India’s Narrative on J&K is Hyperbolic

Editorials have appeared in two leading Delhi newspapers today (hereand here) urging the government to present a credible, appealing diplomatic narrative on the J&K developments.

The Indian narrative is largely focused on the domestic audience. It has gone to ridiculous extents in projecting that the situation is actually quite “normal” in J&K. Pictures of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval savouring(mutton) biryani with Kashmiri Muslims on a street corner in Srinagar have been doing the rounds. (Indeed, it now transpires that it was a charade to hoodwink the public.)

Crude propaganda won’t win hearts and minds. A narrative has to be crafted rationally. It’s common knowledge that there is little acceptance of the government move among Kashmiri Muslims.

When it comes to the external projection of the Indian narrative, given the fact that India’s case is flying in the face of international law and the UN Charter, the government must be capable of sophistication and sensitivity.

The government would have seized the initiative at the diplomatic level if only soon after Home Minister Amit Shah piloted through both houses of the parliament at breakneck speed the legislation on abrogating Article 370 of the constitution, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had stood up and made a suo moto statement offering to discuss all differences with Pakistan bilaterally in a comprehensive dialogue in the best interests of regional security, peace and stability.

Of course, such a momentous initiative would have required imagination, far-sightedness and wisdom — and, most important, political courage at the leadership level. The shortfall in statecraft and diplomacy is appalling.

A self-righteous attitude will not do. Take EAM’s demarcate with the Chinese counterpart State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on Monday. The MEA readout spells out the Indian stance on the following lines:

One, constitutional amendment is an “internal matter for India” and the “sole prerogative of the country”.

Two, abrogation of J&K’s special status (including changes in Ladakh’s status) is aimed at “promoting better governance and socio-economic development”.

Three, the government move has “no implication for either the external boundaries of India or the Line of Actual Control” with China.

And, four, India is “not raising any additional territorial claims.”

Incredibly enough, this was how EAM brushed aside China’s “serious concern over the recent escalation of turmoil in Kashmir”; that any unilateral action that may complicate the situation in Kashmir should not be taken; that Kashmir issue is a dispute born out of the region’s colonial history and should be properly handled in a peaceful way in line with the UN Charter, relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and bilateral agreements between Pakistan and India”; and, its expectation that “India will play a constructive role in regional peace and stability.” (here, here, here, here and here)

Life is real. EAM’s rejoinder may have some resonance domestically within India as a macho attitude, but it will only arouse mirth and quiet derision abroad — even in the diplomatic enclave in Chanakyapuri area.

In reality, no P5 member country has voiced support for India. There is no shred of evidence so far that the Russian Foreign Ministry voiced support for India on the issue — not on the MFA website; neither in a Tass or Novosti report; not even in the irrepressible Russian media. Some fly-by-night operator well-versed with the Indian rope trick, apparently spread fake news on a Friday night and it became “breaking news” within India by next morning. Pathetic.

Simply put, the Indian stance articulated by EAM is fundamentally flawed in its logic and can only be counter-productive, as it shuts the door on discussion. The point is, Kashmir is an international dispute and India has unilaterally changed J&K’s “status” in violation of the relevant UN resolutions. No one will accept India’s claim that it is an “internal matter”.

The world opinion accepts that Pakistan is party to the Kashmir dispute. It is beside the point that India is not redrawing its boundaries. And it is a gratuitous position that there is “no implication” for the LOC or the LOAC. If things were that simple, why couldn’t Modi government stomach the CPEC passing through Gilgit-Baltistan? We screamed, “territorial sovereignty” blah, blah.

The world opinion will only believe that Delhi’s real intention is to change the demographic balance so that there shall be no Muslim-majority entity henceforth within the Indian Union.

If such unilateral acts in modern history are as simple as “internal matter”, why is no one recognising Russia’s annexation of Crimea? Why is Beijing shying away from intervention in Hong Kong? Why is the US insisting on “freedom of navigation” in the South China Sea? Why is the US raising eyebrow over the North Sea Route and the Arctic? What is wrong with Iran’s claim of Persian Gulf being its sovereign territory? What prevents Sri Lanka’s Mahinda Rajapaksa from solving the Tamil problem in similar fashion (as he hinted already)?

The Modi government will be creating a long-term, intractable problem for India for generations to come by adopting such an ostrich approach to problem solving. Analysts have pointed out (here and here) that the change in Ladakh’s status makes the India-China border dispute incredibly complicated and all but unsolvable. India’s international standing can get seriously damaged.

The only way to address the conundrum is to propose to Pakistan that India is ready to discuss these differences. Fortuitously, Pakistan also faces the unhappy situation that no one in the international community is showing willingness to stand up and be counted as its partner to push back at India.

The bottom line is that India enjoys wide acceptance for its stance on the imperatives of bilateralism in resolving differences with Pakistan. India should now tactfully exercise this privilege. It is always possible to hold out informal assurances that there’ll be no “colonisation” of the Kashmir valley. After all, we have such in-built safeguards for many regions of India.

Demonstrators shout slogans outside a hospital emergency unit during protest against lockdown, Srinagar Aug. 9, 2019. Reuters

The window of opportunity shall not remain open for long. From all accounts, the ground situation in J&K is explosive and the grating roar of human misery is approaching. PM Imran Khan’s prognosis on another Pulwama is not off the mark. For Delhi to build a new architecture in J&K out of the debris all around, a dialogue with Pakistan is critically important.