The Hindu : We are for peace with Pak.: Sinha

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 27, 2003

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We are for peace with Pak.: Sinha

By Amit Baruah

NEW DELHI NOV. 26. "We would like to take this (rapprochement) process forward in all honesty because we are interested in peace with Pakistan. We are interested in friendly relations with Pakistan," the External Affairs Minister, Yashwant Sinha, told The Hindu today as a comprehensive ceasefire with Pakistan took effect.

In an exclusive conversation at his Kushak Road residence, he said that a "better climate" had come into existence between India and Pakistan even before the guns fell silent at midnight. "There is no denying that fact."

Stressing that the ceasefire had "certainly improved the climate further," he said "there has been a lot of toing-and-froing between the two countries and these contacts are likely to increase."

Confirming that the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, will travel to Islamabad for the multilateral South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit in January, Mr. Sinha said India was "happy" that Pakistan had responded positively to his October 22 proposals to improve communication links.

"You can say that things have started moving. Before all this happened, there was a sense of great despair that something dramatic was not happening. Now, what can be described as dramatic has also started happening."

Asked if the current rapprochement process would be different from those in the past, he referred to the April 18 speech by Mr. Vajpayee in Srinagar, and New Delhi's repeated statements that India was "very serious and determined to make a success of the Prime Minister's initiative this time."

"We were also extremely careful. So, we have not rushed into anything. We have moved cautiously, we have moved carefully in a sure-footed manner and you can see a picture emerging now. We will respond positively to any worthwhile suggestion from Pakistan. We will ourselves continue to take the (peace) process forward," Mr. Sinha said, sounding an optimistic note.

If there were any violations of ceasefire, what mechanism would be used to address these? "One mechanism that exists between the two countries is a hotline between the Directors-General of Military Operations (DGMOs). We now also have High Commissioners in place...so, if one Government wants to communicate with the other, they have these means."

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