Obamas visit to India starts at a crucial time with lots of speculations and media hype over an environment of intense mistrust amongst the coalition partners in war on terror. Analysts term this visit difficult for diplomacy and crucial for exit strategy of war in Afghanistan. The challenge is how to avoid the 2Ks (Kashmir and Killings) for giving space to diplomacy with India and at the same time do not compromise on 2Cs (Confidence level with the Coalition partners and Control over the Afghanistan situation) which remains pivotal to any future policy in the region.
The HR violations in Indian part of Kashmir which remains under control of half-a-million Indian soldiers and paramilitaries is now recognized by world Human Rights organizations. Indian writers, like Booker Prize-winning author Arundhati Roy, are being charged with sedition over comments she made about the disputed province of Kashmir. She defended by saying, I pity the nation that needs to jail those who ask for justice, I said what millions of people here say everyday”. The reports confirm of arrests and violence against ordinary civilians under extra-coercive powers given to the Indian army.
Despite this there are reports that India is aiming to finalise a 5.8 billion dollars defence agreement with the US. Obama will face these realities in the backdrop of American law which requires that the US should cut off financing and defence deals with foreign militaries that are found to have committed gross violations of human rights.
Obamas Indian visit with elections waiting at home will have strategic and moral implications for both US government and the ruling party. The Afghan endgame scenario requires minimizing trust deficit to synergize efforts. Will Obama weigh the logic or the hawks will prevail; only the time will tell.
HAMID WAHEED
Islamabad
