Rahul Gandhi, currently on a trip to the US on his first foreign tour as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, lashed out at Pakistan for encouraging terrorism on Indian soil.  During an event organized in Washington DC, Gandhi said, ‘Pakistan’s interference in terrorism is the significant cause which hinders efforts towards improvement of relations between both neighboring countries.’

Pakistan’s Role In Instigating Terrorism

Addressing the rally, Rahul Gandhi said, ‘The terrorism in our country encouraged by Pakistan is holding back the progress between India and Pakistan. We will not accept Pakistan’s involvement in terrorism within our country. Until they stop doing this, there will be ongoing problems.’

Gandhi’s statement is being linked to a key meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization that is scheduled for next month in Islamabad. It will be a meeting of the Heads of Government Meeting of the SCO, for which Pakistan has issued a formal invitation to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It will discuss regional cooperation and related issues with the participation of leaders from several countries.

Modi’s Past Visit To Pakistan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the only Indian prime minister who visited Pakistan. In December 2015 Modi made an unscheduled stop in Lahore, where he met Pakistan’s then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Modi was on his way back from visits to Russia and Afghanistan when he decided he would make a stop in Pakistan to meet Sharif. At the time, that move was seen as an attempt to ease relations between the two countries.

However, relations between India and Pakistan have been cold since the Pulwama terrorist attack in 2019 against Indian soldiers. In response, India withdrew the ‘Most Favoured Nation’ status accorded to Pakistan. The situation worsened further, with almost a declared war, which was the first major military stand-off between the two nuclear neighbours since the Kargil conflict in 1999.

Tensions Over Article 370

The next important bone of disagreement between India and Pakistan occurred in August 2019 when India abrogated Article 370, which accorded special status to the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. The region is an eternal bone of contention between the two countries, and its decision brought forth serious protests from Pakistan against India.

Jammu and Kashmir is a Union Territory of India, but Pakistan has claimed the same as their irrespective of facts. The abrogation of Article 370 was seen as a bold step in ensuring the complete integration of Jammu and Kashmir with the mainstream by the government of India, while the move further antagonized relations with Pakistan.

Rahul Gandhi Slams Government Over Dealing With China

Of course, besides his remarks on Pakistan, Rahul Gandhi had expressed his misgivings with China over the border tensions. Criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s handling of the issue relating to the India-China border, in a speech at the National Press Club in Washington DC, he said that the prime minister did not firmly handle the presence of Chinese troops in Indian territory.

If having Chinese troops in 4,000 square kilometers of our land is a way of handling something well, then perhaps we have Chinese soldiers occupying an area the size of Delhi in Ladakh. I think that is a disaster,’ Gandhi said.

India-China Border Issue

The remarks by Mr. Gandhi were related to the currently disputed borderline territory between India and China, as the latter reportedly occupies big areas of the LAC area of Ladakh. The LAC is a disputed border between the two countries; clashes between Indian and Chinese soldiers have been going on for the last couple of years.

Gandhi asked how the United States would feel if a neighbor occupied as much territory as China had occupied. He denounced the attitude of the Indian government before this issue: ‘How would America respond if a neighbor occupied 4,000 square kilometers of your land? Would any president be able to say that he’s handled it well? I don’t think PM Modi has handled China well at all. There is no reason why Chinese troops should be sitting on our land.’

Coverage Of The India-China Issue

This was also pointed out by Gandhi during his speech-the India-China border issue sees very little light of day as far as media coverage is concerned. He seemed to show his disappointment at the fact that the media does not write on such issues and situations as grave as having Chinese troops sitting on Indian land, and ends up hardly getting any press coverage.

Two immediate challenges in India’s foreign relations come out from Gandhi’s utterances on Pakistan and China. His trip to the United States becomes significant in the context of sharing his views on these two issues before an international audience.

The comments by Rahul Gandhi on his tour of the US brought up debates on the relations of India, both with Pakistan and China. The criticism of Pakistan for its support of terrorism and his concern about the conflict at the border between India and China reflect the ongoing challenges in India’s foreign policy. With the meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, or SCO, impending, the world will be watching how India and Pakistan navigate their tense relationship, with tensions on the border with China still an issue at hand.