Shashi Tharoor Shares 4 Reasons Why Trump’s Ceasefire Post on India & Pak was ‘Disappointing’
US President Donald Trump’s recent tweet calling for a ceasefire between India and Pakistan has been met with criticism from various quarters, including Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. In a series of tweets, Tharoor shared his disappointment with Trump’s post, citing four reasons why it is so. In this blog post, we will delve into the reasons why Tharoor finds Trump’s tweet “disappointing” and what implications it may have on the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan.
Firstly, Tharoor argued that Trump’s tweet implies a “false equivalence” between the victim and the perpetrator. In the context of the current tensions between India and Pakistan, this means that Trump is equating the brutal actions of the Pakistani military and terrorists with the legitimate actions of the Indian military in self-defense. This is a grossly unfair and misleading portrayal of the situation, and it undermines the credibility of the US President.
Secondly, Tharoor claimed that Trump’s tweet offers Pakistan a negotiating framework which it hasn’t earned. Pakistan has a long history of sponsoring terrorism and supporting militant groups that target India, and it has not taken concrete steps to address these concerns. By offering Pakistan a negotiating framework, Trump is essentially giving the country a free pass to continue its aggressive behavior, which is unacceptable.
Thirdly, Tharoor argued that Trump’s tweet “internationalises” the Kashmir dispute, which is a domestic issue between India and Pakistan. The Kashmir issue is a sensitive topic that has been a source of tension between the two countries for decades, and it is not the business of other nations to intervene. By involving himself in the issue, Trump is essentially taking sides and undermining India’s sovereignty.
Finally, Tharoor claimed that Trump’s tweet “re-hyphenates” India and Pakistan, which means that it implies that the two countries are still linked in a way that they are not. In the past, the US has often referred to India and Pakistan as being “two nations” that are “one people”, which has been a source of tension between the two countries. By re-hyphenating them, Trump is essentially taking a step backwards and undermining the progress that India has made in establishing its sovereignty and independence.
In conclusion, Trump’s tweet calling for a ceasefire between India and Pakistan is “disappointing” for several reasons. It implies a false equivalence between the victim and the perpetrator, offers Pakistan a negotiating framework which it hasn’t earned, internationalises the Kashmir dispute, and re-hyphenates India and Pakistan. As Tharoor pointed out, these are all unacceptable consequences of Trump’s tweet, and they undermine the credibility of the US President.
Source: https://x.com/shashitharoor/status/1921962732972302677
