“Indo-US Civil Nuclear Cooperation and Burma: Beyond Technicalities” (Part-I)

(Burma Review welcomes the overwhelming approval of Indo-US Civil Nuclear Cooperation by the honorable members of the US Senate as well as earlier by the US House of Representative members without putting any clause (for which Indian Political groups- BJP, BSP, Communist Party-CPI, CPM, Forward Bloc, RSP lying to the nation since last two-three years), which hampers the natural urge of confluence between two great democracies to solve world problem including the early release of Nobel Laureate - Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma, who believes in Gandhian principles of non-violence from illegal house arrest and other political prisoners against international law and UN Human Rights Charter. Burma Review is thankful to the all eighty six US Senators, who voted for the deal belonging to Democratic and Republican Party, both the US Presidential candidate – Mr. Obama and Mr. McCain and especially US President George W. Bush, US Secretary of State – Ms. Condoleezza Rice and her diplomatic staffs for their vision to see Indo-US relations in larger perspective, which had unfortunately succumbed to the Cold War Politics after the second world-war. I wrote to see the nuke deal beyond technicalities, because you need technicalities, when you don’t trust each other, which is not in the case of Indo-US relations, where two democracies has to forge lasting relationship as we believe in one democratic principles.

Burma Review is also thankful to the visionary leadership of Indian National Congress President – Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, Indian Prime Minister – Dr. Manmohan Singh and senior members of Indian Diplomatic Core, including Indian Ambassador to US - Mr. Ronen Sen for their efforts in realizing the nuclear civilian cooperation with United States & France and starting a journey of fulfilling Indian needs of clean energy technology without any clause of inspection of military nuclear facilities.)

The quest for Indian journey to secure respectful place in world’s nuclear club is a long history and I don’t want to dwell upon those themes and the ordeals of thirty-four years of nuclear apartheid, which was more a result of cold war politics. However, in brief, world has not to fear for India becoming a nuclear weapon state as Indian Civilization and Culture rests in “Vashudaib Kutumbkham” or world brotherliness and Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of “Ahimsa” or “non-violence”, which rests on truth, love and soul force. I think, sooner or later, Indian Foreign Policy establishment has to take strong measures to seek release of Nobel laureate – Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners in Burma as committed officially on many occasions within Indian Parliament and outside at International Platforms.

The civilian nuke deal was correctly described by the US Secretary of State- Ms. Condoleezza Rice as – “a strong bipartisan support and landmark event”, thus historic in forging strong Indo-US relations for the new young generations of Indian and American people, who believes in individual freedom, liberal democracy & the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King and dissents with the state dictatorship in the post-cold war scenario. Timing of message of the approval of the civilian nuke deal was equally historical falling into the 139^th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and 108 birth anniversary of Indian’s legendary former Prime Minister – Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri besides the holy third day of “Navratra” Durga Puja of Hinduism and auspicious day of Muslim festivities of Eid, which symbolizes ethos against Islamic terrorism.

Those who oppose (Left, BJP, BSP, RSP, and Forward Bloc) the close cooperation between India and the United States should not forget the other side of history beyond cold war, that, United States was among early nations a day before on 14^th of August 1947 to congratulate Indian Prime Minister designate – Mr. Jawaharlal Nehru on Indian Independence and I quote the then US President – Mr. Harry Truman’s telegram to Lord Louis Mountbatten to be delivered to Shri Nehru – “On this memorable occasion, I extend to you, to Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, and to the people of the Dominion of India the sincere best wishes of the Government and the people of the United States of America. We welcome India’s new and enhanced status in the world community of sovereign independent nations…In the years to come the people of this great new nation will find the United States a constant friend. I earnestly hope that our friendship will in the future, as in the past, continue to be expressed in close and fruitful cooperation in intellectual cooperation in international undertakings and in cordially in our relations one with the other,” unquote. For India’s First Prime Minister – Jawaharlal Nehru, relations between the India and United States, the two Republics are – “a common faith in democratic institutions and the democratic way of life.”♣ But the philosophy of “common faith” got derailed with the fierce rivalry of two blocs during cold war, and many mistook Mr. Nehru as an Asian leader more inclined to communism, however, which was far from reality.

Reference:

♣ A Common Faith: 40 Years of Indo-US Cooperation (1947-1987, Published by Prentice-Hall of India Private Ltd, New Delhi, 1988.

(Continued…)

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