Former PM Manmohan Singh sets record straight on Gujral Doctrine

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 4

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today set the record straight on the Gujral Doctrine which has often been criticised for being soft on Pakistan and China. Dr Singh also said the 1984 Sikh massacre in Delhi could have been avoided had then Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao heeded Gujral’s advice to call in the Army.

“When I became Prime Minister, I asked him about the relevance of the Gujral Doctrine and he said it doesn’t apply to Pakistan and China,” recalled Dr Singh, reminiscing his association with former PM Inder Kumar Gujral on his 100th birth anniversary at a function hosted by his son and Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Gujral.

During an evening of soul-searching, former President Pranab Mukherjee wondered if the Congress had not withdrawn support to the Gujral government and allowed it to complete its full term, perhaps the BJP would not have won over 180 seats in the elections that followed.

The Gujral Doctrine, enunciated in the mid-90s, spoke of going the extra mile to build ties with neighbours. It came under criticism as many thought its embedded principle of non-reciprocity was being too soft on Pakistan. Former Foreign Secretaries Shivshankar Menon and Shyam Saran upheld the application of Gujral Doctrine to other SAARC countries, except Pakistan. This aspect has been little known in the foreign policy discourse.

“But as far as other countries in the neighbourhood are concerned, Gujral felt the principle of reciprocity is not appropriate for them. He felt we have an obligation to do what we can do for the neighborhood. Gujral said India must treat its other SAARC members in the manner that behoved its larger size,’’ recalled Dr Singh.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, whose first posting was under Gujral as Ambassador to the Soviet Union, was of the view while Gujral Doctrine could have been implemented with respect to Pakistan when he was at the helm, subsequent events, such as the Parliament House attack, had put paid to this optimism.

However, Gujral’s soft approach to neighbours helped in the smooth withdrawal of the IPKF from Sri Lanka while former President Mukherjee recalled that he was instrumental in hammering out the Farakka Accord, the first and most prominent riverwater-sharing agreement with Bangladesh.

Former Union Minister Karan Singh described him as a "very fine and unusual human being" who refused to be browbeaten by Sanjay Gandhi and offered his resignation. He regretted that few of his integrity were left in politics.

Former Vice-President Hamid Ansari also spoke on the occasion which was followed by a panel discussion on the Gujral Doctrine with participation by former Foreign Secretaries Shivshankar Menon, Raghunath, Kanwal Sibal and Shyam Saran.

Also present were Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, former Union Minister Ashwani Kumar, CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI general secretary D Raja, India International Centre President NN Vohra and several other personalities.