Sushma Didn’t Disappoint, Though Our Stand on Talks Needs Clarity

Sushma didn’t clarify whether or not India-Pakistan talks will continue till terrorism ceases, writes Vivek Katju.

No address to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) ever attracted such anticipation in India as that of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s speech yesterday. The nation, full of justified and righteous anger at the Uri attack, expected nothing less than a clear message to go to the international community and Pakistan that Indian patience was finally over. It also wanted a firm rebuttal of the long litany of accusations against India in Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s UNGA address of 21 September.

Sushma Swaraj did not disappoint, though she had a very difficult time balancing the task in hand.

Also read: Sushma Hits Right Note at UNGA, But It Won’t Help Isolate Pak

Sushma Skillfully Avoided the ‘Diatribe’ Trap

World leaders’ speeches at the beginning of each UNGA session are meant to state their country’s position on significant international and regional issues of current and enduring importance. Thus, Sushma Swaraj’s categorical mention that the “true challenge of our time is to end the curse of harsh poverty” was most appropriate. So were her references to the Sustainable Development Goals and Climate Change.

The UNGA podium is not a launch pad for a diatribe against an individual country. If a leader uses the UNGA address only to pander to his domestic constituency, his country’s international reputation suffers. Nawaz Sharif fell into this trap and invited India to fall into it too.

Sushma Swaraj skilfully avoided the trap even while making it clear to Pakistan and the international community that the state of Jammu & Kashmir is an integral part of India and will remain so.

Also read: Praise & Potshots: Sushma Swaraj’s UNGA Address Stirs Up Twitter

Kashmir No Longer a UN Issue

Pakistan constantly harps on the so-called “disputed” nature of the J&K issue. Its refrain is that the issue continues to be unresolved for 70 years. The fact is that the global powers have no interest in getting involved in Kashmir. Routine calls are made to India and Pakistan to address all their issues through bilateral negotiations and on Kashmir, take the opinion of the people of the state while doing so, but these are never backed by any action. Importantly, such calls are never made at any UN forum. That is an indication that Kashmir is no longer a UN issue for any country.

Indeed, the last time that it specifically figured on the UN Security Council agenda was in 1957. Pakistan has also been bitterly disappointed that despite all its efforts, the global powers have virtually ignored the agitation that has been continuing in the Kashmir Valley since the killing of the terrorist Burhan Wani in early July.

Also read: “Pack of Lies”: Pakistan Counter-Attacks After Sushma’s Speech

Threat Posed by Terrorism

Sushma Swaraj did not – and correctly – mention anything of what India may do to “punish” those behind the Uri attack. The UNGA is not the place to raise these matters. She also did well not to rise to Nawaz Sharif’s bait, “the international community ignores the dangers of rising tensions in South Asia at its own peril”. This too is a constant theme for Pakistan. It is a not-so subtle attempt at getting third parties to intervene between India and Pakistan as both the countries have nuclear weapons.

International terrorism is the greatest threat to global peace and stability. Sushma Swaraj succinctly and effectively asked the international community to focus on those countries that nurture and use terrorism for promoting their security and foreign policy interests.

Without such state support, terrorists cannot remain the potent threat that they have become. The fact that Pakistan permits and protects, indeed encourages, UN designated terrorists such as Hafiz Saeed to work freely shows the inextricable linkage of the Pakistani state with terrorism.

Also read: Do We Have the Intent or Capability for Covert Ops Across the LoC?

Isolating Pakistan Would be Tough

India should call on the international community to take action against countries that does not take action against proclaimed terrorists. But should it seek their “isolation”? The policy of the great powers till now has been to engage them. It is unlikely that these countries will seek to “isolate” Pakistan in particular on account of their interests. It would be preferable, therefore, to call for effective international pressure on them so that they abandon their present approaches.

Also read: Shashi Tharoor: Despite Modi Rhetoric, Isolating Pakistan Not Easy

Raking Up Balochistan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had raised Balochistan at the national stage. It is good that the matter has been carried to the international level by Sushma Swaraj. Both Modi’s and Swaraj’s references were in the context of human rights. This cannot be construed as interfering in Pakistan’s internal affairs though it will lead to much greater international focus on Balochistan, which Pakistan wants to avoid.

Also read: To Pressure Pak, India’s Reaction to Uri Must Be Sober, Not Shrill

No Clarification on Bilateral Dialogue

Sushma Swaraj refuted Nawaz Sharif’s contention that India had imposed preconditions in the path of bilateral dialogue. She mentioned the initiatives taken personally by Modi and her, especially their visits to Pakistan. She said that Pakistan responded to these overtures through terrorist acts.

Interestingly, she did not repeat India’s position that there cannot be any dialogue unless terrorism ceases. That was left unsaid, perhaps because of the forum of the UNGA and also because of the steps Modi had taken in 2015 in the hope that Pakistani terrorism will end.

The Indian position on bilateral dialogue needs to be separately clarified though. There was also a tinge of the Indian leadership’s personal disappointment at Pakistan rebuffing the decisions they had made expending political capital.

There is now evidence that Modi is examining the basic premises of India’s Pakistan policy. His reported comment on the Indus Waters Treaty is another reminder of a firm stand. Sushma Swaraj’s speech indicates that India will do so as a responsible but firm global player.

(The writer is a former Secretary [West], Ministry of External Affairs. He can be reached at @VivekKatju. This is an opinion piece and the views expressed above are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.)

Also read: Sushma Hits Right Note at UNGA, But It Won’t Help Isolate Pak