The TOI correspondent from Washington: In a transfer mixing financial diplomacy with strategic signaling, the Trump administration on Friday launched a map of India depicting all the Jammu and Kashmir area, together with Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), and Aksai Chin as integral elements of Indian territory. The graphic, shared by the USA Commerce Consultant (USTR) on X, accompanied the announcement of a framework for an interim commerce settlement between the US and India.The map’s significance lies in its departure from historic US practices, which regularly marked PoK and Aksai Chin as disputed. Analysts view this as a deliberate geopolitical nod to India’s claims, irking Pakistan and China amid sketchy US relations with each. It additionally indicators the return of strategic assist for India as a counterweight within the Indo-Pacific – a coverage that briefly appeared to have been eclipsed – particularly after latest Saudi-Pakistan pacts and US geo-political outreach in the direction of Beijing on a G-2 axis regardless of a ferocious commerce struggle.
The discharge of the map, described by some as “cartographic diplomacy,” marks a definitive finish to many years of US “neutrality” within the area’s unstable borders. Explicitly aligning the US authorities’s official depiction with India’s territorial claims, the Trump administration might have successfully signaled that India is not only a “associate,” however the main regional anchor for American pursuits in Asia. By validating India’s borders whereas concurrently demanding a cessation of Russian oil imports, Washington additionally seems to be demonstrating that its assist is absolute—offered the alignment is reciprocal.Analysts recommend the map was a key, albeit silent, part of the “Grand Discount” struck between President Trump and PM Modi. Whereas the general public focus stays on the discount of tariffs from 50% to 18% and India’s $500 billion “Purchase American” pledge, the territorial validation offers New Delhi with a major diplomatic victory that transcends commerce balances. “Full marks to the US for the map. Effectively performed,” famous protection analyst Main Gaurav Arya, celebrating the departure from the US stand exhibiting PoK as a part of Pakistan.In India, the hashtag #AkhandBharat trended briefly as nationalist supporters hailed the transfer as world recognition of India’s integrity. Conversely, Pakistani social media customers expressed deep concern, with many viewing the map as a betrayal of long-standing diplomatic protocols.
