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N-bombs are useful only when they are not used, says Narayanan

President K R Narayanan today strongly justified the nuclear tests conducted by his government and said there was an ''inescapable need '' for India and Pakistan, after they had acquired nuclear capability, to settle their differences peacefully and through negotiations.

''We exploded the bomb not with the intention of using them .In fact, they are useful, in any sense, when they are not used'', the President said in an interview to noted journalist N Ram, on the eve of Independence Day.

Referring to India's relations with its neighbours, Narayanan said, ''There has been no change in India's need for living in harmony with all our neighbours, including Pakistan and, of course, our big neighbour China, and others''.

This was India's need, and New Delhi's policy had also been in that direction, he noted.

The hour-long interview, which was telecast on Doordarshan, covered the President's views of a wide-range of subjects, including communalism, economic reforms, the role of the Non-Aligned Movement and social issues.

Asked about the growth of communalism, Narayanan said, ''We can bring it under control. Communal mobilisation in the long run will not succeed in India because Indian society cannot be mobilised communally. Even the last elections have shown that the communities, religious communities and castes did not vote solidly for one party.''

There had been some mobilisation on caste and communal basis, he noted, and pointed out that this was not successful. ''As time goes on, it will become less and less appealing to the people''.

On the demolition of the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya in December 1992, the President said, ''We could have brought the tragedy under control''.

He hailed the economic reforms launched in the country in 1991, saying the process of liberalisation was ''irreversible''. He said it had arisen from the dictates of the needs of the economy. However, he cautioned that the country could not liberalise recklessly as that would upset the balance in the society.

''While some sections would flourish and make profit, the rest of the people would be left without employment and be helpless,'' the President said.

Narayanan advocated a balanced approach to liberalisation and globalisation.

On the issue of intellectual property rights and patents, Narayanan said it was a vulnerable area and many in India had fought against changing the patent system. ''We have signed the World Trade Organisation treaty but still we have to safeguard ourselves'' on subjects like anti-dumping measures and tariff and non-tariff barriers.

The President came out against the misuse of Article 356 of the Constitution, while justifying his stand on the reinstallation of the Kalyan Singh government in Uttar Pradesh earlier this year when the then I K Gujral government dismissed it. ''The imposition of Article 356 can be done only if it can be conclusively proved that in a state the constitutional machinery has broken down. And in my judgment, it had not broken down in UP''.

Narayanan said the government had not been able to tackle social inequality and backwardness, guarantee various freedoms to citizens and alter the conditions of the poor ''wholly and substantially''. However, partially, the country had succeeded in all these fields.

He said democracy had established itself firmly and there was no doubt that it was one of the ''irremovable things'' which the country had achieved. However, it was facing problems at every stage, he said, adding, ''I do not think that we can rest on our oars in the maintenance of democracy''.

He noted that critical times were facing the country and there was need for constant adjustment of even democracy to changing times. But one thing was clear: the idea of democracy and institutions of democracy that the country had built up.

On the question of social inequality and backwardness, the President said, ''We could not change our society without changing our economic system and economic conditions in our society.'' This was also Nehru's dream.

The march of the forces of social change had not been fast enough nor fundamental enough so far, he regretted. ''Our inherited caste system remains with us but it has been very badly battered.'' To some extent while this progressive movement was taking place, there was also some sort of counter-revolution resisting it .

Referring to social issues like illiteracy and health, he admitted that much could not be achieved in these areas. At the time of Independence, literacy rate was only 18 per cent which had now touched 52 per cent. ''It is not a disastrous performance but it is not sufficient''.

On the controversial Women's Reservation Bill, he said he was sure that it would be adopted finally. He advocated a women's movement against their ill-treatment by society.

Speaking on land reforms, the President said the country could not have dealt with the issue in one go because there was built-in resistance by powerful sections of the society and landlords.

On his role as the President, Narayanan said the President had a constitutional role to play. ''My image of President before I came here, and before I had any hope of coming here was that of a rubber stamp President, to be frank. But having come here, I find the image is not quite correct. So my image of a President is of a working president, not an executive president, but a working president and working within the four corners of the Constitution.''

UNI

Click here for the Real Audio version of President's Independence Day-eve interview

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