NEW DELHI: Despite the US decision not to declare Pakistan a “terrorist stale”, the Rao government is still engaged in mobilizing the world opinion against alleged Pak sponsored terrorism in India.
Latest developments suggest that though the US declaration did not come as a major surprise to New Delhi, it put the Indian foreign policy in a bad shape.
The sword of Damocles dangled over Islamabad’s head since the waning months of the Bush presidency when Washington put Pakistan on the watch list for declaring it a “terrorist state” for having extended official support to Khalistani and Kashmiri struggles. The Indian campaign against Pakistan had reached the peak following the Bombay blast on March 12 this year. The main tune of the campaign was that Pakistan has been aiding and abetting terrorism in India, particularly in Kashmir and Punjab.
The Rao Government also alleged that Pakistan was instrumental in the Bombay blasts which claimed as many as 400 lives. Thence forth India has been launching a massive campaign against the neighboring country and creating pressure on the US.
The US announcement not to declare Pakistan a terrorist state, however, simply poured cold water into India’s hope. Observers feel that this pointed out many loopholes in Indian foreign policy. India’s “big brother” attitude in this subcontinent would also receive a severe jolt, they observed, adding that obviously it was once thing for S.B.Chavan or Sharad Pawar to assert loudly and plausibly at home the Memon brothers’ connection with Pakistan, but it was altogether a different proposition to convince the international community.
But, observers further feel the US decision should not come as a big surprise to the Indian government as South Asian bureau Chief John Malott’s visit to India and Pakistan made it clear that the US planned an “evenhanded policy” for the subcontinent. In his responses to the subject of Pakistan’s alleged assistance and support to terrorism, Malottelearly indicated while in New Delhi that it was not as important a concern as human rights violations in Kashmir.
Malott’s New Delhi sojourn raised a storm of criticism in the country. The general feeling among Indian bureaucracy was that the Clinton Administration was not serious to declare Pakistan a “terrorist state.”
Indian media, however, viewed the US announcement from a different angle. The Hindustan Times commented: “A charitable view of the American decision could be that the Damocles sword has been removed to strengthen and help the civilian politicians to tide over the present crisis, and to discourage the Army from intervening to take over power.
The fear of losing clout to Iran and China in the wake of declaring Pakistan a terrorist state might also have weighed with the US.”
The Times of India said, “It had to weigh the possibility of an anti-American popular backlash in Pakistan, and the probability of the Islamic fundamentalist forces getting an upper hand against earning India’s goodwill.”
Meanwhile, even though the US showed its unwillingness to declare Pakistan a “terrorist state,” a section of government officials are all set to launch a fresh diplomatic campaign against Pakistan. According to them, the Indian government has failed to show clinching evidence to. Support its case.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 13, 1993
