Trump’s mediation offer on Kashmir gets trumped by India
After 1971 if there’s one thing that’s been a taboo in the Indian foreign ministry, it is attempt of any third-party mediation – particularly in the matters over Jammu & Kashmir. Not even Russia would think of raising such a issue and China and USA dared not.
Thus many got surprised that US President Donald Trump – known for his unorthodox diplomacy – has touched a raw nerve in Delhi and is now feeling the COLD HEAT from Modi.
On Saturday, Trump in his usual style trumpeted on social media to announce that India and Pakistan – after four tense days of cross-border clashes – had agreed to a “full and immediate ceasefire”, brokered by the US…….an outright lie as far as India was concerned.
This was conveyed to not only the USA but also exposed to the rest of the World too. Later, in another post he said: “I will work with you both to see if, after a thousand years, a solution can be arrived at, concerning Kashmir.”…..even when India was not even listening to his unsolicited overtures…he forgets India has been there as INDIA since thousands of years but his country has been there for just few hundred years.
The Kashmir issue dates back to 1947, when India got independence but the sly British Government partitioned the subcontinent to create a permanent irritant Pakistan.
The princely State of J&K which was yet to decide it’s future course was then immediately invaded by Pakistan with planning by its British Commander in Chief and other British Officers. Ironically even the Indian Commander in Chief was a British and who had to be sacked soon after for his treacherous act.
However the King signed the merger instrument with India. The Indian Army then began throwing out the invaders. However when around one third area was still under Paki Occupation, a UN sponsored ceasefire took place.
Several rounds of bilateral talks and even Wars over the decades have not yielded any resolution. Jammu & Kashmir is as an integral part of India and now with new resolve India has ruled out any negotiation over it particularly through a third party.
Negotiations if any will be for the time frame and methodology for vacation of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir only. India may resolve the issue using Force too if inevitable.
The latest flare-up began after Pakistani supported terrorists carried out a massacre of 26 civilian tourists in Kashmir Valley.
However this time a resolute India carried out precision air strikes on terrorist infrastructure located both inside POK and inside Pakistan. This surprised not only the terrorists, the Pakis but also te rest of the World.
An attempted Paki counterstrike was thwarted and thereafter to give a clear message to Pakistan Government and its Armed Forces, India once again carried out precision deadly strikes on all Pakistani ain bases, with the unbeatable BRAHMOS and other missiles. The nuclear bluff of Pakistan was thus blown off.
A shivering Pakistan turned to Trump as a last resort. Trump tried to plead with Modi but was clearly told that plea if any has to come directly from Pakistan.
Meanwhile in the fighting between the two nuclear-armed rivals Pakistan was getting the hammering of its life. The conflict was likely to to spiral into a full-blown ground and naval conflict too.
Pakistan was teetering on the brink. While US mediators, alongside diplomatic backchannels, were trying their level best, India just stood its ground President Trump’s offer had no effect. “Obviously, it would not be welcome by the Indian side. It goes against our stated position for many years,” Shyam Saran, a former Indian foreign secretary, told the BBC.
Finally the Paki DGMO had to make the plea to the DGMO in New Delhi. The ceasefire was finally cleared by the Higher Defence Organization of India. Though things were made clear that any cease fire violation or fresh terror attacks would be treated as an ACT OF WAR.
Islamabad, on the other hand, welcomed Trump’s comments.”We also appreciate President Trump’s expressed willingness to support efforts aimed at the resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute – a longstanding issue that has serious implications for peace and security in South Asia and beyond,” a foreign ministry statement said..
Delhi’s position on Kashmir is now very clear especially after it the temporary constitutional provisions of Jammu and Kashmir were removed permanently 2019 by the Sovereign Indian Parliament, triggering widespread protests in Pakistan.
So President Trump’s recent comments are nothing but an attempt to “internationalise” the Kashmir dispute. Even India can reciprocate by offering mediation in USA – North Korea or USA – Iran or USA – Mexico or USA – Cuba disputes.
As usual the opposition Congress party wanted an explanation from the government and an all-party meeting on the “ceasefire announcements made from Washington DC first”.
“Have we opened the doors to third-party mediation? The Indian National Congress would like to ask if diplomatic channels between India and Pakistan are being reopened,” said the Congress party spokesman Jairam Ramesh.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s statement announcing the ceasefire also said that the two countries have also agreed “to start talks on a broad set of issues at a neutral site”.
This has caught the Indians by surprise…..the American lie will be obvious when there are no talks till Pakis dismantle the terror ecosystem. Then also there will be no NEUTRAL SITE.
Delhi has just refused to hold discussions with Islamabad, accusing its neighbour of supporting what it calls cross-border terrorism.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s has not responded to President Trump’s offer to mediate. But Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said: “India has consistently maintained a firm and uncompromising stance against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
It will continue to do so.”It is being seen as an indication that India may not be restarting direct bilateral talks soon. “Pakistan has always wanted third-party mediation in the Kashmir issue in the absence of mutual trust between the two countries,” said Imtiaz Gul, the executive director of Centre for Research and Security Studies in Islamabad
“Now a superpower is willing to stick its neck out. Pakistan will see this as a moral victory,” Mr Gul says……Such Moral victory “ Mubarak ho” says 140 crores of Indians. Pakistani strategic experts like Syed Muhammad Ali argue it is because of India’s consistent refusal to engage with Pakistan that the international community should step in to avoid any future conflict….lets see which all country dare to do this.”
Kashmir is one of the most critical issues for the international community. The recent rapid escalation proves that the sabre-rattling can go out of hand,” Mr Ali says.
India’s assertive diplomacy, particularly since Modi took over in 2014, has been seen as a sign of its confidence as a rising global economic power.
The US has courted India in recent years as a bulwark against an increasingly assertive China. India is a key member of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue group (Quad), along with the US, Australia and Japan, that was formed to counter Chinese expansionism in the Indo-Pacific.
In recent decades, India has also bought a few modern transport planes, helicopters and other military equipment from Washington, as gap fillers while modernizing its military indigenously. Meanwhile Russia remains the most reliable defence partner in everything.
The US is the largest trading partner of India with bilateral trade reaching about 1105000 Crores (US $130bn) in 2024.
Both USA and Indian government are currently negotiating a trade deal otherwise tut for tat tariffs cannot be ruled out. Especially after this trumpeting by Trump.
Washington will now have to walk a fine line. Any attempt to broaden the talks – on contentious bilateral issues like the now suspended river water-sharing treaty or the status of Kashmir – will place even QUAD in trouble.
