INDIA-US PARTNERSHIP: MOMENTARY RIPPLE, NOT FUNDAMENTAL RUPTURE

Trump deviated from the established understanding of India's strategic significance in US foreign policy. He needs to be briefed better and the two sides need to communicate clearer

- SHASHI THAROOR

Few things reflect the changing contours of Indo-Pak diplomacy better than the extraordinary tweets of President Donald Trump claiming credit for "mediating" a ceasefire between India and Pakistan in the conflict that had erupted with Indian reprisals, starting May 7, for the terrorist outrage in Pahalgam on April 22.

The tensions between India and Pakistan have long been a focal point in South Asian geopolitics. While Pakistani apologists have attempted to frame India's actions as aggressive, India's position is fundamentally defensive: as a status quo power that prefers to focus on its own growth and development in peace, India does not seek conflict, but is compelled to respond to persistent cross-border terrorism.

Through careful diplomatic and strategic decisions, India responded to the Pahalgam attack in a calibrated manner, targeting terrorist bases rather than civilian areas, doing so at night to minimize collateral damage to civilians, and avoiding all Pakistani government and military installations. The signal was clear: India's operations are not offensive in nature, but precise responses to terrorist activities originating from Pakistan. They were portrayed from the start as a one-off retaliation rather than the opening salvo in a protracted war. This distinction is crucial in establishing India's intent—defence, rather than escalation.