What is most disconcerting is that the Indian government has begun echoing the Obama administration's rhetoric. A pattern is emerging: New Delhi's mood changes, its pauses of silence and its cadence of articulation on the Arab revolt bear an uncanny resemblance to the twists and turns, ambivalences and ambiguities and the agony and ecstasy of Mr. Obama's rhetoric. It took our thoughtful External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna no time to repudiate Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's position that we are not in the business of teaching others the ABC of democracy. Who overruled Dr. Singh? Who encouraged Mr. Krishna?
Therefore, the decision to dispatch two warships to the Mediterranean merits watch. (Now it transpires that the Navy's fleet replenishment tanker also has been sent.) Pray, if evacuation of Indian nationals is an urgent priority, why not charter more aircraft or commercial ships that constantly ply the Mediterranean? That was what China did. As of Monday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said it evacuated to safety 29,000 nationals from Libya. That is 11,000 more than the entire Indian community in Libya. What is happening? We're “twittering” and twiddling our thumbs waiting for our two warships and the fleet replenishment tanker in tow to reach Libya's coast, hopefully by mid-March. Let us hope Mr. Qadhafi will somehow cling on to power until then so that our warships can do some “rescue” act.
It seems Mr. Qadhafi's bestiality provided on a platter a great opportunity to test the “interoperability” of our warships with NATO. Such an enterprise fits into the U.S.-Indian strategic narrative on the security of the “global commons.” Coincidence or not, the western alliance has mentioned partnership with India as one of its three key global priorities in 2011. The U.S. has all along been encouraging India to develop a partnership programme with NATO. Indeed, NATO has kept up subsoil contacts with the Indian defence and foreign policy establishments in the recent years, but these were low-key, given India's traditional aversion to any entanglements with military alliances. The Libyan situation offers the pretext for displaying and stimulating the NATO-Indian partnership. An operation with NATO is precisely the sort of “leap of faith” the U.S. has been demanding from India. Without doubt, this complex shadow play becomes part of India's baptism in order to push its bid for permanent membership of the Security Council. The Indian leadership owes some decent explanation to the public before jettisoning lock, stock and barrel the cornerstones of this country's post-independent foreign policy.
It stands to reason that our government has taken a deliberate, considered decision at the highest level to vote for the U.S.- sponsored Security Council resolution. A precedent of grave proportions for international security is taking shape, which is what the western move on Libya is all about, and New Delhi seems unwilling to explain its role in it. This opaqueness or dissimulation is shocking, to say the least. Why not openly and categorically affirm that having voted for the U.S.-led resolution, India doesn't intend to be associated in any way further with any “humanitarian intervention” or what not? It is a rather straightforward thing to say. If the western intervention in Afghanistan and Iraq holds any moral it is that these modern-day crusades in Muslim countries by western armies can only bring grief and lead to unspeakable tragedies. And India should stay worlds away from these blood-soaked enterprises. On Mr. Qadhafi's crackdown, India has not minced words and, in fact, has used harsh language, which is the right thing to do.
Allying with US is like being a cow tied to a bean pole
For all those who think we should join USA in alliance. ask any of the fellow allies of US and you can find a lot of bullying. Allying with US is like being a cow tied to a bean pole. You are very free within a region and not allowed after that. Don't believe me - read this http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/obama-india-should-have-permanent-seat-un-security-council_515223.html. 'Weekly standard and heritage' are the bastion of the conservatives/republicans/GOP- bush's party. In the above link UK should be substituted as lackey. example. the nuclear installations of UK were shared with Russia without even asking UK and UK couldn't even protest. source wikileaks.
The West is blood stained...
I fully agree with the writer. It touches everything and leaves the reader with his own decission. He is fair in pointing out western rhetoric against Libya. The same Mr. Obama did not wail when Mubarak was punishing the protesters in Egypt. His long silence on the issue is deplorable. To all who said the article to be anti-US and anti-West need to learn more about the crimes done by US and NATO. Iraq was destroyed and the entire population was plunged into misery, death and destruction. Not hundred but thousands were killed by US and its allies. Same is the case with Afghanistan. All 63 killed in Kunar are the victims of opression and greed. Every regime in West and every partner of NATO is having blood of innocents. The last thing which is the essence that India has started itself aligning with the US is the fact nothing else. Growing interest of US in India and increasing cooperation of India with US are the manifestations of the same. But this seriously undermines our Non Align Movement role. We are steadily but surely moving ourselves towards imperial states which bothers me a lot.
A comment by Habib in The Hindu. More Here.
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