Transcript of Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh's on-board Press Interaction enroute to Delhi from Tehran for the NAM Summit "I have to maintain the dignity of the office of the Prime Minister. I can’t get into a tu-tu main-main slanging match with other political leaders."

1. Transcript of PM’s on-board Press Interaction enroute
to Delhi from Tehran
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan
Singh’s Visit to
Iran for XVI NAM
Summit

2. Question: Foreign Secretary briefed us about your excellent meeting with the Supreme
Leader. Sir, he was very appreciative of India’s 2000 year old relationship with Iran. Would
you like to elaborate on your meeting with the Supreme Leader whether he sought your
intervention in resolving issues with any other country?
PM: There is no issue of India intervening to
solve any problems in which Iran is involved. It
was a philosophical discussion. The relations
between our two countries which go back to
centuries old ties of culture, civilization,
language and religion; the continuing
relevance of what India is trying to achieve - a
country of composite culture trying to make a
sense is of diversity of our people, to create a
sense of unity amidst diversity. He was very
appreciative of this.

3. Question: Sir, har taraf se kafi kharab sanket aa rahe hai. Zee Network ne ek initiative shuru kiya
hai, jiska nam hai Zee Positive. Aap Bharat ki growth ke liye kha 3 badi jeezen positive dekhte
hai.
PM: Dekhiye aapko es baat ka pata hi hai ki duniya mai bahut bada aarthik sankat hai,
es aarthik sankat ke hote huai bhi hamari economy 6.5% growth rate maintain kar rahi
hai. Aur aaj ke es mushkil samay mai jabki America jaisa mulk bhi 2% ki baat nahi
karte, Europe main 0% growth rate ki baat ho rahi hai. We should count our blessings.
Even then it will be our effort to improve upon the growth performance of 6.5% by
creating an environment conducive to growth of savings, domestic investment,
fortunately our domestic savings and investment rates are still very high and if we
improve the climate of investment in infrastructure sector, power, roads, ports and
railways, telecommunication I am confident, we will be able to given a big push
forward to our growth processes.

4. Question: President Zardari again invited you to Pakistan and you had accepted it and you said
that you will visit at a suitable time and would like a substantial outcome of that visit? In your
opinion, what would be the substantial outcome and a suitable time?
PM: Well, I am very keen to visit Pakistan and am very grateful to President Zardari for
inviting me to visit that country, but I also mentioned to him that we have to create a
proper atmosphere. There must be a general feeling that Pakistan is doing all that it
could do to deal with terrorism directed against India from Pakistani soil, and in this
context the court trial of those who have been charged with this heinous crime of
Bombay massacre. I think this is a crucial test of Pakistan’s sincerity to bring the
perpetrators of these horrible crimes to book. Now, on that point, President Zardari
and Interior Minister Rehman Malik said they are doing all that is possible subject to
the vagaries of the court process. I also said that there are issues like Sir Creek, which
he himself had told me when he visited Delhi for going to Ajmer Sharif that these are
‘doables’. I said that let us push that process further and in the meanwhile Foreign
Ministers of the two countries will be meeting and they can explore the possibilities
what can be achieved to facilitate a purposeful visit of my tour to Pakistan.

5. Question: The Opposition has literally held the Parliament in hostage demanding your
resignation, will you be resigning? If not, then do you plan to plan to break the log jam?
PM: Well, if I were resigning I wouldn’t have been here. I hope the Opposition will see
sense. We are a parliamentary democracy. We have been elected by the people of
India for a five-year term. I sincerely hope that the BJP will respect the verdict of the
people and let the Government function. In a Parliamentary system, the majority has a
right to rule. If the BJP feels that the majority cannot be trusted to govern the affairs
of this country and they would like to run it their way that is a total negation of what
the democratic politics is about. I sincerely hope and even now it is not too late that
the BJP recognizes that there is too much at stake.

6. PM: We all have an obligation, in Opposition as well as Government, both should
work together to take this parliamentary democracy, of which we are genuinely
proud of, in tackling the problems of our country. Our country faces with
enormous problems- look at what is happening in North-East, attempts to divide
communities, to create gap between North and South, what happened in some
southern cities. Also terrorism remains a serious threat. In addition Naxalism is a
growing menace. Our country has done well despite all these odds but we cannot
assume that we can continue to make a mess of the processes of governance and
yet the country will continue to grow, that we will continue to create jobs for the
young people. Let us concentrate on essentials and let us wait till the next
elections to test the fortunes of various political parties.

7. Question: Are you giving any monetary assistance – economic bail out – to Mamta Banerjee.
She is expecting some thing from you?
PM: We are very keen to help all State Governments which have financial
problems and West Bengal is no exception to this rule. We have been discussing
with Finance Minister and Chief Minister of West Bengal, the practical, pragmatic
and viable ways and means of helping to tide over these difficulties.

8. Question: In your NAM address you touched two points – one was food security and another
was the cyber terrorism. On food security, you said that you would look for international
cooperation. What kind of international cooperation are you looking for? For cyber terrorism
on our domestic front, we need more domestic legal framework because we are not having
any comprehensive cyber policy in our country.
PM: Well I agree. I have been asking my National Security Advisor to zero in on the
gaps in evolving a viable policy to tackle the menace of cyber terrorism. As far as
food security is concerned, we would like the world to cooperate more in increasing
agricultural productivity, particularly in the countries of Africa where there is
enormous scope for increasing agricultural production and our India-Africa Forum
Summit seeks to use India’s capabilities to help them increase productivity
whenever there is demand. At the same time, technology can be an important
source of increasing food production and also in weather forecasting, developing
early warning systems in case of floods or droughts. Biotechnology also has an
important role to play. Nations of the world should cooperate with each other to
make a success of biotechnology in increasing food production. In the 21st century,
use of water is going to be the most important issue and a critical input in
development processes. How do we economise use of water? How to use modern
technologies for irrigation like sprinkler irrigation as against flow irrigation? Israel
has come up with new methods. So there is a whole gamut of issues that the NAM
countries may deliberate and cooperate and can enlarge their mandate. They can
cooperate with other parts of the world on the issue of increasing food production.

9. Question: Sir, in your second term as Prime Minister, you have been bogged down by many
constraints, be it coalition politics, protests on the streets or be it the parliamentary deadlock
over issues. Do you have any regrets. Could you tell us 5 things that you would have wanted to
do but you have not been able to do till now?
PM: Well we would have certainly liked to lay the foundation of 9 percent growth rate
but international events have not helped and also lack of cohesiveness in our
domestic politics was also a factor. There have been, for example, difficulties in giving
effect to Goods and Services Tax. The Goods and Services Tax, as has been agreed
upon, can lead to increase the GDP of the country by 1-2%. It will streamline the tax
system, minimize scope for evasion. But there are problems because we are not able
to push through. Also I would very much have liked, that the opposition would give us
a chance to work in a manner that the basic problems of India like poverty, hunger,
disease can be tackled effectively. Unfortunately, from one crisis to the other, the BJP
has chosen to disrupt Parliament. These are all diversionary tactics. One has 24 hrs at
one’s disposal. If one is preoccupied all the time with handling these diversionary
tactics, naturally it affects the ability and capacity of the government to attend to its
more fundamental tasks , which I am always saying is to grapple with the mass
poverty and ignorance and disease which still affect millions and millions of our
citizens.

10. Question: My question is limited to NAM Summit. The few conservative media block
repeatedly claimed that Iran is a rogue state with nuclear capabilities. Do you see NAM
Summit as a slap? If not, why not?
PM: NAM Summit is not meant to be a slap to any one country. NAM has a set
agenda. This was the 16th Summit. Iran has been chosen as the Chairperson.
Therefore it is only appropriate that the Summit should take place in Iran which is a
very important country in our region and in the developing world. The Iranians have
a very proud civilization. They have many things to contribute to the world.
Therefore, meeting in Tehran has no more or no less significance than the fact that
Iran be a member of NAM in good standing.

11. Question: Political logjam ki baat ho rahi hai. Pahle to 2G scam abh phir coal gate par
opposition ne Prime Minister par attack karne ki koshish ki. Kya aapko lagta hai ki is tarike ki
political instability par rahte huye bhi Lokpal mein Pradhanmantri ko rakhna chahiye? Kya
sarkar is bill ko paas karaane ki koshish karegi?
PM: I have always been in favour of bringing the Prime Minister within the scope
of being judged by the Lokpal. I have said that many times and I repeat that I am
not afraid of myself or any Prime Minister being brought within the purview of the
jurisdiction of Lokpal. This is a matter now it is before the select committee of Lok
Sabha. Then, thereafter, if they approve the bill, may be if they make any
amendment it will have to go back to the Lok Sabha. But the bill is now in the court
of Parliament, whatever the outcome, we will respect the outcome.

12. Question: Sir, you said that you would appeal to the BJP’s good sense to stop the political
logjam. Clearly that’s not working. Sir, do you have any other way of overcoming the logjam.
Do you have any way of taking this forward, because otherwise we will see no Parliament
between now and the winter session?
PM: Well I sincerely hope that there are people, welcoming people in all political
parties and that they would all have the good sense to recognize that what is
happening in our Parliament is not something which is doing credit to anyone.
Beyond that, at this stage, I am not going to do anything.

13. Question: Getting back to Pakistan, is India letting Hafiz Saeed off the hook?
PM: We are not letting anyone off the hook. Whosoever is guilty of crimes, terrorist
crimes directed against India should be brought to justice. So I am not saying that
anyone should not be brought to justice.
Question: Sir, young leader Rahul Gandhi has expressed his intention to assume a larger role in
the party and the government. Sir, what role do you visualise for Rahul Gandhi after this
Monsoon Session.
PM: Well I have always been of the view that Rahul Gandhi should play a more active
role in the government. I have invited him to be a member of the cabinet on several
occasions and I sincerely hope that this time he would consider very seriously. But I
have no inside knowledge of what he is planning to do.

14. Question: The five things that currently give you sleepless nights, is it the problem in Assam, is
the state of the economy, is it the impasse in Parliament?
PM: Well, Let me say that the development in Parliament are a source of great
concern to me. But when I look to the future of our country, the way things have
gone in Assam, there is definite tension that has disturbed peace in Assam,
(inaudible) this certainly cause concern. Similarly, the fact that thousands and
thousands of people have continued to move from various parts of the country
particularly from deep south, Bangalore, Hyderabad, have chosen because for some
reason or the other they don’t feel secure, there going back to North East is not good
for the promotion of national unity and national cohesion. I have also said that the
growing communal tensions is yet another area where I sincerely believe that all
right thinking people should sit together and control this menace.

15. Question on JPC
PM: That is for JPC to decide.
Question: Why are you allowing the BJP to set the political agenda?
PM: I have to maintain the dignity of the office of the Prime Minister. I can’t get
into a tu-tu main-main slanging match with other political leaders. So it is better, as
I said earlier, that I keep silence.