By Ranjit Singh Gill and Sukhminder Singh Sandhu
In the rapidly changing world order a curious situation is developing and fates of some nations are being changed as if being determined by the flip of a coin. Nations or states supported by western democracies have found themselves on the winning side and those ignored by United Nations and the western countries not quite so.
New alliances are sprouting every day. Age old and once formidable ones are disappearing.
The famous Camp-David accord of 1978 was once viewed as a sell out by majority of the Arabs, The conditions and the terms of that very accord were the basis of the recent Middle East peace negotiations. Various feuding parties in Cambodia (Kampuchea) have reached an agreement under United Nations auspices and are even ready to ignore the bloody history of Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge. Similarly South Africa is ready to discard apartheid and negotiations to form a new constitution are ongoing.
Soviet Union is no longer a single entity. Over a dozen new nations take the place of the once mighty communist power.
In Afghanistan, the Mujhideen are having direct talks with Russian officials and the Kabul regime to form an interim government and make way for an elected govt. similar changes are noticeable in other African and Latin American countries. Germany is united. Next year 12-western European countries will break their economic borders. Croatia and Slovenia are likely to achieve their long cherished dream of independence, when they are recognized by European community.
The changing world order has not generated any hope for the Sikh nation. Kashmiris, and Sikhs are still being denied their right to self-determination. The developments in South Asia in last few months have led to an amorphous situation.
United States and Pakistan had been allies. The intervention of Soviet Union in 1978-79 in Afghanistan brought United States and Pakistan closer to fight the growing menace of communism. United States needed an ally and a country to counter the Soviet influence in Afghanistan. Pakistan was the answer. Pakistan’s bold stand against Soviet Union brought billions of dollars of economic and military aid from United States.
India being a strong ally of Soviet Union was a staunch supporter of Soviet sponsored Kabul regime. India’s relations with United States were always ambiguous and this ambiguity grew in last decade.
With the threat of communism vanishing United States no longer views Pakistan as a strategic ally. Pakistan’s nuclear aspirations to which the United States turned a blind eye in its fight against communism have now become the stumbling block of the relationship. Since two years the United States has suspended its economic and military aid to Pakistan. But it helped India in acquiring more than 7-billion dollars of loans and aid from financial institutions like I.M.F., World Bank, etc.
Lately United States Government has threatened Pakistan that it will add its name to the list of nations who sponsor terrorism and implement some kind of sanctions against it if Pakistan keeps on supporting those seeking freedom in Kashmir and Punjab. England also followed United States by issuing a similar threat against Pakistan few days ago and has welcomed the deployment of army in Punjab without giving much thought to its decision.
Pakistan therefore has started to accuse United States of tilting towards India. India has a 2 million-man standing army and is a nuclear power. India also being a bigger country with a population of 850 million people is a potential market for American products.
Recently India and United States have agreed on high level exchanges of military personnel and now are talking about joint naval exercises in the sea lanes of the Indian Ocean something India never even discussed with the Soviet Union. Few days ago India already conducted a secret naval exercise with the Australia, a close ally of the United States.
Last month, at the United Nations for the first time Soviet delegate voted with Pakistan and so against India on Pakistan’s proposal to make South Asia a nuclear free region.
India is now emerging as a new ally in South Asia of the United States. India could soon be looking after the United States interests in the South Asia, when influence of United States in South Asia is on the decline due to the diminishing United States military presence in Philippine’s and South Korea.
This new found coziness between India and United States has a direct bearing on the future of the Sikhs.
Sikhs in western countries especially in the United States, who actively lobby their political leaders in hope of winning the support of their governments for the cause of Khalistan, should reassess their approach. Sikhs should direct their power and money where it will be most effective. When Sikhs reach closer to their goal and if these western countries see something for them in it, they will come to Sikhs support.
Present geo-political, economic and strategic conditions seem to favor India. The conduct of the Sikhs in coming months in Punjab can easily reverse this equation.
A unanimous resolution for Khalistan by a democratically elected legislative assembly could provide much needed legitimacy.
No doubt historical facts have played an important role, but majority of the new born nations have legitimized their claim for independence by proving beyond doubt to the International community about the aspirations of their people in a democratic way.
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