news details |
|
|
| Re-launch diplomacy offensive on Kashmir | | |
While Indian government is in the process of a coercive diplomacy to bring Pakistan to book for fomenting terrorism, the influential world leaders are again and again dragging Kashmir into conflict reference. Recent statements made by influential figures in the Obama team that have sought to club Jammu and Kashmir with other conflict-torn regions of the world and indicate the need for international mediation between India and Pakistan, are reasons for concern in New Delhi. Make no mistake about it. The Government is apparently nervous about the policies the new US administration under President Barack Obama, could pursue on Kashmir, CTBT and other tricky issues, unlike the Bush presidency, where it had little to worry about. On Obama’s taking over charge as President, foreign secretary Shiv Shankar Menon’s reaction that he was nervous about this change,' is natural. In a sense, the confusion started with Obama when he said in a pre-election interview last year that he was open to the idea of a special envoy on Kashmir to resolve an issue. This would leave Pakistan ’s armed forces free to concentrate on combating the Islamist extremists in its tribal areas and neighbouring Afghanistan. While it would be premature to make any comment at this point, there are all-too-real concerns that the Obama administration may bring the Kashmir issue to the fore on the "flawed assumption" that its resolution could be an incentive to Islamabad to fight wholeheartedly in the US campaign to liberate Afghanistan from the clutches of the Taliban. Further, Obama has yet to appoint key functionaries dealing with the region. Both the US Ambassador to India David C Mulford and US Assistant Secretary of State for Central and South Asia Richard Boucher have been asked to stay on for some more time till the new administration finds suitable replacements. Perhaps a wait and watch policy would be best as suggests former secretary, External Affairs Ministry KC Singh. "We should not jump to conclusions. Obama's position on Pakistan is a work in progress," he said. "It will be a diplomatic challenge, but we should be more assertive about projecting our position on Kashmir ." However, there are enough indications for New Delhi to up its diplomatic defences and make it clear to Washington and London that any intrusive diplomacy over the Kashmir issue will not succeed as it is a bilateral issue and Kashmir is an integral part of India. The first concrete sign of potential activism on Kashmir came when British Foreign Secretary David Miliband tried to link J&K and Mumbai terrorism during his recent visit to Delhi . His remarks came barely a week before Obama took charge as President. In addition, Miliband also denounced the Bush war on terror as "misleading and misplaced", remarks that were seen as an echo of some pronouncements coming from the Obama team. "Miliband was not just speaking for himself. He has been in touch with Obama people," is Satish Chandra’s explanation. He also talked of "incentivising" Pakistan for its cooperation in the battle against terrorism on its western flank that was a strategic priority for the West. However, if it was a freak view point of Miliband, there was not much to worry. New Delhi has consistently opposed the appointment of a special US envoy for Kashmir and amply made it known to Miliband that Kashmir was a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan. Terrorism is a global phenomenon and efforts should be made that Kashmir does not get involved into this meddle.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
