Karzai assures India of stepped up security after brutal murder of Indian hostage

New Delhi, Nov 23 (IANS) Afghan President Wednesday called up Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and assured him that security will be stepped up for all Indian personnel in Afghanistan in the wake of the brutal murder of an Indian national in his country.

"He also said that security will be increased for all Indian personnel in Afghanistan," external affairs ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said after a telephonic conversation between the two leaders in the evening.

Karzai expressed his condolences at the death of Ramankutty Maniyappan, a driver with India's Border Roads Organisation (BRO, who was abducted four days ago and later killed by the Taliban.

The BRO, a government agency for building roads in strategic border areas in India, is engaged in building the arterial Zaranj-Delaram road that will connect land-locked Afghanistan with Iran and reduce its dependence on Pakistani ports.

"Manmohan Singh assured Karzai that India's ongoing assistance to that country will not be affected," he added.

Manmohan Singh stressed that despite the cold-blooded murder of Maniyappan, India's resolve to assist Afghanistan "remains unshaken."

Karzai said that Afghanistan "highly values" India's assistance in diverse areas ranging from infrastructure building to education.

India has pledged $550 million for the Afghanistan's reconstruction that includes projects in infrastructure, health and education. India is also helping to build the new Afghan parliament - its foundation stone was laid during the visit of Manmohan Singh's historic visit to Afghanistan in August.

Earlier in the day, Manmohan Singh condemned the "cowardly and brutal murder of a brave Indian." "I condemn this cowardly and brutal murder of a brave Indian who was working in the cause of peace and development far from his home country, which reflects the cruel and inhuman character of the Taliban and the forces they represent," Manmohan Singh said..

"I am asking the ministry of external affairs and the defence ministry to extend all help and assistance to the bereaved family of Raman Kutty Maniyappan, who has given his life as a soldier for peace," the prime minister said, stressing he was "outraged" by the killing.

The government has announced compensation of Rs.1 million ($22,000) and promised free education for Maniyappan's two children.

The external affairs ministry too denounced the Taliban, and warned it of serious consequences.

"The Taliban and its backers bear the responsibility for the consequences of this outrageous act. We earnestly hope that the perpetrators will be brought to justice swiftly," the ministry said in a statement.

The kidnappers of Ramankutty Maniyappan, an Indian national who was killed, didn't present any demand to the Indian government for his release and did not leave any space for negotiations, according to officials.

"We did not receive any demand from the captors for releasing Maniyappan," a senior official told IANS.

"Even their so-called demand - that the Border Roads Organisastion (BRO) should stop work in Afghanistan in return for releasing Maniyappan - was not conveyed to us," the official insisted when told about reports about the kidnappers presenting a roster of demands to the Indian government.

"This time around the abductors gave no room for negotiations or enable us to establish contact. It happened all of a sudden even as we were trying our best to meet up with relevant officials in the Afghanistan's interior ministry and the security agencies," Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed told IANS.

He stressed that this brutal killing will spur India and Afghanistan to coordinate their efforts in combating the resurgence of the Taliban in the region.

He also emphasised that India's contribution to rebuilding Afghanistan will not be affected by such incidents. Two years ago, two Indians were kidnapped, but were subsequently released.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in a telephonic conversation Wednesday, assured assured Karzai that India's assistance to that country - to the tune of $550 million - will not be affected.

Manmohan Singh stressed that despite the brutal murder of Maniyappan, India's resolve to assist Afghanistan "remains unshaken."

Indo-Asian News Service