Shashi Tharoor shares 4 reasons why Trump’s ceasefire post on India & Pak was ‘disappointing’
In a recent tweet, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor expressed his disappointment over US President Donald Trump’s post on a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. Tharoor, a renowned diplomat and politician, highlighted four reasons why Trump’s move was disappointing, sparking a heated debate on the implications of the tweet.
Trump’s tweet, which read “Working closely with India and Pakistan to reduce tensions and prevent a war. Both countries have been hit hard and have suffered greatly. Time for them to work together to resolve their differences. Can’t think of anything more stupid than war!” was met with mixed reactions from both sides of the border. While some hailed it as a step towards peace, others saw it as an over-simplification of the complex issue.
Tharoor, however, was not impressed. In a series of tweets, he shared his reasons for finding Trump’s post disappointing. According to him, the tweet implied a “false equivalence” between the victim and the perpetrator. “It is a gross error to equate the two countries’ roles in the conflict,” Tharoor tweeted. “Pakistan has been actively supporting cross-border terrorism, while India has been the victim of these attacks.”
Tharoor’s second reason for disappointment was that Trump’s tweet offered Pakistan a negotiating framework which it hasn’t earned. “Pakistan has not taken concrete steps to curb terrorism or dismantle its terrorist infrastructure,” he pointed out. “To offer it a negotiating framework without any tangible results is to reward bad behaviour.”
The Congress MP’s third reason for disappointment was that Trump’s tweet “internationalises” the Kashmir dispute. “The Kashmir issue is a bilateral dispute between India and Pakistan, and it should be resolved through bilateral negotiations,” Tharoor argued. “By bringing in international players, Trump’s tweet is an attempt to bypass the actual parties involved in the conflict.”
Tharoor’s final reason for disappointment was that Trump’s tweet “re-hyphenates” India and Pakistan. “India has been trying to move away from its strategic dependence on Pakistan, and Trump’s tweet is an attempt to pull it back into the same orbit,” he claimed. “This is detrimental to India’s interests and undermines its sovereignty.”
Tharoor’s tweets sparked a heated debate on social media, with many agreeing with his assessment of Trump’s tweet. Some argued that the tweet was an attempt to divide and rule, while others saw it as a step towards peace. However, Tharoor’s arguments are worth considering, particularly in the context of the complex issue at hand.
The Kashmir dispute has been a contentious issue for decades, with both sides refusing to budge. While Pakistan sees Kashmir as a disputed territory, India sees it as an integral part of its territory. The issue has led to several wars and skirmishes between the two countries, with the latest being the Pulwama attack in February 2019.
In the aftermath of the attack, tensions between India and Pakistan reached a boiling point, with both sides trading blows. The situation was defused only after India launched a surgical strike across the Line of Control (LoC) and Pakistan responded with its own strikes. However, the issue remains unresolved, with both sides refusing to back down.
In this context, Trump’s tweet is an attempt to intervene in a dispute that is best left to the parties involved. By offering a ceasefire and a negotiating framework, Trump is attempting to bypass the actual parties involved in the conflict and impose his own solution. This is problematic, as it ignores the complex history and dynamics of the issue.
Moreover, Trump’s tweet is an attempt to equate the victim and the perpetrator, which is a gross error. Pakistan has been actively supporting cross-border terrorism, while India has been the victim of these attacks. To equate the two is to ignore the reality of the situation and reward bad behaviour.
Tharoor’s arguments are worth considering, particularly in the context of the complex issue at hand. Trump’s tweet is an attempt to intervene in a dispute that is best left to the parties involved, and it ignores the complex history and dynamics of the issue. By offering a ceasefire and a negotiating framework, Trump is attempting to bypass the actual parties involved in the conflict and impose his own solution.
In conclusion, Tharoor’s tweet is a timely reminder of the need for caution and sensitivity when dealing with complex international issues. Trump’s tweet may have been intended as a step towards peace, but it is an attempt to impose a solution without understanding the complex dynamics of the issue. As Tharoor pointed out, the tweet implies a false equivalence, offers a negotiating framework without tangible results, internationalises the dispute, and re-hyphenates India and Pakistan. These are all reasons why Trump’s tweet is disappointing, and why it is important to approach the issue with sensitivity and nuance.
Source: https://x.com/shashitharoor/status/1921962732972302677
