US Secretary of State John Kerry and Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj had a marathon meeting of 2nd Indo- US Strategic and Commercial Dialogue (S&CD) in New Delhi. Obviously, the part of strategic dialogue focused on the priority theme of contemporary strategic talks viz. terrorism and the countries wherefrom it emerges. Recalling India’s perception of terrorism as threat to the international peace, more particularly emerging from our neighbourhood in the west, the American side has no disagreement in principle with it. However, when India vehemently talks of the threat of terrorism she definitely has Pakistan and ISI sponsored terrorist organizations like LeT, JM, ISIS and their affiliates under different names (for example HM in Kashmir) in mind and naturally expects the US to react to this specific concern.
However, it is somewhat too extravagant a thinking to expect the US take recourse to a policy or action that would meet the principle of identifying the elements in Pakistan that threaten international peace basing the argument on attacks in Mumbai, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Udhampur and elsewhere in our country. When US says that she shares concerns of India about terrorism being a threat to international peace, she has Afghanistan, Haqqani and Pakistan’s covert support to the Taliban fighters in Afghanistan in mind. For a long time, the US has been insisting on Pakistan to disarm Haqqani group which has sanctuaries in Pakistan. Despite repeated insistence and even intimidation, despite scuttling the F-16 fighter deal and despite cancellation of 300 million dollar financial support to Pakistan army, Pakistan has done nothing to contain Haqqani group or dismantle terror structure used against India. The US is not thinking of Osama bin Laden type blitzkrieg for Haqqani. She is going slow and justifying her military presence in Afghanistan while smiling to the antics of ISI which is running the show in Afghanistan. Additionally, the US is committed to extend fullest military support to Pakistan army, which the Pentagon thinks is fighting US’ anti-terror war in Af-Pak region. Islamabad has successfully blackmailed the US in convincing her that she is faced with threat from terrorists and is fighting them tooth and nail. Who actually are the targets of Pakistan military in Af-Pak region is a matter that Islamabad is carefully and tactfully circumventing. Moreover, Pakistan adamantly holds on to the theory that there are good and bad Taliban/jihadis/terrorists. Those she is fighting in Af-Pak are bad terrorists and those who are fighting the Indians in Kashmir are good terrorists. Except for pontificating that there are no good or bad terrorists, the US never issued a warning to Pakistan to dismantle all terrorist structures or face sanctions as was the case with Iran.
The US has not till date taken any initiative to project terrorism as the most serious threat to the humanity and has not invoked the world community to rise against it jointly and organize themselves in massive and decisive counter-terrorism on ideological as well as military basis. The only country that has been raising voice for joint international action against terrorism is India. Though France, Spain and to some extent UK have had the bitter taste of terrorist attacks, not to speak of 9/11, yet none of the European countries has made anti-terrorism a mission for the current world community.
Therefore we refuse to be excited by a few soft words spoken by John Kerry on Pakistan being home to terrorist organization. All that we should understand from the expression of the two Foreign Ministers, is that India has to fight terrorism/jihadism and radicalism single handed. She may at best have the sympathies of the US, but she will be living in a dreamland if she thinks that the US will use its lever of influence decisively with Pakistan to dismantle terrorist structures. That will never happen. It is these structures and Islamic seminaries wherefrom the manpower emerged, which Pakistan commissioned for breaking the Soviet Union. How can the US stop Pakistan from nurturing these seminaries and training camps and the enormous structure of radicalization in that country? US have contributed to it.
This being said, it has also to be understood that the character and parameters of US-India relations have undergone sea change with the passage of time. Strictly speaking, this change neither took place because of the dictates of Indo-Pak strained relations, nor because of the two nuclear powers in the Indian sub-continent posing threat to the interests of the US in the region. As far as the question of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal is concerned, the US has re-confirmed assurances through Pakistan army and other responsible sources as well as from their own intelligence sources that these weapons are unlikely to fall in the hands of jihadis of that country.
In the rather refurbished scenario of Indo-US relations, cooperation in various areas of defence production, or defence strategy or military to military level interaction, are new parameters of modern day relationship that serve bilateral interests without enormously jeopardizing regional military balance. Trade and commerce are very important areas in modern world and trade rivalry with China is an admitted reality in global perspective. As such, countries like the US, Russia, China and India and Iran will keep constant look on how maritime and commercial aspects of respective policy of big countries act and counteract on global as well as regional levels.
Simultaneously, a meeting between the Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and the US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter also took place in which the two leaders discussed aspects of defence cooperation. As per a joint statement issued after the meeting between the two leaders, they agreed to facilitate greater and regular interactions to deepen mutual understanding between military services and promote practical cooperation in areas of mutual interest, such as counter-terrorism, maritime security, special operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. Agreements on these issues are helpful to both sides and are welcome. But Parrikar has made it clear that the agreements do not envisage giving military bases to the US on land or on sea. These generally refer to logistic support like refueling, repairing, docking etc. These also encompass assistance in cases of calamities and rescue operations.
In final analysis we find that there is steady thaw in the frozen relations between the two countries in previous decades. Prime Minister Modi has initiated realistic and bilaterally beneficial interaction with the US that would go a long way in modernizing in many of areas that are still to be explored and exploited. The fundamental change in bilateral relations is that their mutual agreements are for mutual benefits and not military alliances against a third power or group of powers that would be reminiscent of SEATO and CENTO. If the US recognizes that India is not only the largest democracy in the world but is also the most heterogeneous democracy in the world, that would go a long way in cementing cordial relations between the two. US need to understand the import of India’s heterogeneity.
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