Advani A Key Player In N-Gamble

Home Minister L K Advani appears to be an integral part of the government's think tank to strategise its next few crucial moves in the chess game it has begun with the hitherto exclusive club of nuclear powers.

Advani was among those who briefed Vijay Nambiar, India's ambassador to China, yesterday. Nambiar is to return to Beijing, perhaps today.

He was summoned for consultations a few days ago, after the official spokesperson of the Chinese foreign ministry criticised India's nuclear tests.

The meeting indicates that Advani is involved with planning the hard bargaining that has been initiated following the tests. Some observers have carried the impression over the past fortnight that the belligerence of Advani and defence minister George Fernandes towards Pakistan and China does not represent Prime Minister AB Vajpayee's position.

Vajpayee, who holds the external affairs portfolio, has projected a more amicable and reasonable attitude while dealing with the world. However, even Vajpayee named China as a threat to India in his letters to some heads of government following the nuclear tests.

The government has apparently adopted a carefully nuanced strategy to prepare the stage for negotiations on India's new position vis-a-vis the five nuclear powers. Each statement has been presented to the world in a shrewdly conducted concert, with the dissonances deliberately placed in the score.

No wonder the ministry for external affairs reacted promptly yesterday to correct a statement that APJ Abdul Kalam, scientific advisor to the Defence Minister, had made in Vadodara over the weekend. Kalam had suggested that the moratorium that Brajesh Mishra, principal secretary to the prime minister, announced last week would apply for the moment.

Seizing on an inaccuracy to deny the report, the ministry spokesperson released a one sentence statement, personally drafted by foreign secretary K Raghunath. It denied that Kalam had said strategic tests other than of nuclear devices would continue. The statement did not mention the moratorium.

The government's focus, however, was on ensuring that the world got the message that the moratorium was absolute, since it hopes this will set the stage for productive negotiations in various capitals.

Nambiar is to present India's position to Beijing with regard to these negotiations. China's new ambassador is already in New Delhi but has not yet presented his credentials. Since last November, India introduced a system by which new ambassadors now present their credentials in batches of three. This, the ministry explains, is the only reason why the Chinese is waiting.