Are the MEA's worst nightmares about Obama coming true? So it would seem, judging by the recent visit of US under secretary of state for political affairs William Burns and his remarks on Kashmir ("Any resolution of Kashmir has to take into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people") and Pakistan that have predictably raised hackles in New Delhi.
Tavleen Singh asks in the Indian Express:
Why did nobody ask Under Secretary William Burns if his country would be persuaded to have a ‘dialogue’ with Pakistan if Osama bin Laden were similarly arrested and released?
...As someone who thought Barack Obama really was ‘the one’, I find myself increasingly disillusioned by his South Asia policy. Is he so naïve that he believes Islamist terrorism can be fought selectively? How is it possible to fight the Taliban in Swat and Waziristan while continuing to support the Lashkar brand of jihad in Lahore and Karachi?
MJ Akbar continues with the same thread in the TOI:
If America wants a DMZ (De-Militarized Zone) in India they will first have to ensure a DTZ (De-Terrorised Zone) in Pakistan....
... There is great danger in this "soft border" thesis. How can you have a "soft border" unless both sides recognize it as a border? Moreover, what does the phrase "mutual overwatch" mean? Both would dilute symbols of Indian sovereignty in Kashmir.
