HD Deve Gowda for toning down "nationalist rhetoric" over Indo- China border face-off
Bengaluru: Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda on Friday pitched for toning down "nationalist rhetoric" and cautioned government against encouraging calls for economic boycott of Chinese products in the backdrop of the death of 20 Indian soldiers in the Galwan Valley face-off.
He also said a detailed presentation should be made by a senior serving military officer and diplomat on the ground situation for opposition leaders at the all-party meeting on the border situation for a "meaningful" exchange of views.
Welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiative in convening the virtual meet Friday evening, the JD(S) patriarch also urged his colleagues in the opposition not to use "intemperate" language.
He said the government should not encourage 'reactionary' language of economic boycott. "Its implications are deep. We should be guided by pragmatism," Gowda said in a statement, making a series of suggestions.
He said "nationalist rhetoric" should be toned down in order to ensure that "we do not escalate matters" and this was not the time for a "language of provocation and revenge".
Media outlets "spreading fake information" and "cheap rhetoric" endanger the lives of Indian soldiers and diplomatic staff, said Gowda, during whose tenure as PM in 1996 a pact was signed with China that made it binding on soldiers to exercise self-restraint and go for immediate consultation in case of a face-off.
Also the social media retribution was of particular concern, he said, adding the government should take steps to check this.
"By this I do not mean that critical mainstream opinions, analysis and reporting should be stopped," he added.
His remarks came amid rising voices for boycott of China- made products after a violent clash between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in Ladakh left 20 Indian Army personnel dead early this week.
On Thursday, Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan appealed to people to boycott products from China and also directed officials of his ministry not to procure any Chinese products for day-to-day office use while his ministerial colleague Ramdas Athawale said all restaurants and hotels that sell Chinese food in India should be closed down.
Gowda said he fully appreciated the Prime Minister's decision to call the all-party meet. "In national interest, and to ensure a bipartisan environment for discussions, I would like to make the following suggestions."
Gowda suggested that a senior serving military officer and diplomat should make a detailed presentation to opposition leaders on the ground situation, and the progress of talks.
"Only with this information could there be a meaningful exchange of ideas between the government and the opposition leaders... The demand here is not for classified details, but truthful information," he said.
The meeting comes in the backdrop of demands by the opposition seeking details of the fierce clash in Ladakh, the biggest military confrontation between India and China in over five decades.
However, Gowda would not attend the meeting as he had not been invited, his office said.
Also urging opposition leaders not to use intemperate language, Gowda said, this was an hour for cooperation and domestic politics and national security interests cannot be equated.
"Having said this, I do not mean we should not question the government. It should be done keeping in mind that there are larger issues at stake," he said.
Gowda said there was a feeling that India was engulfed by hostile nations and it was the duty of the political leadership to ensure that such anxiety is quelled with proper information.
It was important to keep the nation informed at all times. Underplaying certain developments and overstating certain information may be a bad strategy in the long run, he said.
Pointing out that in recent times, there was an effort to politicise the armed forces and terming it "dangerous", the former prime minister said, they should be allowed to remain a professional force.
When they remain a professional force, they will advise the government of the day fearlessly and correctly.
"As we are on the topic of the armed forces, it is important to institute an inquiry into the deaths of soldiers in the Galwan Valley, and know exactly what led to the tragic events," he said.
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Pakistan ‘relaying messages’ between Iran and US for peace in West Asia: official
Lahore (PTI): Pakistan is relaying messages between Iran and the US with the aim to help de-escalate the West Asia conflict, a top government official said on Wednesday.
"We are trying to broker US-Iran peace talks and have also offered Islamabad as a venue for the purpose. But it will be possible if Iran agrees to sit at the table with America," a top official in the Shehbaz Sharif administration said on the condition of anonymity.
"At the moment, Pakistan is relaying messages between the US and Iran. Islamabad not only handed over the 15-point proposal of the US to Iran but also Tehran's demands to the Trump administration to ink a peace deal," he said.
The 15-point proposal outlines strict conditions targeting Iran’s nuclear and regional policies in exchange for major sanctions relief, he added.
Under the proposal, Iran would be required to fully dismantle its nuclear programme and commit never to pursuing nuclear weapons. All enriched nuclear material would be transferred to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) within an agreed timeframe.
Key nuclear facilities, including the Natanz Nuclear Facility, Isfahan Nuclear Technology Centre and Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, would be decommissioned and destroyed under the plan. The IAEA would also be granted full access to all aspects of Iran’s nuclear programme, he said, speaking about the proposal.
The proposal further calls on Iran to cease funding, directing and arming allied groups across the region, a longstanding point of contention with both Washington and Israel, he added.
In a move aimed at safeguarding global energy supplies, the plan ensures that the Strait of Hormuz will remain open as a free maritime route, preventing any disruption to international shipping.
As a final decision on Iran’s missile programme has been deferred, the proposal says any future arrangement would impose limits on the range and number of missiles, restricting their use to defensive purposes only.
In return, the United States is prepared to lift all sanctions on Iran and support the development of a civilian nuclear programme, including assistance at the Bushehr facility, the official informed.
The proposal also includes removing the so-called “snapback” mechanism, which allows for the automatic reimposition of United Nations sanctions.
The Iranian regime has hardened its stance and is seeking significant concessions from the United States if mediation efforts lead to serious negotiations, he said.
"In any talks with the US, Iran would not only demand an end to the war but concessions that are likely red lines for President Trump —guarantees against future military action, compensation for wartime losses and formal control of the Strait of Hormuz," the official said and added Iran would also refuse to negotiate any limitations to its ballistic missile programme.
Iran’s president earlier warned that stability in the region is possible only through cooperation and respect for the will of the nations.
“Today we are witnessing the awakening of the people in many countries around the world,” Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on X, claiming that people of Pakistan, Turkiye, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, and Arab countries are loudly expressing their rejection of the US, Israel and their crimes.
He said that Iran has also outlined a set of key counter-conditions in response to the 15-point proposal.
Iran has demanded the lifting of US-imposed economic sanctions. It rejected calls for a total halt to uranium enrichment, insisting that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes and falls within its sovereign rights, he added.
Another major sticking point is Iran’s defence and missile programme, which Iranian officials describe as essential for national security.
Tehran has refused to accept any proposal that would limit its missile capabilities or weaken its regional deterrence posture.
Iran is also seeking binding guarantees from Washington to ensure that any future agreement will not be abandoned unilaterally, as happened in the past, he added.
Iranian leaders have stressed the need for assurances against military escalation or regime-change efforts.
Iran also wants no presence of US forces in the Gulf and control over strategic waterways, the official added.
