'Peace process built on moderation of language'

Asserting that the latest peace process with Pakistan is built on "moderation of language," External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha has termed as untrue reports that there was third party pressure on the two neighbours to initiate dialogue.

Also Read Complete coverage of SAARC summit

"Both sides have painstakingly agreed to talk openly only to each other and with great circumspection to the rest of the world," Sinha said in an interview published in Financial Times on Thursday.

"The critically important thing [in the talks in Islamabad last week] was the desire on the part of both countries not to upstage one another and it is a matter of great satisfaction that there was no attempt [by Pakistan] to project it as their
victory or to put India down," he said.

Sinha, however, said: "If anything untoward happened, of course, there would be people who would say 'I told you so'."

"In both countries there are plenty of people who think the other can never be trusted. I hope they will be proved wrong this time," he said.

"When Prime Minister [Atal Bihari] Vajpayee offered his 'hand of friendship' to  Pakistan [in April last year], it took the whole world by surprise," said Sinha. "People in India and Pakistan would not like to think this [peace process] was the result of any third party pressure - and it is not even true."

Sinha stressed that the most important aspect of the last week's agreement was the nine months of "normalisation" that preceded it. This had included the restoration of transport links between India and Pakistan, the resumption of sporting ties, and resumption of people-to-people ties across the border.

Sinha also said the negotiations between India and Pakistan on all eight issues, including Jammu and Kashmir, will begin next month in spite of impending general elections in India.

The venue and the level at which the negotiations will be held are yet to be agreed to, he said.

"It [the peace process] has gathered a certain momentum and it will perhaps be difficult to arrest this momentum unless something unthinkable happens," Sinha said. "We are trying to resolve our issues with Pakistan independent of elections."

Sinha said India is untroubled by the difficulty of reaching a settlement over Kashmir. "Nothing is beyond human ingenuity," Sinha said. "Other countries have solved intractable issues between them. There is no reason why we should not be optimistic about this."

He, however, cautioned on the need for both countries to manage public expectations and to guard their language carefully. "Our relationship has been prone to many accidents in the past," Sinha said. "It is important to avoid accidents of any kind - even an unwise public statement [can do damage]."