General Roy Chowdhury has become a Rajya Sabha member from West Bengal recently. The Left Front had supported his candidature, the Congress too extended its support to his candidature later.

 Q. What role does the former Army General want to play as a Parliamentarian in future? It is obvious, not only military matters will be discussed in the Rajya Sabha. He will be required to participate in debates on economic and political issues too. How does be propose to handle issues such as economic liberalisation, reforms of Indian economy, problems affecting West Bengal, and even the vexatious communal harmony?

General Roy Chowdhury was witnessing programmes on the TV in his flat when the soldiers were sounding the last post reversing the arms at the cremation of their frontline comrades felled by the enemy. General Roy Chowdhury switched off the TV. Pat came. The answers to some of many questions. He muttered " A few more of the Indian army have laid down their lives raising the total count of those losing lives in the Front." I informed him that the Pakistan Prime Minister, Mr. Nawaz Sharif and the American President, Mr. Bill Clinton have just now issued a joint statement in Washington calling for withdrawal of Pak troops and mujahideens from the battle front. They are understood to have promised that concrete steps would be taken o preserve the sanctity of the Line of Control (LOC).

Ans. General Roy Chowdhury : How much control does the Pak Prime Minister hold over his army? The militants in Pakistan wield enormous power. The Army too is highly influenced by the fundamentalists. What precious little power will the Pakistan Prime Minister wield in such a situation? The militant outfits too are very active there. Besides, why a halt would have to be put to driving out the intruders from the Indian soil. Even today the threat of the intruders is still very positive in Moscow and in the Baltic region, to give an example. A battle of gigantic proportion is still to be fought out. We have to take a decision (on withdrawing the army) after careful consideration. Nobody would desire to prolong the conflict. But guess the present skirmishes stop but at the same time Pak regulars or the mujahideens do not move from this side or the LOC. India cannot disengage its battalions from the Kargil sector so hurriedly now. Such a proposition cannot be accepted.

Q. Along with defence matters you will be required to give your views in The Rajya Sabha on economic liberalisation, economic reforms etc in India.

Ans. General Roy Chowdhury : I have clear perception on these matters Recently addressing a meeting in Pune I had said if economic liberalisation in reality brought about prosperity of the people and development was ensured then there is no need to object to it. But this prosperity should not be ushered in at a social cost. Don't you watch the (deplorable) condition of the people in the countries Eastern Europe now? How terrible the situation is in those countries! The General was quite agitated when he was elaborating his views on the standard of life of the people of the erstwhile socialist states of the countries in of Eastern Europe. Evidently not interested in liberalisation being dictated by an outside country General Chowdhury posed this question. Who will direct the course of globalisation of the Indian economy, he asked. Giving an answer to it himself he said there is no bar to goods being imported by our country. But who does not know that we cannot export our goods to other countries at our own will? Obviously, he was referring to restrictions imposed by other countries in importing Indian goods. These countries are asking questions related to environment. They are raising questions on the types of labour being employed for producing the goods. Why liberalisation will take care of the interest of one side only, he asks. It is imperative that interest of our country too is protected equally, he argues.

Q. India is beset with numerous problems - the problems of self reliance of the public sector, of research and technology. How do you visualize resolving these problems?

Ans. General Roy Chowdhury : The General was emphatic in stating that we must have to attain the goal of self reliance. We have to produce according to our needs although everything we require cannot be had indigenously. But the indigenous industries will have to come up both in the public and the private sector depending on the country's requirement. We established the public sector after Independence, but could not ensure its growth properly. At the time we could have competed with many other countries but that situation does not exist any more. Now the public sector is being neglected as good managers were not provided to these public sector units. The workers too should have been more responsible to their own units. There was bureaucratic bungling too. Proprietorship for the core sector units should be thought about. Besides, India is full of potential for development. General Roy Chowdhury is for better use of the country's research institutes for development of newer technologies. At the same time he does not fail to criticises the big monopoly houses in foreign countries saying that those companies manufacture, bombs, rockets only.

Q. In India there are many castes, creeds, language, ethnic entities. Conflicts and riots take place among them. How do you view this development?

Ans. General Roy Chowdhury : India will have to establish its credentials among the comity of nations as a country of many languages ethnic groups and religions. Conflicts or riots are not at all desirable. There is a firm base of unity in this country. Even this unity is reflected in our fight in the Kargil and other sectors in Kashmir in the present Indo-Pak conflict. The fallen heroes, the martyrs are being treated with equal honours in all the states. The people irrespective of their caste creed, religion are honoring these martyr likes the defence personnel as well. As a possible solution to the problem of conflict among the various communities, it is the duty of the political parties to campaign for communal amity and minimize the areas of tension prevailing among them. Religion is no doubt a major issue tied up with the life of the individual. But religion, General Roy Chowdhury says, cannot be mixed up with politics or administration. He said, it was a 'foolish act' to demolish the Babri mosque'. And he minced no words in stating that the RSS did this demolition job.

A newspaper quoted General Roy Chowdhury as saying that Mr. Atal Behari Vajpyee and Mr. Jaswant Singh were not communal. But this reporter asked him to give his opinion about the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr. Kalyan Singh and the Union Home Minister Mr. L.K. Advani who have been chargesheeted for their part in the demolition of the Babri Mosque.

Ans. General Roy Chowdhury : The General preferred not to name anybody. He however said that if the court indicts anybody, the Supreme Court should deliver the final verdict on the issue.

Q. On the problems of the State of West Bengal the General will be required to give his opinions during debate in the Rajya Sabha. Has he got his opinions concretized on specific issues?