Debate

Speech in Rajya Sabha
Natwar Singh’s Poser to PM on Iraq

Natwar Singh

Shri K. Natwar Singh : Sir, I am grateful to you for giving me this opportunity to pose a few questions to the distinguished Prime Minister whom I thank for his statement on the profoundly important issue of the stand-off against Iraq. One would have thought that at the beginning of the New Millennium mankind’s journey would progress through light and truth and uprightness and not through darkness. One thought that the day for deciding arguments and issues with a gun were a matter of the past and the arguments would be settled by debate and discussion. I would like to know from the Prime Minister : When you spoke to the President of the United States, did you ask, as friends of the United States - because we have all welcomed the improvement in relations between India and as friends you are entitled to ask him, "are you taking into consideration our deep anxiety and concern as we are understanding and appreciating your compulsions, - did you ask the American President whether he genuinely believes that Iraq poses a security threat to the United States? Are they responding to the crisis or have they created a crisis? Senator Byird, who has spent 50 years in the US Congress, said in the Senate that the President of the United States has not been able to convince anybody except a few people around him that Iraq poses a security threat to the United States. Did you ask him and appeal to him that would be - now that Iraq was cooperating - give some more time to the UN inspectors? If so, what was the response? If not, you should have asked him. Secondly, did you ask him - now that the Security Council is meeting and efforts are being made to find a peaceful solution - would he consider extending the time limit from the 17th to beyond 17th?

Now I come to the most important part of his statement. We welcome some parts of the statement. You have said that you want a peaceful solution and no military action. But the United States has declared it openly on the television - the President has said so - if the Security Council authorizes us, fine; if they do not authorize us, we will go in. So, on the 17th of March, five days from today, the world will be faced with a situation when in a unilateral action along with the United Kingdom and Spain, America would walk into Iraq.

Military action is going to take place. At that time, will the Prime Minister of India condone war, condemn war or keep quiet? The entire country awaits your answer because there is profound feeling in the country and this House must reflect the uneasiness and express its national consciousness because this is not simply a matter of war or peace, there is a moral dimension and India has taken a stand on issues on moral grounds. Do you, Sir, subscribe to the doctrine of intervention? Do you subscribe to the doctrine of regime change? Do you subscribe to the doctrine of pre-emptive strike? If these doctrines are accepted, then who next, when next, and if, as President Clinton said in this very building that India and Pakistan should sit down; because Kashmir is a disputed territory. About post-war Iraq, suppose there is a proposal to trifurcate Iraq, they will then say that let us sit down and talk about Kashmir, will you accept this? Your Foreign Minister was good enough to give us an assurance, when I asked him that you would not be a party in his arrangements.

You have also hinted in your statement about the future of the United Nations. Now, the League of nations was killed by the UK. and France, when they condoned the invasion of Manchuria by Japan in 1931, of Abyssinia by Italy in 1935 and by Hitler in the Rhineland in 1936. What will happen to the United Nations if the sole super power wants to impose a new world order, do we accept that? I am not saying that you have a confrontation with United States, for that is not in our national interest, but, at the same time, do we become a party to the denigration of the U.N.; do we become a party to the total disregard for international law; do we become a party to the sovereignty of nations being trampled? Sir, these are profound questions, which every Indian wants to have an answer from you, and I would be grateful if you could please enlighten the House what your thinking on these matters is?

Shri K. Natwar Singh : Aap Hindustani bole the wahan!

Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee : Ji.

Shri K. Natwar Singh : Aap Bataur Hindustani wahan bole the! Sara desh dekh raha hai ki aap kya jawab denge! Log sunna chahte hain! ... (interruption)

Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee : Dekh nahin raha hai, sun raha hai! (interruption)

Shri K. Natwar Singh : Kyonki aap khamosh hain.

Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee : Kya Sarkar parivartit ho gai to desh ka manas bhi badal gaya!

Shri K. Natwar Singh : Weh to aap par nirbhar hai.

Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee : Aise anterrastriya muddoun par rai nahin badalti, yeh aap jaante hain. Hum videsh niti ke mamle mein mote taur par ek sath rahe hain.