Even if it was not a
masterpiece, Sushma Swaraj sure dealt a body-blow to the blabbering of Nawaz
Sharif and other Pakistani leaders and officials. While her speech was eagerly
awaited after Nawaz Sharif's pathetic show on September 21 in UNGA where he churned
out falsities after falsities about India and Kashmir for 8 minutes during his
address of 19 minutes, Sushma's was a balances, well-drafted reply that again
showed the world community why Pakistan should not be trusted.
As expected, no one in India
and the world community has taken Sharif seriously and he has been criticised
even back home in Pakistan for not raising 'India interfering in Balochistan'
issue. We all know why Sharif did not raise it - simply for the fear of global
attention that the issue would get - if it becomes an India-Pakistan war of
words on a UN platform. But, then at the same time, we should not be in two
minds on whether it will help Pakistan. With India's emphasis and Pakistan's
long record of human rights abuses in Balochistan to crush the decades old freedom
movement of its native people, it is going to get increased traction.
Sushma's UNGA speech that won
wide praise was well balanced in content, addressing themes of this General
Assembly session (sustainable development goals), as well as hitting back at
Pakistan for its duplicity and terror streak.
But two things stand apart -
that also show how India is going to conduct its diplomacy and how it going to
speak its mind in future.
THE KASHMIR ADMISSION
When Sushma Swaraj said that
those who have glass houses should not throw stones on others, she was making an
honest statement and was issuing a stern warning.
We all accept that Kashmir is
going through a bad phase. Even our prime minister has accepted it and the
Indian establishment is sincere to make things normal even if it is all because
of Pakistan sponsored terrorism and separatism. We in India know where we erred
and we accept it. To India's credit, Kashmir unrest has seen a raging national
debate and everyone has spoken his mind, including the so-called separatists.
When we can do so here, why
not across the world? It will, in fact, help India in building a water tight
case against Pakistan. Sushma's speech had this admission that day that the
situation in Kashmir is bad. Its global admission will put the root-cause of it
in the limelight. The admission also conveys a sincere intent to correct any
wrong on the Indian part.
At the same time, she also
said that Pakistan has many weak points and if India starts speaking for them
or if starts supporting the separatist voices like Baloch or Sindhi, Pakistan
will find it hard to control.
It is a bold move.
THE KASHMIR ASSERTION
The other thing that is
remarkable about Sushma Swaraj's speech is that it made it clear before the
world that the whole Kashmir is an integral part of India and Pakistan can
never take it, even if it wages a war for it.
Now we all know the positions
here.
The whole Kashmir, including
Jammu & Kashmir, Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, are integral
part of India and Pakistan is in illegal occupation of PoK and
Gilgit-Baltistan.
Pakistan says India is forcefully
occupying the Kashmir Valley while its people want freedom from India.
The issue is still on UN
Security Council agenda. Kashmir is seen globally as one of the crisis hotbeds
that can become a threat for regional peace.
But the whole world
community, barring few, now advocates that it is a bilateral issue and
India-Pakistan should resolve it accordingly.
Sushma Swaraj, through her
speech, has now made it very clear that it is India's position that is now
going to matter.
A BOLD PERSPECTIVE IN
DIPLOMACY
These two points, admission
and assertion about Kashmir, might prove a milestone in India's diplomacy.
Sushma spoke with authority on Kashmir like a global power speaks and others
listen. Even if dragged by many problems including poverty, illiteracy and disparity,
India is now major global power - in economy, in military and in space.
India is now seen in the
front league nations and its policies should be accordingly including
diplomacy. And Sushma's bold UNGA speech this time can be the beginning.
If India is a global power,
it should exude confidence and authority and should command respect. Yes,
nothing comes for free, especially in the realpolitik of geopolitics that is propelled
by selfish motives. And India knows what it has - the largest middle class of
the world.
India is projected to have
the largest middle class in some years. Middle class is the main consumer of
marketing forces and therefore is its pivot. So this market will be dear for
companies from across the world, including India's traditional opponent China. No
one can ignore it.
India needs to assert herself
on global platforms and a diplomacy aligned on these lines is the first step
towards it.
©SantoshChaubey