The narrative of an ‘American hand’ in political unrest in South Asia sells, even as the root cause of instability often lie with its own politicians
The United States of America did not have a significant role in the run-up to the independence of the Indian subcontinent from the British Raj. Indeed, the Gadar Party started as a San Francisco-based anti-colonial organization, as did the New York-based India Home Rule League founded by Lala Lajpat Rai, but the Government of the USA had remained largely oblivious of the subcontinental developments. It was only in the post-World War 2 tensions between the competing ‘blocs’, when the Cold War started in earnest, that the USA went into overdrive to control the subcontinental narrative.To further its interest, the USA had backed military dictators in Pakistan, and undemocratic monarchies in Afghanistan and Nepal, while remaining decidedly hostile towards India.
Washington DC tellingly overlooked the genocidal conduct of the Pakistani Generals in what later became, Bangladesh. Americans were instrumental in harnessing toxic religiosity by creating the Afghan mujahedeen, the curse of which continues to this date. Pakistan was a ‘Major Non-NATO Ally’ and did most of its bidding in the region. The end of the Cold War with the implosion of the Soviet Union in the early 90s coincided with the rise of China as the new principal enemy. This led to a recalibration of allies and enemies, which eventually warranted a more pro-India outlook from Washington DC, even though an unnatural alliance with Pakistan persisted owing to the necessities of Afghanistan and tackling religio-terror.