Vijay Hashia
There is a paradigm shift in Indo-US relations since the two leaders have met recently. Much was significant and specific when they gave a joint vision statement, which critics have pointed out, was a promissory note than a commitment. It was a cocktail of good intentions distilled out of the unprecedented ‘feel good’ which Obama unleashed with his diplomacy. It revealed a shift from the standoff consequent to dispute over diplomatic immunity and privileges, spying operations, cyber warfare, denial and revocation of visa. The ground got ploughed with goodwill as it has never been before and it was ostensible from the world’s iconic ground MSG where PM took the central stage, followed by his address to the Council on Foreign Relations and finally meeting president Obama. The meeting changed the climate as Mr Modi’s magic mouse worked to dispel mistrust of 2002.
Earlier during 2009, the Obama administration had linked the Kashmir dispute to the instability in Pakistan and Afghanistan for which he was criticised by the former NSA for his wrong approach to South Asia. Apart from this, India and US government have differed on variety of regional issues ranging from India’s cordial relations with Iran and Russia to foreign policy disagreements relating to Maldives, Myanmar and Bangladesh. India had also criticised the Obama administration decision to limit H1B temporary visas which is rather a protectionist policy, impasse over nuclear liability law and WTO trade facilitation which are vexed issues between the two countries. While these factors have become stumbling blocks to developing close ties, eradicating growing terrorism was a dominant theme at the ninety minute dialogue between the two leaders.
PM’s five days visit and talks with Obama administration has given India a wider acceptance and strategic edge meant to build pressure on Pakistan and China. By these talks, Pakistan will find it difficult to repeat the mistake of inviting separatists, as Pakistan national security and foreign affairs advisor Sartaj Aziz himself admitted that the timing of its High Commissioner’s meeting with Hurriyat leaders ahead of foreign secretary level talks was not totally right. The talks between two leaders also have an edge that the world will accept it from the American President, if it does not from India that Pakistan is using the threat by sending insurgents to blackmail United Nations and the world countries for international mediation on Kashmir.
India and America, if one hopes, have become strategic partners and this is so long the interests of both in the region are protected by each other. Security concerns are feared in Afghanistan post NATO withdrawal which the PM has conveyed that US should not repeat the mistake of Iraq. While America and its allied forces will keep dominating terror groups by drones, ‘F’ and ‘B’ bombers, its policy for India will never favour striking terror camps in Pakistan but engaging both in bilateral talks keeping in view the apprehensions of nuke outbreak if full scale war erupts between the two countries. The only alternative to this scenario, therefore, is that fight against terrorism should be conducted under the banner of UNO which India has been advocating since long.
It was during the tenure of Bill Clinton in 1999 that he had made Pakistan’s withdrawal from Kargil a precondition for settlement through US diplomatic involvement long sought for. The US under Clinton’s administration had condemned Pakistan’s infiltration of armed intruders and went public that most of the men who had crossed the LoC were attached to Pakistani Army’s 10th Corps. He even called Pakistan aggressor, rejected the fiction that fighters were separatist guerrillas and warned that if it did not order pullback, US will hold $ 100 million IMF loan which Pakistan desperately needed. So much so that, he echoed that Pakistan must create conditions that will allow the dialogue to succeed. This hurt Pakistan and Musharraf claimed India had de- educated Clinton. Pakistan was almost universally seen to have precipitated the crises and it was Bill Clinton who had warned Musharraf against trying to redraw borders with blood. Thus Clinton further elevated the status of the LoC. That is why, Clintons enjoy a special relationship with Indian politicians and India wants to maintain the same with Obama and his successors despite differences over nuclear liability law and WTO trade facilitation. The feel good factor ‘chalein saath saath’, the relations which had gone astray post Clinton era was the diplomacy apart from resurrecting economic growth attracting international investment and fighting terrorism together.
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