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Although almost all political parties have condemned the American Secretary of State Colin Powell's statement seeking the release of political prisoners in Jammu & Kashmir and the presence of international observers to oversee the forthcoming election in the state, former prime minister Inder Kumar Gujral sees nothing wrong in it.
Gujral told rediff.com in New Delhi on Thursday that if he were prime minister, he would have welcomed the statements as they were more critical of Pakistan than India. "He is being helpful to us by telling Pakistan not to interfere in the election process that has been set in motion in Jammu & Kashmir," he said.
According to Gujral, Powell's statement should be looked at in two parts. First and foremost, America is putting pressure on Pakistan by asking it to stop cross-border infiltration. As for the second part, "if we say that we have nothing to hide, why not accept international observers? This would lend credibility to our elections," he argued.
Gujral criticised those who were upset with Powell's statement that Kashmir is now on the international agenda. "It is a fact," he said. "Those who are upset with this statement must look for answers elsewhere because it is they who made Kashmir an international issue."
Gujral believes this is India's last chance to prove to the world that the process of democracy in Jammu & Kashmir is not a fraud. "We have had several elections in the state since 1950, but barring the 1977 election all other elections have been doubted. This is our last chance to prove our credentials, that we have a democratic system in place in Jammu & Kashmir as well," he said.
Therefore, he said, if the United States, by putting pressure on Pakistan, can ensure that there is no terrorist intervention in the election process, India should welcome it. "Mind you," he said, "the US has already rejected the Kashmiri demand for a plebiscite."
EARLIER REPORTS: Powell's comments irk BJP, opposition Government clears opposition's misgivings Hizb rejects Powell's plea on J&K poll Hurriyat rules out participation in J&K poll
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