittal on the kidnapping of the Romanian envoy, Liviu Radu. He would also not say anything on whether a national policy on kidnappings was on the anvil. The proposed policy had not been discussed at the Cabinet committee on political affairs. He claimed there was progress in efforts to trace the Romaman envoy.

On the conditions in Jammu and Kashmir, Chavan claimed, “things were on the side of improvement” and did not rule out the possibility of changes in administration at all levels. He, however, admitted there had been no breakthrough in solving the imbroglio.

When he was told about the proposed Kanyakumari to Kashmir “unity yatra” of the BJP president, M.M Joshi, Chavan remarked “Is one Rath Yatra not enough”. If the BJP leaders wanted to proceed to Srinagar, they were welcome to do so, he added.

Article extracted from this publication >> October 25, 1991