NEW DELHI: The British foreign secretary, Douglas. Hurd, Friday welcomed the Indian government’s decision to hold elections in Punjab and hoped the political process could also be initiated in Jammu and Kashmir. But until Kashmir went to the polls, there should be greater openness in the governments dealing with the slate, he said. But, he added, it was important that “the process of operations under law” should not give the militants an opportunity to complain of human rights violations. However, he said, the government thought to look into the charges of abuse and take disciplinary action against the violators just to help clear the atmosphere and Leave no room for doubts. Hurd also lashed out against terrorism in general and said this cannot be valid method of political change. The major violator of human rights were militants, be it in Punjab, Kashmir or Not her Ireland About the Dunkel report, the foreign secretary and many countries, including Britain, had problems with certain proposals of the report. Nevertheless, it was not necessary to accept all the proposals. The Dunkel report should be accepted as a basis for negotiations. He also said Britain wanted the GATT negotiations to succeed.

The foreign secretary said that captions between India and Britain were very good, because the “instincts and interests” of both the countries have come together, with the breakup of the old international order.

Expressing Britain’s concern over nuclear proliferation, the foreign secretary urged India to sign the NPI. Especially when South Africa and France have already signed the Treaty and China has expressed its willingness to do so.

However, he said, Britain understood Indias compulsions and sensitivities which stemmed from Pakistan’s nuclear plans and added, he hoped India and Pakistan would thrash this and other problems affecting their relationship.

Hurd said Britain welcomed the proposal for a five country meeting on nuclear nonproliferation. This five country meeting proposal has come from Pakistan. The countries are India Pakistan, the US , China and the former Soviet Union, who, according to the proposal, should get together and discuss ways for creating a South Asia of nuclear weapons.

Meanwhile, an external affairs ministry spokesperson said India had not changed its views one either the NPT or a nuclear free South Asia. The Indian government has said NPT cannot be applied regionally and that a global view needs to be taken. The NPT, according to New Delhi, discriminated against certain countries, while imposing no restrictions on those who already possessed nuclear weapons.

Hurd met the Prime Minister, P.V. Narasimha Rao, Friday but refused to disclose details of the talks as the meeting was “confidential”, He also met the external affairs minister, Madhavsinh Solanki.

Solanki thanked the visiting foreign secretary for outstanding help in combating militants who were using Britain as a base for anti-India activities. Hurd said a. team of Indian officials would visit London soon to complete discussions on the extradition treaty to be signed by the two countries. Answering a question, Hurd said Britain was a democratic country and its action against militants had to be within the parameters « set down in law.

Article extracted from this publication >> January 31, 1992