US President Donald Trump’s repeated claims of taking credit for the ceasefire between India and Pakistan have raised questions about India’s silence. Trump said that he had forced India and Pakistan to stop the war by showing fear of trade and tariffs. But India’s silence and vague response have created surprise in diplomatic circles. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a 35-minute phone conversation with Trump, but did not give details. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that India had declared a ceasefire after talks with Pakistan, but Trump repeatedly repeated his claim that peace between India and Pakistan was achieved because of him and the war stopped. The question is, if Trump is lying, why is India not opposing him?
Is economic and strategic dependence on the US forcing India to remain silent? These questions are question marks on India’s diplomatic reputation.
Recently, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) had given a clean chit to Pakistan in the matter of terror funding. This has given a setback to India’s hopes. 55 days after the Pulwama incident, the FATF had said that there is huge funding behind such incidents, due to which India felt that action would be taken against Pakistan. But the FATF has acquitted Pakistan, praising its compliance with its 2022 commitments. Along with this, the IMF, World Bank and ADB had announced loans to Pakistan, which India’s efforts to stop were also unsuccessful. In the FATF meeting to be held in August, India will try to get Pakistan included in the ‘grey list’, but the silence of the US and China has increased India’s problems.
The increasing inclination of the US towards Pakistan is a matter of concern for India. Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir’s meeting with Trump at the White House and Pakistan’s announcement of nominating Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize have shown a new warmth in US-Pakistan relations. Trump had praised Pakistan while taking credit for the India-Pakistan ceasefire, while India had completely rejected third-party mediation. Behind this strategy of America, there is a possibility of strengthening friendship with Pakistan to check the growing influence of China. But the question is why is India not opposing this inclination of America? Is the compulsion of commercial and strategic relations with America making India silent?
India’s opposition parties have raised strong questions on this weak diplomacy of the government. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that the foreign policy of the Modi government has ‘failed’, due to which America is taking India lightly. TMC’s Mamata Banerjee said that the government’s silence is damaging the country’s reputation. The Samajwadi Party and AAP also surrounded the government, saying that bowing to US pressure hurts India’s self-respect. The opposition demanded that the government give a clear response to Trump’s statements and show firmness on the diplomatic front against Pakistan.
Despite this diplomatic defeat of India, there are some ways in which the situation can be improved. First, India needs to strike a balance in its relations with the US. Instead of being overly dependent on the US, India can improve its situation by strengthening relations with countries like Russia, France and Japan. Second, pressure can be created by presenting strong evidence against Pakistan in international organizations like FATF and the United Nations. Third, India needs to adopt an aggressive stance in its foreign policy, so that countries like the US understand that India will no longer bow to anyone’s pressure.
