selvan33
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Modi will learn the world is difficult outside Ahmedabad: Salman Khurshid
How do you view Pakistan's forthcoming elections? What's happening with Pervez Musharraf?
There are new forces emerging in Pakistan. President Musharraf had arrived expecting to make a big impact. We were a bit unclear what the design and purpose was. Obviously, in a democratic election, if everybody participates and the best person wins, it looks more credible. On whatever grounds, legitimate or illegitimate, if you start eliminating people, it begins to cast a shadow on the elections.
Considering that he was president earlier, it's sad to see what's happened to Musharraf, but obviously Pakistan's Constitution and law will take the final call. We, of course, want to see democracy strengthened in Pakistan.
Pakistan's being prompted to play a lead role in an Afghanistan peace roadmap - what does that augur for India?
Well, you can't reorder any society from outside. You can help from within. The Afghan people have to decide what they want. We will help them in achieving it. We caution them if they move in any direction - out of compulsion or lack of clarity - which is against them or us. In material terms, like capacity building or giving tactical equipment, we'll support them. Our projects in Afghanistan are both of symbolic and substantive nature - but we can't do what Pakistan has wanted to do.
It's unclear now what will happen after 2014 - it's a little unclear even to the Afghan leadership.
If Narendra Modi becomes PM, do you see a clear impact on India's foreign policy?
Mr Modi is just learning that the BJP is very difficult to handle at the national level unlike the Gujarat BJP. He will also learn that Delhi is more difficult to handle than Ahmedabad. And he will learn that the world is very difficult to handle, compared to the Ahmedabad municipality.
Your hypothetical question has three levels of very definitive answers of the learning process of Modi, if he were to get beyond his present confines.
He will have to do a lot of learning - some of that will be very tough and painful.
Has there been a disconnect between the UPA government and the middle class, increasing Modi's popularity?
Even Advani and Vajpayee were very popular. Advani lost without making it to the top. Vajpayee lost after making it to the top. Can any of his middle class admirers say Modi is taller than these two leaders?
And why does the BJP keep him away from tough elections? Will he go to Karnataka?
Why hesitate in projecting Rahul Gandhi as the Congress's PM candidate - is Manmohan Singh a fallback if your seats shrink considerably?
There's only one reason - that is Rahul's choice. He didn't ask to be a leader. He has the natural attributes of a leader of the Congress party. We have chosen him - we have to listen to him. We can't impose our thinking on the leader.
Rahul wants to change some fundamentals by concentrating on other issues, not on who should be PM. I think he is an outstanding leader for India's future. As far as the government is concerned, we think of the present. About the party, we think of the future. And Rahul is leading the party in an enlightened direction. Let us give him the support that he deserves.
Modi will learn the world is difficult outside Ahmedabad: Salman Khurshid - The Times of India
How do you view Pakistan's forthcoming elections? What's happening with Pervez Musharraf?
There are new forces emerging in Pakistan. President Musharraf had arrived expecting to make a big impact. We were a bit unclear what the design and purpose was. Obviously, in a democratic election, if everybody participates and the best person wins, it looks more credible. On whatever grounds, legitimate or illegitimate, if you start eliminating people, it begins to cast a shadow on the elections.
Considering that he was president earlier, it's sad to see what's happened to Musharraf, but obviously Pakistan's Constitution and law will take the final call. We, of course, want to see democracy strengthened in Pakistan.
Pakistan's being prompted to play a lead role in an Afghanistan peace roadmap - what does that augur for India?
Well, you can't reorder any society from outside. You can help from within. The Afghan people have to decide what they want. We will help them in achieving it. We caution them if they move in any direction - out of compulsion or lack of clarity - which is against them or us. In material terms, like capacity building or giving tactical equipment, we'll support them. Our projects in Afghanistan are both of symbolic and substantive nature - but we can't do what Pakistan has wanted to do.
It's unclear now what will happen after 2014 - it's a little unclear even to the Afghan leadership.
If Narendra Modi becomes PM, do you see a clear impact on India's foreign policy?
Mr Modi is just learning that the BJP is very difficult to handle at the national level unlike the Gujarat BJP. He will also learn that Delhi is more difficult to handle than Ahmedabad. And he will learn that the world is very difficult to handle, compared to the Ahmedabad municipality.
Your hypothetical question has three levels of very definitive answers of the learning process of Modi, if he were to get beyond his present confines.
He will have to do a lot of learning - some of that will be very tough and painful.
Has there been a disconnect between the UPA government and the middle class, increasing Modi's popularity?
Even Advani and Vajpayee were very popular. Advani lost without making it to the top. Vajpayee lost after making it to the top. Can any of his middle class admirers say Modi is taller than these two leaders?
And why does the BJP keep him away from tough elections? Will he go to Karnataka?
Why hesitate in projecting Rahul Gandhi as the Congress's PM candidate - is Manmohan Singh a fallback if your seats shrink considerably?
There's only one reason - that is Rahul's choice. He didn't ask to be a leader. He has the natural attributes of a leader of the Congress party. We have chosen him - we have to listen to him. We can't impose our thinking on the leader.
Rahul wants to change some fundamentals by concentrating on other issues, not on who should be PM. I think he is an outstanding leader for India's future. As far as the government is concerned, we think of the present. About the party, we think of the future. And Rahul is leading the party in an enlightened direction. Let us give him the support that he deserves.
Modi will learn the world is difficult outside Ahmedabad: Salman Khurshid - The Times of India
