American diplomats had different views on Kashmir during different periods of time. Initially, post 1947, Pakistan emerged as a close ally of US contrary to India and hence US did not do much to control Pakistan’s illegal entry into Kashmir. India was initially isolated on Kashmir issue and the world felt that India was taking a Muslim province from a Muslim country. It is to be reminded that Nehru was the one who took the Kashmir issue to UNO but to his disappointment, it backfired as US and Pakistan were close allies. Since then, India always stress on dealing Kashmir bilaterally and not on the UN platform and on the other hand Pakistan has always been trying to internationalise the kashmir issue. It is to be said that today the Americans view Kashmir in a different way. It has reduced its support for Pakistan (belief that it’s an exporter of terrorism) and wants to maintain the status quo. If possible, it would like to establish Line of Control as the de jure border between the two countries. But ,most probably both the countries would not accept this and also it would split the people of Kashmir eternally. UK’s Stand on Kashmir: Traditionally, the UK has supported Pakistan on the Kashmir front. This was largely because of the larger Mirpuri/Pakistani/Muslim South Asian diaspora (who became voting citizens), compared with numbers of Indian immigrants. To a lesser extent, this was also because Britain’s experience with Ireland made it feel India would be better off if it just let go off a smaller but distinct population as well. Initially, it was because of Cold War concerns (the strategic location of AJKGB) – in fact when Nehru took Kashmir to the UN, Britain as a P-5 member famously refused to acknowledge that the invaders were Pakistani Army regulars. But with time, UK’s harsh stance on Kashmir has been dissolved too and currently they favour Indian side of Arguments and this change of opinion can be attributed to many reasons and now it believes on complete resolution of this vexed issue. Russia’s Stance on Kashmir: Russia has always supported India on Kashmir directly or indirectly through several means even at international platforms. It is because of alliance that India and Russia share since last 7 decades. It is this mutual friendship that has helped getting leverage over Pakistan vis a vis Russia. UN’s Stance on Kashmir: The United Nations Security Council Resolution 47, adopted on April 21, 1948, concerns the resolution of the Kashmir Conflict. When after hearing arguments from both India and Pakistan, the Council increased the size of the Commission established by United Nations Security Council Resolution 39 to five members (with representatives of Argentina, Belgium, Columbia, Czechoslovakia and the United States, instructed the Commission to go to the subcontinent and help the governments of India and Pakistan restore peace and order to the region and prepare for a plebiscite to decide the fate of Kashmir. It has also Formed a body to look into the cases of ceasefire violations perpetrated by both sides of the border names as United Nations Military Observer Group For Indian and Pakistan. Following renewed hostilities of 1971, UNMOGIP has remained in the area to observe developments pertaining to the strict observance of the ceasefire of 17 December 1971 and report thereon to the Secretary-General.
Thus, it can be inferred that there is an ambiguous stand on Kashmir on the global scene. Many countries even after knowing the exact situation of Kashmir support Pakistan because of their strategic alliances which was manifested when Erdogan, Turkish President said to mediate in Kashmir issue. It can be held that there’s a strategic shift in the views of UK and US over this issue and Russia almost playing on the safe side.
UN is still governed by the ideas that it promulgated through its resolutions with a significant change in the attitudes of many western nations over this vexed contentious issue. It is now on the shoulders of India and Pak to go for mutual dialogues and end this fiasco asap.
