Hours before Kashmir went to the polls, PM Vajpayee pointed to a greater understanding by the US on India’s fight against terrorism, saying that for the first time the US did not press him to start talks with Islamabad even as New Delhi continued its battle against cross-border terrorism.‘‘The US side has always told us that even as you conduct your battle against cross-border terrorism, you should simultaneously talk to Pakistan. But for the first time, this time, they did not raise this. (Pehlee baar baatchit ke bare mein koi baat nahin hui’’, Vajpayee said.On the Kashmir elections, the US was also said to be coming around to New Delhi’s view, that they should be held in an atmosphere free of violence and intimidation.The PM also spelled out India’s position on Iraq for the first time, saying that the sanctions on Iraq should be lifted in tandem with the full and effective compliance by Iraq with the relevant Security Council resolutions.The short statement, analysts pointed out, closely resembles the stand-point of the US and yet protects New Delhi’s traditional ties with that country (‘‘You are well aware of our historical relationship with Iraq and our vital, strategic interests in the Gulf region’’, the PM began).And yet, coming as it did after his speech at the UN some days ago, which had completely missed out on even mentioning the word, the analysts pointed to New Delhi’s pragmatic desire to not unnecessarily ruffle Washington by taking a diverse position. The analysts also said that with elections in Kashmir on the anvil, New Delhi certainly wanted the US on its side.The PM pointed towards the contradictions in the global terrorist war, as exemplified by Washington’s close support for Musharraf, even as key Al-Qaeda figures regularly surfaced in Pakistan. A Yemeni national was arrested in Karachi last week, in an operation carried out by the Pakistan police along with the FBI and the CIA.The press conference, devoted to serious policy matters, was punctuated with the PM’s trademark humour. Asked if India would offer the US military facilities if it went to war against Iraq, he pointed out that that could only be speculation.‘‘Woh jab mangega, hum dekhenge, abhi to Bismillah bhi nahin hui hai!’’ (they will ask, we will see, even the Bismillah hasn’t been read yet), he said, to the delight of the assembled audience.Asked about Musharraf’s statement on the religious riots in Gujarat and whether he had used the riots as a stick to beat India with, the PM pointed out that Musharraf did not need such a stick. ‘‘The riots were limited to Gujarat’’, he said, adding, ‘‘We have criticised the state for the unfortunate incidents, they should not happen again.’’
