Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “LoC to LAC” pitch has found an echo in the United States, with the Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden coming out in support of India against any threat from China and Pakistan.
Biden has offered fullthroated support to India against both of its neighbouring countries, Pakistan and China. If elected US President, the Biden administration “will work with India in the Indo-Pacific to ensure no country, including China, is able to threaten its neighbours with impunity, and will have no tolerance for cross-border terrorism in South Asia,” his campaign said in a policy document released on Saturday detailing bilateral relations with India and the welfare of Indian American.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is seeing this as a positive, much-needed and timely development “which strengthens India’s diplomatic mission” to put pressure on China as well as Pakistan. Both the nations were till the other day feeling happy and satisfied in view of Biden’s views on Kashmir. The US presidential candidate from Democratic Party, Biden’s strong message has sent the shivers down the spine of leaders in both the countries, say MEA sources. PM Modi’s “LoC to LAC” roar has already freaked both the countries out, though they are not coming out with any specific reaction just to downplay the Indian leader’s assertions, say MEA sources.
The MEA has got the feedback from its diplomatic sources in Pakistan and China, saying that leaders in both the nations are uneasy ever since PM Modi’s thundering statement from Red Fort followed by Biden’s strong support to New Delhi against Islamabad and Beijing. Officials believe that the Trump administration is also ready with a sterner message for Pakistan and China. US President Donald Trump has never beaten about the bush while launching attacks on Beijing over the South China Sea or trade malpractice and even the Galwan stand-off. But Trump has had a stick-and-carrot a p p r o a c h f o r Pakistan due obviously to certain strategic and diplomatic compulsions. Officials in touch with Capitol Hill sources told The Daily Guardian that Trump is happy that Modi sent out a strong message to Pakistan and China “sternly and unequivocally”. “LoC to LAC” phrase will go a long way to galvanise more global support against China and Pakistan over their mischiefs, says an officer quoting a US official.
In what ruffled Pakistan and China’s feathers, PM Modi during his Independence Day address, from Red Fort, said: “From LoC to LAC, whoever has raised eyes on the sovereignty of the country… the armed forces and the country have responded in the same language. Respect for India’s sovereignty is supreme for us. What our brave soldiers can do for this resolution, what the country can do, the world has been this in Ladakh.” He further said: “The country and Indian army have responded to belligerence on the borders in the language of the aggressor and Ladakh has demonstrated to the world the capability of Indian soldiers.”
Definitely the message was for China over the Galwan clashes and also for Pakistan whose state and nonstate actors are involved in cross-border terrorism. Ever since the Indian government withdrew special status to Jammu and Kashmir with the abrogation of Article 370, Pakistan and China have colluded more than before to create one trouble or the other. The global community received the message in right earnest after the PM’s candid statement from the Red Fort. The Indian diplomatic team was awaiting the world community to endorse what PM Modi had said vis-à-vis Pakistan and China. And nothing could have been more welcome, at this juncture, than Biden’s vision document endorsing PM Modi’s line against Beijing and Islamabad.
The MEA is expecting more countries like the UK, Germany, France, Japan, Russia and Australia to make statements on this line. Sources say the UAE officials present during the PM’s speech congratulated Indian counterparts for making strong statement against Pakistan. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is learnt to have spoken to Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla to ensure that the diplomatic team cashes in on the momentum which has been built globally after PM Modi’s I-Day speech.