Atal Bihari Vajpayee Quotes
India has a consistent and well-known position on terrorism. We oppose all acts of terrorism, wherever they occur. We have repeatedly said that no cause can justify violence and destruction, particularly aimed at civilians.
Vajpayee, Atal Bihari. Address to the Nation. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, 14 Sept. 2001.
He argues that even if the concession to terrorists is seemingly small, there is much greater damage in that the minimal concession will also stimulate more attempts to gain other victories. See {629723} for his complementary statement on dealing with terrorists.
Although the President was personally opposed to terrorism and his policies opposed terrorism, in his country most people supported terrorism and the Islamic schools—madrasas—taught intolerance, hate and terrorism. Even leading generals of the army were major supporters of terrorism. See {586700} as an example.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee was an Indian statesman who served three terms as the Prime Minister of India, first for a term of 13 days in 1996, then for a period of 13 months from 1998 to 1999, followed by a full term from 1999 to 2004. Vajpayee was one of the co-founders and a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He was a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a Hindu nationalist volunteer organisation. He was the first Indian prime minister not of the Indian National Congress to serve a full term in office. He was also noted as a poet and a writer.
