NUSRAT MIRZA
American writers believe that since the past two decades, Washington has made an enormous mistake in the Indo-Pacific treating India as a key partner to help the United States in its geopolitical rivalry with China. From George W. Bush onward, successive U.S. presidents have bolstered India’s capabilities on the assumption that doing so automatically strengthens the forces that favor freedom in Asia. Now, Americans have realized that India has not reached the level of competing with and or encircling China as per the ambition of the US. Further, American standards of freedom, democracy, and human rights violations have been compromised in India. It is a general feeling in India that once China accepts US primacy it will abandon India as it did with Pakistan.
Further, Washington is not convinced that India is a true strategic partner of the USA. India is sailing in two boats Russia and USA. Russia is the major arms supplier to India and the USA trying at the highest level to bring India into its bond fully as India has kept its freedom of buying arms from all over the world and has become the top importer of arms of the world. In Pakistan’s point of view, these arms may be used against Pakistan because India for the time being has accepted China’s position over the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in spite of the humiliating defeat at eastern Laddakh, Pangong Tso Lake on 15 June 2020 with unconventional weapons of the stone- age. 20 Indian soldiers were killed and 10 were taken as prisoners of war.
To the great surprise of the world, India has vacated, unconditionally, Kailash strategic range which was captured by its forces. The humiliation of India was at its peak when India accepted that China has not captured any piece of land of India. While the fact is that more than 1000 Kilometers of Indian-claimed eastern Ladakh land has been taken by China into its possession. Galwan river valley, Hot Spring, and Gogra including one state of India are other regions of India. China has also built watch Towers in this area. An America writer Ashley J. Ashley Tellis has written an article in Foreign Affairs on 1st May 2023, “The fundamental problem is that the United States and India have divergent ambitions for their security partnership. As it has done with allies across the globe, Washington has sought to strengthen India’s standing within the liberal international order and, when necessary, solicit its contributions toward coalition defense.
Yet New Delhi sees things differently. It does not harbor any innate allegiance toward preserving the liberal international order and retains an enduring aversion toward participating in mutual defense. It seeks to acquire advanced technologies from the United States to bolster its own economic and military capabilities, and thus facilitate its rise as a great power capable of balancing China independently, but it does not presume that American assistance imposes any further obligations on itself.’ Further, it is known to the world and United States of America that India is not capable of doing any substantial activity against China that USA expects from India. It seems that there is no match between China and India. Though, this realization about the capabilities of India was discussed in United States of America. US nevertheless, was working with India with different facilities and offering military hardware but perhaps Indian fox does understand Indian importance and compulsions of US.
The cultural difference between India and USA is another factor that hinders the relation of both countries to grow. Americans are used to working with countries like Pakistan which has given many favors to America, keeping its own interest first. India is a different country aspirant to become world power having 600 billion dollars reserve. Indian fox is not ready to be part of any expedition of USA. Barkha Dutt , one of the star television Anchor, expert on International relations and close to India power structure has said in one of the article “Sorry, America. India will never be your ally” She has written in her article “As Modi get set to address Congress second time, it might look as if India is pivoting to the United States.
But don’t be naïve, my dear American friends. India will never be your ally. This won’t change whether Modi or one of his rivals wins next year’s election. India’s collective memory of the indignities of colonization wide public support for an independent path.” This is a very interesting scenario and a developing story for the United States and a lesson for Pakistan on how to tackle America. At this stage when American primacy has really been challenged, is an opportunity for Pakistan to come out of American influence. US may not get support from India as rightly said by American writers that it was a bad bet for America to choose India as its ally rather strategic partner.