In diplomacy, words matter. Words can make or break a relationship when it comes to matters of national and international importance. In that context, the issue of territorial integrity assumes salience, particularly in a turbulent region like South Asia. In a significant development, Sergio Gor, the American ambassador to South and Central Asian affairs, said, “Jammu and Kashmir is an important part of India,” during his visit to the strategically important Indian territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Further, he argued that owing to the improved security situation of the territory, America would be reconsidering its travel advisories to the territory.
Needless to say, his remarks were received with an outpouring of praise. A section of the commentariat community believes that this is unprecedented, at least in the sense that for the first time, America is seen changing its stance towards this territory, and American endorsement, they believe, is almost akin to global endorsement.
However, it is absolutely essential for us to embrace Gor’s remarks with a pinch of salt.
Gor’s remark must be seen in the wider context of Indo-US relations. New Delhi is negotiating a big-ticket trade deal with Washington. While substantial progress has been made, India has opposed a key American demand for access to the Indian agriculture sector
Policy Flip-Flops
The American position on Kashmir has evolved in accordance with the changing winds of geopolitics. During the Cold War, America backed Pakistan’s position on the region. In the post-Cold War period, while America’s position developed in a nuanced manner, successive administrations continued to perceive Kashmir through the lens of Pakistan. The only major change, however, occurred during the first Trump administration when it declared the abrogation of Article 370 as an internal matter of India. Fast forward to Operation Sindoor and its aftermath, America once again demonstrated its hypocrisy on Kashmir by repeatedly claiming that the Trump administration “stopped the hostilities”.
To make matters worse, Trump asserted that if both countries want, then America is willing to help in resolving the ‘Kashmir dispute’. This is something that Pakistan has been wanting for decades. Under Asim Munir, the Pakistani Field Marshal, Pakistan has cultivated close relations with the Trump administration, thereby enabling our arch-nemesis to gain direct leverage over the dispute over the territory.
Actual Agendas
This remark by Gor must be seen in the wider context of the existing nature of Indo-American relations. Presently, New Delhi is negotiating a big-ticket trade deal with Washington. While substantial progress has been made, a key American demand is consistently running into Indian resistance — access to the Indian agriculture sector. Given the highly mechanised and market-oriented nature of American agriculture, it is quite natural to expect that Washington will be looking to export its agricultural products to newer destinations. What better destination than India — a country with over a billion people, where more than 50% of the population directly or indirectly is dependent on agriculture and its allied sectors for sustenance and employment, something the Trump administration knows all too well.
India must not get swept away by the remarks of such a top US diplomat. The aim must be to exercise prudence. Our goal should be to stick to our core principles on Kashmir and make it absolutely clear to the rest of the world that Kashmir was, is, and will always be an inalienable and integral part of India
In that regard, Washington wants New Delhi to capitulate and open up its agriculture and other allied sectors to American products. However, agriculture is not the only sector the Americans are targeting. Given the fact that India is the world’s third-largest oil-importing country, the Americans are quite aware that by issuing favourable statements on a matter as critical as Kashmir coupled with the imposition of external pressure on Russia in the form of primary and secondary sanctions, America seeks to arm-twist New Delhi into buying American shale oil. Doing so will not only rejuvenate the American oil companies, but will also enable it to exert its dominance on the global crude oil market.
Therefore, for the Trump administration, words are a way of trying to fulfil their bigger and more insidious objectives.
Need for Prudence
For South Block, we mustn’t get swept away by the remarks of such a top American diplomat. It is the nature of diplomacy that words can be used to send different messages to different audiences. The aim, however, must be to exercise prudence. Our goal should be to stick to our core principles on Kashmir and make it absolutely clear to the rest of the world that Kashmir was, is, and will always be an inalienable and integral part of India. Further, no intervention of any sort is acceptable, and any effort to do so would be treated as a violation of India’s red lines.
The writer is a doctoral candidate in Political Science at Mahatma Gandhi Central University. The views expressed are personal and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
