WASHINGTON: The Kashmir issue seems set to further strain Indo-US ties, with a letter sent by President Bill Clinton to the head of   pro Pakistan, pro-militant organization of Kashmir Americans referring to human rights violations in Kashmir and offering to work with them to bring peace to Kashmir.

 The letter written on Dec.27 to Ghulam Nabi Fai of the Kashmiri American Council could not have come at a more in-opportune time. It comes in the wake of Clintons raising the Kashmir issue in the UN and the US first questioning the Instrument of Accession on Kashmir and then retreating on the issue. The letter has been released after the failure of the Indo-Pak Foreign Secretary-level talks on Kashmir.

 (India reacted to the letter by hoping the US would not ignore gross human rights violations committed by militants in Kashmir, aided and abetted by Pakistan, while thinking of peace in the Valley).

The letter from Clinton seems to recognize Fai as an interlocutor in the Kashmir dispute and this would upset Indian sensibilities. For, after all Fai’s organization which is widely believed to be funded by Pakistan-is seen as promoting instability in Kashmir.

Fai speaks for people seen as terrorists by a large section of the Indian public and this is bound to raise questions about where the US stands on terrorism when it does not threaten, its own citizens directly.

 All the State Department would say about the letter was that it was consistent with the US policy of being willing to assist India and Pakistan to solve the Kashmir dispute.

However, before getting all hot and sweaty about Clintons letter it may be pertinent to fake a few deep breaths and note that he does not even get to Seed the thousands of letters he receives and which are responded to with his name appended to them.

A lot of people write to Clinton just as they write to Prime Minister Narasimha Rao and a number of them, receive responses. The response to Fais leter is fairly innocuous at one level and in all likelihood drafted by some bleeding heart liberal in the White House who has no intention of striking one more blow to Indo-US relations.

 After thinking Fai for his kind words about the US Presidents Speech at the UN General Assembly, the letter says. I share your belief that, in order to face the dilemmas of a post-cold war global landscape, we all must look closely at our policies with regard to human rights. i am confident we can bring about changes consistent with what the UN founders envisioned.

I look forward to working with you and others to bring peace to Kashmir, and I appreciate your input.

Signed, Bill Clinton,

In New Delhi, an External Affairs, Ministry spokesman said We trust when the US President referred to respect for human rights, it was in the context of gross rights violations by militants aided from outside India.

He said India shared the growing global interests on the strict observance of human rights.

Article extracted from this publication >> January 14, 1994