Aussie PM walks the tightrope

New Delhi, July 11: Australian Prime Minister John Howard was inundated with questions on domestic political issues at a press conference ...

New Delhi, July 11: Australian Prime Minister John Howard was inundated with questions on domestic political issues at a press conference in the capital today, marking the first high-level visit from Canberra to India in 11 years.

Australian reporters shot off questions on the newly imposed goods and services tax back home, on a cricketer accused of chucking and a UN report on drugs. Their Indian counterparts came back with queries on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, the 1998 nuclear tests and whether Canberra had 8220;moved on8221; from the antagonistic position it took over Pokharan two years ago.

Everybody forgot the horrendous murder of Graham Staines, the Australian missionary who was killed along with his two young sons in January last year in Orissa, a gruesome incident that shocked the world.

It was later left to a spokesman of the Ministry of External Affairs, who in answer to a question told reporters that Howard and PM Vajpayee 8220;noted that the killing of Graham Staines and his sons was a tragic crime and that the law was taking its course backed up by a strong and independent judiciary.8221;

Howard did not raise the current spate of attacks on Christians in India with Vajpayee, the spokesman added, restricting his remarks to the murder of Staines and his sons.

At the press conference, however, Howard spoke of the need to inject 8220;new vigour8221; into the relationship, pointing out that India8217;s nuclear tests had indeed imposed a 8220;strain8221; and while Canberra had not withdrawn its criticism on this matter, it did not want one issue to 8220;contaminate8221; bilateral ties.

Clearly, both sides seem to be returning to a business-as-usual spirit, knowing well that continuing antagonism could become too wearying an emotion. There is talk of an Australian consortium setting up a LNG plant at Gopalpur, in Orissa, coincidentally the same state where Graham Staines spent most of his life.

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At one point during the press conference it seemed that the air was getting a bit ticklish, when Howard was asked to comment on the British decision to upset the informal Commonwealth embargo on Pakistan and sell arms to that country.

But Howard was not fazed. Saying that the Commonwealth should really stick to issues of international concern like 8220;good governance8221; and not get 8220;involved in bilateral issues,8221; he proceeded to give a clean chit to Britain, from where he had arrived yesterday after participating in the centenary celebrations of Australia8217;s independence from London.

8220;Britain,8221; said Howard, 8220;is not the only arms vendor in the world,8221; prefacing that remark with, 8220;I would not dare to give gratuitous advice to anybody.8221;

Fiji, meanwhile, is said to have been the story that broke the ice between India and Australia, after the mutual anger following the Pokharan tests. It is said to have dominated political conversations during Howard8217;s visit, and even though Canberra has no intentions of immediately applying economic sanctions on Suva 8220;We will continue to exert pressure and apply advocacy,8221; said Howard, both capitals have promised to keep in touch on the issue.