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No going back on ceasefire offer: PM

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee Thursday asserted there was no going back on the unilateral ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir during Ramzan and "we will make it a success".

Hinting at further moves to build upon the ceasefire, Vajpayee told the Rajya Sabha that the government would not be cowed down by attempts to sabotage the peace effort and security forces had been asked to heighten vigil during the ceasefire.

"There is no going back on the ceasefire. We will make it a success," Vajpayee said rejecting the demands by Shiv Sena members to withdraw this peace initiative after a Sena member's condemnation of Tuesday's killing of five truckers turned into a discussion on the subject.

Vajpayee said even before the unilateral ceasefire had come into operation, it had created ripples among militant groups.

"There are differences among them. They are discussing this and we like it," he said.

The prime minister said the ceasefire had been taken to tap "growing yearning for peace in the state", adding the initiative had been widely welcomed by the people.

Even before the ceasefire annoucement, Vajpayee said the government was aware of rumblings in militant ranks which was a big setback to their backers.

"This step has been taken after due thought. We have taken a risk," he said, adding the measure was taken after "due consideration and due preparedness and apprehensions of mischief".

The prime minister made it clear that the unilateral ceasefire did not mean any lowering of guard and said the security forces had been asked to be on full alert against any attack.

He said carrying out attacks in army uniforms by militants was "old tactics designed to smear our security forces" and said similar strategy had been adopted by them during the Chattisinghpura massacre just before US President Bill Clinton's visit to India.

Vajpayee said some groups were spearheading propaganda by trying to blame such incidents on security forces.

"It hurts when our own people start pointing fingers at us for the ghastly action by militants who are out to destablise the country," he added.

The prime minister likened the new initiative to his Lahore bus ride which, he said, had been recognised as a milestone by the world community. The international community was appreciative of India's effort to extend its hand for a dialogue.

The leader of the House and External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh joined the prime minister in describing the ceasefire offer as a start of a "caravan for peace" saying the government was committed to expand the constituency of peace.

" Insaniyat aur aman ka caravan chal pada hai aur chalta hi rehega. Goan mein bhonkte kutte isko rok nahein sakte. (The caravan of humanity and peace has started and will continue to move towards its goal and will not be cowed down by threats from militants)," Jaswant Singh said summing up the government's peace initiative.

Singh clarified that the ceasefire meant that security forces would not initiate action and the government would be "unambiguous and unrelenting" in giving a robust challenge to cross-border and externally-abetted terrorism.

Simultaneously, he said efforts were on to bring back to the path of sanity elements who had strayed from commitment to country's integrity.

Condemning the massacre of five truckers, the minister said "everytime the government takes steps towards normalcy, our enemies will take steps to sabotage it," adding this was not the first or the last attempt.

Singh said 70 per cent of militants operating in Jammu and Kashmir were not citizens of India.

He pointed out that large number of criminals facing murder charges had been released from Pakistani jails to create mayhem in Kashmir and in return were promised big money and commutation of sentences.

Singh said people in Kashmir had overwhelmingly welcomed the ceasefire initiative as they were sick of violence.

Barring the Shiv Sena, the entire House led by leader of the ppposition Manmohan Singh hailed the prime minister's new initiative but wanted the government to take adequate security measures to prevent attacks on civilians.

PTI

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