New Delhi: At a time when incorrect India maps are surfacing everywhere, from search engines to company brochures, here is a reality check for India’s strategic community: the official website of the US department of state, which handles foreign relations, shows PoK as part of Pakistan, notwithstanding India’s claim over the region.
Under its A-Z list of countries, the website (www.state.gov), which has the catch line ‘Diplomacy in Action’, carries profiles and maps of all countries with which the US has diplomatic relations. In the case of India, however, the map differs from the official Indian map in that it completely ignores India’s claim over Pakistan-occupied Kashmir by not even acknowledging its disputed status. In the case of Aksai Chin in the north, which shares a boundary with China and is currently occupied by Beijing, the map carries a pointer which does mention ‘Indian claim’. It’s only in the case of PoK that its disputed status and India’s position is ignored.
“It shows a distinct pro-Pakistan cartographic tilt that is inconsistent with the UN projection of the entire PoK (including Gilgit-Baltistan) as disputed,” strategic affairs expert Brahma Chellaney said.
Former chief of joint intelligence committee and security expert S D Pradhan said the US needs to be careful about Indian sensitivities, particularly at a time when the two countries are working as strategic partners. “These maps do not reflect PoKeither as a disputed area or as Indian territory and it’s important that these inaccuracies are brought to the notice of people. This also reflects US’s soft policy towards Pakistan despite their knowledge that the Pakistani army and ISI are maintaining close links with terrorists and Taliban,” Pradhan said.
In the map of Pakistan on the same website, PoK is shown ensconced in Pakistan with nothing to suggest its disputed status.
India has in the past faced the same kind of misrepresentation with organizations such as Google but this is probably the first time such an inaccuracy has come to light on a US government website. The common practice now among international news portals, such as BBC, is to refer to the two sides of LoC as India-controlled Kashmir and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.
In fact, in the recent past, most such cases of faulty Indian maps were reported from India’s eastern border where Arunachal Pradesh was shown as part of China by private companies.
Under its A-Z list of countries, the website (www.state.gov), which has the catch line ‘Diplomacy in Action’, carries profiles and maps of all countries with which the US has diplomatic relations. In the case of India, however, the map differs from the official Indian map in that it completely ignores India’s claim over Pakistan-occupied Kashmir by not even acknowledging its disputed status. In the case of Aksai Chin in the north, which shares a boundary with China and is currently occupied by Beijing, the map carries a pointer which does mention ‘Indian claim’. It’s only in the case of PoK that its disputed status and India’s position is ignored.
“It shows a distinct pro-Pakistan cartographic tilt that is inconsistent with the UN projection of the entire PoK (including Gilgit-Baltistan) as disputed,” strategic affairs expert Brahma Chellaney said.
Former chief of joint intelligence committee and security expert S D Pradhan said the US needs to be careful about Indian sensitivities, particularly at a time when the two countries are working as strategic partners. “These maps do not reflect PoKeither as a disputed area or as Indian territory and it’s important that these inaccuracies are brought to the notice of people. This also reflects US’s soft policy towards Pakistan despite their knowledge that the Pakistani army and ISI are maintaining close links with terrorists and Taliban,” Pradhan said.
In the map of Pakistan on the same website, PoK is shown ensconced in Pakistan with nothing to suggest its disputed status.
India has in the past faced the same kind of misrepresentation with organizations such as Google but this is probably the first time such an inaccuracy has come to light on a US government website. The common practice now among international news portals, such as BBC, is to refer to the two sides of LoC as India-controlled Kashmir and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.
In fact, in the recent past, most such cases of faulty Indian maps were reported from India’s eastern border where Arunachal Pradesh was shown as part of China by private companies.
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