Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee warned of the high economic costs that the people of India would have to pay for fighting terror but vowed that India would leave no stone unturned in helping stamp out terrorism from the world.
In his first public speech to the nation since the attacks on the US today, he sounded resigned and sorrowful but also tough and resolute. Vajpayee emphasised the world must join hands to overwhelm terrorists militarily and asked people to tighten their belts in anticipation of the "harsh measures" in the times ahead, because India would inevitably have to pay the costs of the response to terrorists.
"And remember that this turn has come at a time when the world economy was already on the edge of a substantial slow down. The pressures are certain to become more intense," he said.
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Hinting that even a small increase in oil prices could swell India's import bill to huge proportions, he said India spent almost Rs 90,000 crore on importing oil and "an increase in the price of a barrel of oil by just a dollar increases our import bill by Rs 3,600 crore". Many see this as a precursor to an inevitable increase in oil prices.
The Prime Minister said there was the demand for exports will inevitably fall in the uncertain economic situation that will follow. The flow of foreign direct investment is bound to shrink.
"For reasons such as these, we have to redouble our efforts, we have to prepare ourselves for harsher measures in the coming months," he said. Asserting that India has to do more than just bear economic costs, Vajpayee said "we have to review our hobbled laws, our dilatory procedures".
Vajpayee said that for 20 years and more, India had been facing the scourge of terrorism and 53,000 families all over India who had lost one member or more to terrorists empathised with the sorrow of the families of the victims of the attacks on the US. He asked the world to recognise the fact that nations which pursued terrorism and jehad as instruments of state policy were responsible for the situation.
" Those governments which finance, equip and fund terrorists must be compelled to desist from doing so by the whole world", he said.He also said that terrorists thrive because some give him a safe haven. "The world must neutralise this poison" he said.
In a roundabout reference to Pakistan and Afghanistan, Vajpayee said governments should be held "wholly accountable" for terrorism that originates from their countries and indicated the "response" to Tuesday's attacks in the US could take place in India's "vicinity".
"I have assured him (Bush) that we stand ready tocooperate with you in the investigations into this crime and to strengthen our partnership in leading international efforts to ensure that terrorism never succeeds again," the prime minister said. He said it was for this reason that India had taken the lead in the last two years to have the United Nations adopt a comprehensive convention against terrorism. "That convention is ready. The international community should finalise it and begin acting on it in concert."
The MEA announced today that the PM would not go to New York for the UN General Assembly. His visits to Cyprus and Tunisia have also been postponed.
Meanwhile US ambassador Robert Blackwill today postponed his visit to Washington to be here for working with Indian authorities on countering the terrorist scourge.
Blackwill, who presented his credentials, referred to President K R Narayanan's remark that India and the United States must be closer friends and stronger partners and said "by working together we will prevail against the evil of terrorism."