NEW DELHI, 2 November 2003 — Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee yesterday said any meaningful dialogue with arch-rival Pakistan can begin only when it shows “sincerity” in ending what India calls cross-border terrorism.

“We continue to deal firmly with cross-border terrorism and a meaningful dialogue with Pakistan is only possible when we see sincerity in their efforts to stop cross-border infiltration and to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism,” Vajpayee told a meeting of top military commanders in New Delhi.

India recently unveiled 12 proposals to ease tensions with Pakistan, ranging from starting new bus and train routes to holding talks on restoring air links severed after a militant attack on the Indian Parliament in December 2001.

Pakistan, which termed the initiatives “recycled and rehashed”, accepted some while adding conditions to others.

Vajpayee is due to travel to Islamabad for a regional summit in January but has ruled out direct talks with President Pervez Musharraf unless Pakistan stops what New Delhi alleges is the arming and funding of militants who cross into Kashmir to carry out attacks there.

Referring to the recent peace initiatives, Vajpayee said New Delhi’s “constant effort is to encourage those elements within Pakistan who recognize the folly of permanent hostility toward India”.

Chhattisgarh: Jogi Facing

a Hard Time

With political prospects of Congress sliding down in Chhattisgarh, the party may contemplate a last minute change in its political strategy to return to power in the state assembly elections scheduled for Dec. 1. A recently conducted survey did not give Congress more than 35 seats in the 90-member Chhattisgarh Assembly.

Besides, under the hawk-eyed scrutiny of the election commissioner, the state Chief Minister Ajit Jogi is facing a difficult time. The EC rejected yesterday Jogi’s plea against the transfer of the collectors of Bastar and Jashpur districts. The EC, sources said, was of the view that Bastar collector LN Suryawanshi was guilty of violation of the model code of conduct by distributing school bags with the chief minister’s picture even after the ban. Similarly, Jashpur collector B.S. Anant was guilty because he had distributed spectacles in an official program with Jogi’s wife, Dr. Renu Jogi, and had traveled with Jogi violating the code.