Human rights blip on deepening Indo-US ties during Blinken visit

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 25

The Foreign Office has responded testily to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s plan to discuss the human rights situation in India during his visit on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Quad engagement key focus

• Discussions on deepening the Quad engagement will be a key focus area of his talks and he could announce another meeting of Quad Foreign Ministers later this year
• This will be Antony Blinken’s first visit after assuming office and reciprocates the visit by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to the US in May. The two leaders had also met on the sidelines of the G7 and G20 meetings.

Though State Department officials kept the human rights issue under the carpet during a briefing on Blinken’s upcoming tour to Kuwait and India, a pointed question by journalist Tracy Wilkinson compelled Acting Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Dean Thompson to admit that, “we will raise it” (human rights and democracy).

Sources here kept their response on human rights low-key. But they left no doubt that if the US raised issues relating to human rights, it would get a response. Talking diplomatically, sources here said, “issues such as human rights and democracy are universal and extend beyond a particular national or cultural perspective”. “India is proud of its achievements in both domains and is always glad to share experiences,” they added.

In a pointed reference to the past of some western democracies that are now using human rights as a tool in diplomacy, the sources said, “As a long-standing pluralistic society, India is open to engaging those who now recognise the value of diversity.”

But for these brief sparks, Blinken’s visit marks an increased tempo of high-level interactions. Discussions on deepening the Quad engagement will be a key focus area of his talks and he could announce another meeting of Quad Foreign Ministers later this year.

This will be Blinken’s first visit after assuming office and reciprocates the visit by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to the US in May. The two leaders had also met on the sidelines of the G7 and G20 meetings.

With thousands of students waiting to rejoin courses in the US, the sources said India would press for gradual resumption of international travel, while maintaining health protocols. While tourists can wait, the MEA would especially press for easing mobility curbs for five broad categories — students, professionals, business travellers, family reunions and humanitarian cases.

Binken in his talks will cover sale of defence equipment and transfer of defence technologies but these will be covered in greater detail during the fourth 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in the US later this year.

Talks on the security situation will cover the all important Af-Pak region. The implications of withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan, and the need for sustained pressure on Pakistan on terror financing and terror havens, will be part of the agenda. The sides will exchange their assessments about the Indo-Pacific region, economic slowdown and the latest developments in West Asia and Central Asia.