Taliban elements who abjure violence can be brought in

Sreeparna C Mukhuty
On board a Special Aircraft, Feb 4 (PTI) In a shift of
stand, India Thursday said Taliban elements who abjure
violence and follow the Afghan constitution can be brought
into the mainstream of the political process.
Speaking to reporters on board a special aircraft on
his way back from Kuwait, Krishna said the political process
in Afghanistan has to be Afghan-led.
This Afghan-driven political process will necessarily
have to deal with the Taliban, he added.
"India feels so long as Taliban dissociates itself
from other terrorist organisations and abjures violence and
subscribes to the Afghan constitution and those (elements) who
go along with the democratic process under President Karzai's
leadership...perhaps they can be brought into the mainstream
of the Afghan political process," he said.
Pointing out that Afghanistan was going through a very
difficult process, the minister said the political process in
that country has to be carried forward.

Earlier, India's stand was that there is no good or
bad Taliban and this should not confuse the issues of terror.
Krishna said Afghan President Karzai feels that the
international opinion has found expression at the recent
London conference on Afghanistan and "the political process
must continue as no military solution is in sight".
On Sri Lanka, he said India sincerely hopes that
President Mahinda Rajapakse will utilise the mandate given in
his favour to bring about a settlement with all ethnic
minorities in that country. PTI SPC
DDC