Flavour Of The Month

The diplomatic war between India and Pakistan is hotting up in Washington just as the guns begin to boom louder across the LoC. Now, more than ever before, is the time to have Uncle Sam's ear, and his protection. In the game of notching up visits, Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee's visit to the US, due November 9, is being hailed as something of a coup by Indian diplomats.

But India might not yet win the kind of backing from Washington it is looking for. The US Congress has voted out the last remaining sanctions against Pakistan, with even promises of military aid to follow. Republican Congressman Henry Hyde, chairman of the House International Relations Committee, called it "an appropriate response to the emergency situation confronting our nation and to the difficulties facing Pakistan as it assists us to stabilise their region". Hyde also said that it could be possible to transfer military equipment to Pakistan.

There was little opposition to the move. Congressman Frank Pallone, a Democrat- elect from New Jersey with strong support from Indians in that area, expressed doubts about the new backing for Pakistan. If Pakistan is not directly supporting the action in Afghanistan, it should not be given military aid, he said. But Pallone, who heads the Congressional India caucus, was expected to say that. Few others shared that view.

Says Tom Lantos, a representative from California and the leading Democrat on the International Relations Committee, "It is vital that the US demonstrates to the Pakistani people and government our commitment to help them secure a better future." Outside the India caucus, the opinion seemed to weigh heavily in support of Pakistan. There was no sign of concern about terrorism aimed at India. Not surprisingly, the Americans were thinking of themselves, and making no secret of it. President Bush ordered aid to Pakistan, declaring that it is in the security interests of the US. A grant of $50 million was made to Pakistan last week.

"If India is waiting for a second phase in which the US goes after terrorists hitting Indian targets, it could be waiting forever," an Indian official said. He and others demonstrate their show of support to the Indian cause by citing the number of visits Indian leaders had made to the US, and also the warmth with which they were received. But outside of statements made after these meetings, there is almost no sign of concern among elected leaders in Washington, or in the media here, about India being a victim of terrorism, fomented and financed from across the border.

The warm words offered to Indians have been more than matched by the effusive support to Gen Musharraf from US leaders. The general's status as a military dictator who came to power in a coup, appointed himself president and then extended his term as army chief, is no longer the contentious issue. Those principles were valid before September 11, not now when the US needs Pakistan. More than what US leaders say, their silence is telling. "It's hardly likely that the US will turn against Pakistan after taking such support from them," the official said. "That would undermine American credibility for a long time to come and that is the last thing they would want." So the best Indian officials are hoping for now is a US stand that is supportive of Pakistan but not against India.

Vajpayee's visit is set to raise Indian concerns bluntly, Indian officials say. This comes after signs of strong pressure from leading members of the Indian cabinet that the government is being too soft on terrorism. Vajpayee is expected to tell Bush that there cannot be one set of standards for the US and Israel to act and another for India. Indian officials have begun to tell their American counterparts in recent days that India will not remain long in the role of suffering in the background. What is a sideshow to the Americans is central to India, they have been telling senior officials in the state department.

"The Americans are under no illusion about the fact that Pakistan has been training, funding and arming terrorists," the official says. But US leaders are expected to act against such groups only so far as they become a potential threat to US targets, he adds. Meanwhile, Indian officials are looking for teeth to back any agreement to fight terrorism. But they are nowhere near getting any. It remains to be seen whether Vajpayee's visit is able to raise issues that could end India's tiring role of waiting patiently on the sidelines.