Wednesday, July 13 2005 10:30 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kolkata: Ruling out a review of relations with Pakistan in the wake of last week's attack in Ayodhya, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee yesterday (July 12, 2005)today said India will not fall into the "trap" of terrorists trying to subvert the peace process.

"Terrorists want the peace process (between India and Pakistan) disturbed. They want to subvert it... I am sure we will not fall into that trap," he told reporters here.

Answering questions on the terror attacks in London on July seven and the 9/11 New York twin tower strike, Mukherjee said India had been living with terrorism for long. "It may be new to Europe and USA but not for India."

"When we cried hoarse in the UN and every international forum that after the Cold War the biggest menace to world peace and security is cross-border terrorism, no one listened. "...But now they are listening. It is a positive development," he said.

The Defence Minister said 35,000 civilians had been killed in Jammu and Kashmir due to the low-intensity proxy war organised from across the border in the past 15 years.

On the Centre's help to tackle Naxalite activities in the nine affected states, Mukherjee said the Union Home Ministry was considering a proposal to provide "suitable vehicles as protection".

This would improve mobility of the state police forces where mine blasts occurred, he said.

He said there was a regular institutional arrangement involving state chief secretaries and the Union Home Secretary to deal with the problem.

Asked whether the Left parties' objections to BHEL disinvestment would affect economic reforms, he said "in a multi-party system, there are different perceptions. I do not think it is going to have any impact on reform policies. Reform does not mean merely disinvestment."