[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 50 (Thursday, April 24, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H1853-H1854]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             INDIA'S NEW PRIME MINISTER, INDER KUMAR GUJRAL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Ney). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Pallone] is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate India's new 
Prime Minister, Inder Kumar Gujral, for winning the vote of confidence 
of the Indian Parliament this past Tuesday. This vote of confidence has 
put an end to the 24-day government crisis and provides yet another 
indication that India's democratic institutions remain very strong.
  Mr. Speaker, Prime Minister Gujral is committed to strengthening 
United States-India ties. He has assured foreign investors that he will 
support free market reforms and initiatives. These reforms have opened 
India to United States businesses and industries. In a recent meeting 
with the Indian President Sharma, he assured the President that all the 
economic policies of the previous government will continue and be 
strengthened.
  Prime Minister Gujral has already shown that given the opportunity he 
will bring peace to South Asia. His policies as Foreign Minister in the 
previous government have been coined as the Gujral Doctrine. He has 
already laid the groundwork to ease tensions in this traditionally 
volatile region. As Foreign Minister for Prime Minister Gowda, Mr. 
Gujral helped orchestrate the Bangladesh Water Agreement, a water 
treaty that ended years of dispute over water sharing rights between 
India and Bangladesh. He supervised an accord in which India and China 
agreed to reduce troops along the Himalayan border.
  But most important, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Gujral has vowed to improve 
relations with Pakistan and made this the priority of India's foreign 
policy. Mr. Gujral helped initiate peace talks between India and 
Pakistan after a lull of 3 years. He is confident that the two 
neighbors can reach agreement in many areas through bilateral talks, 
and on May 12 of this year Prime Minister Gujral and Pakistani Prime 
Minister Sharif will meet in the Maldives to discuss peace.
  Mr. Speaker, what is extraordinary about these accomplishments is 
that they were achieved within 10 months since the united front first 
took charge of the Indian Government. An even stronger sign of Prime 
Minister Gujral's ability to bring peace to the region can be seen in 
the troubled region of Jammu and Kashmir. This morning Kashmiri leaders 
stated that they believe that the new Prime Minister could help 
normalize relations between Pakistan and India and bring peace to 
Kashmir. A popular Kakshmiri separatist leader told Reuters News 
Service that if Mr. Gujral continues to be Prime Minister of India for 
a long period, I believe he can play a historic role in bringing India 
and Pakistan closer and solve the Kashmir problem.
  Mr. Speaker, Prime Minister Gujral is India's third Prime Minister in 
the last 11 months. However, as we have seen, democracy remains strong 
and vibrant in India. As the Prime Minister said in a speech on Monday, 
we can change government but the system goes on, democracy continues, 
and it is strengthened.
  As cochairman of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian-
Americans, I believe that Prime Minister Gujral can best lead India 
toward the 21st century, and I look forward to working with the Prime 
Minister in strengthening United States-India relations.
  I want to also urge the Clinton administration, Members of this House 
and the Senate to support Prime Minister Gujral and assist him in 
bringing

[[Page H1854]]

peace to South Asia. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to add that this 
year marks the 50th anniversary of India's independence. Since her 
birth in 1947, India has hosted free and fair elections through a 
multiparty political system and has maintained an orderly transfer of 
power from government to its successor. In light of this achievement, I 
would urge President Clinton and more Members of this body to visit 
India this year and to support this momentous occasion.

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