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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Jacob Snyder who wrote (104959)	7/12/2003 3:59:50 PM
From: kumar	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

Jacob, at this stage India has not agreed to send troops to Iraq. India's current position is that a UN mandate is a precondition to its participation.

To: Jacob Snyder who wrote (104959)	7/12/2003 4:57:06 PM
From: arun gera	Respond to of 281500

Tourists flocking to Kashmir again 216.239.53.104. Hotels are fully booked and flights packed as both Indian and foreign travellers make their way to the once-tense corner of South Asia PAHALGAM (Kashmir) - An unexpected explosion in tourism in Kashmir has booked hotels solid, jammed flights and fostered something largely absent in this tense corner of South Asia for more than a decade: a sense of calm. By June 24, 64,000 Indian tourists and 800 foreign tourists had visited the Kashmir Valley this year, six times the number who arrived in the same period last year, according to state officials. Standing in a valley here surrounded by granite peaks and pristine glaciers, Mr D.C. Mehta, 55, a retired bank employee from central India, relished his vacation decision. Before his eyes, half a dozen adults and teenagers splashed one another with the emerald waters of the Lidder River. This trip, he said, marked his first return to Kashmir in 30 years. 'The number of tourists will increase,' he predicted. 'There will be a flood.' The spot where Mr Mehta stood symbolised the scale of change here. Three years ago, in the same meadow where his family played, three militants had gunned down 29 people taking part in a Hindu pilgrimage. Eight years ago, militants had kidnapped one American and four European hikers as they trekked in nearby mountains. One was found decapitated while the others were never found and are presumed dead. This week, tourists from Canada, Spain, France, Israel, South Africa and the United States strolled down this resort town's main street. The foreigners were following in the footsteps of British colonialists who vacationed here a century ago. They said they felt safe and expressed surprise at the tourist boom. 'I've never seen this many Western tourists,' said Ms Eileen Salzig, 35, a Manhattan copywriter who said she had been coming to Kashmir for the past three years. 'I think it's good for Kashmir.' There are multiple reasons for the turnaround. In April, Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee began a peace initiative with Pakistan which reduced war fears. Killings in the state are down 20 per cent this year, and a newly elected state government has started a 'healing touch' policy intended to ease tensions and project an air of normalcy. There is even talk of persuading Indian filmmakers to return to Kashmir, whose mountains served as Bollywood backdrops for decades. 'Love Story was made here,' declared Mr Salinder Sethi, a hotel owner, referring to an Indian classic, not to be confused with the American version. Battered Kashmiris expressed cautious optimism after seeing the insurgency claim more than 35,000 lives, 14,000 of them civilians, according to Indian government statistics. Mr Gulam Rasul, the 54-year-old owner of the Cheerful Heart shawl shop on the town's main street, was morose in an interview here last July. At the time, the main street was deserted. Asked about the situation this week, his leathery face lit up. 'First-class,' he said.