The designation of the Hizbul Mujahideen supremo Syed Salahuddin as the global terrorist by US has come as a severe disappointment in Kashmir. Though, it was expected that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the US President Donald Trump will hit it off considering the growing convergence in the interests of the two countries, nobody expected Salahuddin to be declared a terrorist. Traditionally, the US has backed the resolution of Kashmir according to the wishes of its people, a policy that presupposes Kashmir as a political dispute that needs settlement. This policy, as is clear, is closer to the position of Pakistan on the state than that of India. The US has also time and again called for dialogue between India and Pakistan to resolve the issue, even expressing its desire to mediate should the two countries seek its involvement. But as Salahuddins branding as a terrorist underlines, Washington may be slowly moving away from its longstanding Kashmir policy and bringing it closer if not aligning it with the wishes of New Delhi.
It is important for the US to please India due to the latters growing geo-political profile as an international and regional player. America desperately needs to enlist India as an ally given its need to check the impending rise of China as a global power and a US rival on the world stage. China throws down gauntlet to US dominance of world affairs that is not only military and economic in nature but also ideological. China offers the world a system of national and international governance that is fundamentally opposed to the US-led order. This makes India, the worlds largest democracy, critically important to US. This bolsters US-led international order.
This makes for a compulsive strategic rationale for US-India closeness. There is an equally compelling transactional rationale too. India offers a vast market to US economy, so vital for the job creation in US. And this is something that US has made no bones about in the joint press statement where the President Trump has sought access to the Indian market. And in this high stakes game, Kashmir doesnt matter. The problem in the state is only used as a pawn by the big powers to extract benefits for them. So, declaring Salahuddin as a terrorist is a symbolic gesture to build more confidence in US-India relations. And it certainly will.
But it wont change much on the ground in Kashmir. Things will continue as they have On the contrary, US by designating Salahuddin as a global terrorist may have only added to the size of the problem, complicating it further. And that too at a time when the geo-politics in South Asia is in a state of flux and new alignments are fast replacing the old order. It will, however, make some difference vis-à-vis the reputation of Kashmir struggle though. This is why an introspection in Kashmir is called for. The pro-active steps need to be taken that protect the image of Kashmir in the worlds eyes.
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