Manmohan at White House
The first state dinner that the US President, Mr Barack Obama, will host at the White House is for India’s Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Tuesday night. This is as far as diplomatic niceties go in respect of a country with which the United States may desire long-term convivial relations provided there are no side-edges being thrown up in any other sphere. No longer the hyperpower it once was, with two simultaneous wars and suffocating recession having taken their toll, the US is beholden to China for virtually underwriting its gargantuan debt. The evidence so far suggests that Washington also thinks it must steadfastly remain on the right side of Islamabad even if the Pakistani government and its military run circles around the Americans on the issue of fighting terrorism. These circumstances have appeared so far to frame the Obama administration’s thinking — and its dilemmas — in respect of its India interactions. The bilateral civil nuclear issue, which looked like a completed project under Mr Obama’s predecessor, appears to still need serious tweaking before an agreement on reprocessing procedures, said to be on the anvil, can be signed. As for India, long before a half-century of mistrust with America dissolved under President George W. Bush, there was already a healthy informal social relationship going, thanks in substantial measure to the Indian diaspora in the United States, and the soft power India exuded centring on its democracy and responsible international conduct. It will only now become clear if the momentum imparted to India-US ties under the Bush leadership was a one-off foray into the friendship lane or there exists a deeper mutual basis for the ties to be nurtured and reinforced. Dr Manmohan Singh is already in the US for his three-day engagement with Mr Obama in the course of which close to a dozen agreements are said to await signature. The personality of India’s discussions with the US in the coming days, and the prognosis for the medium term, will of course be guided by areas such as the economy, trade and finance. But if the political vibes are less than fulsome, a fly in the ointment is likely to remain. In Japan and Saudi Arabia recently, President Obama bowed deeply to please his hosts. His body language will no doubt be watched when he meets his Indian guest. The CIA director was in India on the eve of Dr Singh’s visit to the US. Presumably this points to greater cooperation in the technical aspects of counter-terrorism such as information-sharing, an area in which the two sides were already engaged. In India, greater focus is then likely to devolve on sealing the gap in the understanding on civil nuclear energy cooperation. Any further lingering of the issue is apt to raise questions here. Kashmir and Afghanistan are both related to Pakistan and terrorism directed against this country from its western neighbour. If the American side proves difficult to persuade that its Afghanistan policy is in no manner undercut by India’s dealings with Pakistan, political ties between New Delhi and Washington will remain in the incubator. Even if President Obama prefers to stay with the balancing act, people all round will watch for signals that he privileges the circle of democracies.
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US is very much aware of the perennial security issues India faces with Pakistan, the epientre of the terrorism in the world. No tactics of international politics and diplomacy can win the terrorists mushrooming from Pakistan soil when the terror kingpins are privileged to get security cover and even honoured by the political democracy which is under the mercy of joint consortiums of military and mafia.
India is committed to resolving its issues mainly on Kashmir through peaceful dialogue as per the Simla Agreement. The elimination of terrorism and positioning of strong electoral-political-democracy in Pakistan is very much mandatory to facilitate an effective interface with its leaders and arrive at resolution satisfactory to both sides. India should rightly explain that the situation does not warrant third–party role into this issue.
There is meaning and prudence when issues connected with terrorism or military sabotage that are happening in the region and threatening even nations around the world, serious human rights violations and atrocities against ethnic minorities find place in the joint statement. The US and China have no right for incorporating CBMs between India and Pakistan in the joint declaration mentioning that China has to play the role of a mediator……! Obama has never regretted this despotic attempt!
It will not be unknown to Obama that China cannot be expected to be unbiased over issues relating to India, particularly connected with Pakistan. How is it possible for China when it has assisted the closest ally for nuclear proliferation? China had even gifted 50kg of high grade uranium and nuclear design prototypes to Pakistan which was unknown to US?
How can anyone expect India with such threats from across the boundaries to sign NPT while two neighbours China and Pakistan have stockpiles of nuclear weapons? Unfortunately due to host of geographical and political reasons India is entangled in a host of adverse situations wherein not even a peace-loving simple villager will assent for his nation to be a signatory as a ‘non nuclear weapons state’ in the NPT. Any treaty will be acceptable only when a signatory nation feels like a beneficiary. Unquestionably India cannot afford to deprive itself of its security.
India is one of the countries that opted for the ‘No-first-use’ policy, though it has not signed NPT or CTBT. India has already declared a unilateral moratorium on testing nuclear weapons which is appreciated by a large majority of countries around the globe.
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Panel and also US have to understand that the very heartening initiatives of India demonstrably strengthen the India’s stand and this should not go unnoticed while reviewing the issue of non-proliferation.
Due to host of geographical and political reasons, of course known to the world, India is entangled in a host of adverse situations wherein not even a peace-loving simple villager will assent for his nation to be a signatory as a ‘non nuclear weapons state’ in NPT. Any Treaty will be acceptable only when a signatory nation feels like a beneficiary and served the purpose of a common interest. Unquestionably India cannot afford to deprive of its security.
Unfortunately, Pakistan never intensified actions against certain terrorist groups as the intelligence agencies even see them as their ‘future strategic assets’ against India! Recently there were news reports on the collaboration of the terror network in Afghanistan with local insurgent groups in Pakistan boarder and housing training camps which are grown conveniently smaller and more mobile. Reports on these camps captured news headlines in recent months as the US investigation Officers probed the accused New York terror suspect Najibullah Zazi. The Afghan expatriate reportedly flew to Pakistan in the last year and camped at Peshawar in the North-West frontier where he underwent training on weapons and explosives.
Currently, the terror-episode of plotters, David Coleman Headley, a US citizen and the Pakistan born Canadian Tahawwur Hussain Rana who were in Pakistan and India in various cities on different occasions when there was terror attacks at both countries, is revealing more conspiracies.
Obama will have to devote more time to keenly watch the atrocities and unfairness happening throughout the world and consolidate strength to identify solutions acceptable to all so as to display the power he gets by winning the Nobel!
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