Indo-US Civil Nuclear Cooperation and Burma: A Meeting of ‘Common Faith’ (Part-I)

Burma Review welcomes the signing of historic India-US Civil Nuclear 123 agreement on 10th of October 2008 by the Indian External Affairs Minister – Mr. Pranab Mukerjee and US Secretary of State – Ms. Condoleezza Rice and the words of US President – George W. Bush which recognizes that, “India and US are the natural partners” (1), visualizing the India-US civil nuclear cooperation beyond technicalities for heralding a new journey of common faith based on mutual trusts and equal partnership for establishing individual freedom of opinion and safe democratic world. Moreover, in future these developments would have positive impacts on Burma’s democratic political crisis and in realizing the freedom of Nobel laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi against international law despite many official resolutions of UN & ASEAN.




The agreement of India-US cooperation through 123 agenda is more than the 'deal’ and a meeting of common faith of democracy, which has been often described in the media as a ‘deal’ and sometimes in official statements (including myself falling to this phrase in previous posts). I feel that, the first perception of word ‘deal’ has negative connotation in Asian civilization and more giving the sense of ‘secretiveness’ in bilateral relations creating unfounded doubts, which is not reflected in this agreement. India and United States new journey of cooperation through this agreement establishes a solid foundation of strategic partnership for the new generation of American and Indian people in the fast changing world of technology and globalization. And negating it would be obstructing natural confluence of two great nations striving for a common objective of freedom from fear against regimented closed ideology.



The credit obviously goes to the political leadership of Indian Prime Minister - Dr. Manmohan Singh and the ruling Congress Party including the Indian External Affairs Minister – Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, India’s handsome Ambassador to US – Mr. Ronen Sen, colourful American-Indian community besides personal efforts of US President – George W. Bush, US Secretary of State and US ambassador to India.




Left and BJP’s new Criticism to the Agreement:


Left parties say that, “the agreement is more than the Hyde Act and it is ‘Hyde plus deal’ by the ruling Congress party surrendering India’s strategic autonomy”. It also reject’s the words of US President – Mr. George W. Bush ‘assurance of uninterrupted supply of nuclear fuel & rights of reprocessing of fuels’ as a political ploy of subjugating India. (2) The other major opposition group – BJP (Bhartiya Janta Party) says that the ‘deal’ would be remembered as a ‘defeat of the nation’ before America in the long course of Modern Indian history. Further, BJP stresses that, the ‘word’s of US President has nothing to do with the legal provisions of the agreement and that was his personal reaction which has no correlation with the facts of the agreement.(3) The other emerging banned underground ultra-leftist’s political forces – Maoist opposing the agreement, also observed ‘Bandh’ or ‘call of closure’ on this issue.




However, the ruling Congress party says, it is a victory for the nation in achieving United States civil nuclear cooperation without surrendering India’s strategic interests. Moreover, the ruling Congress party also says that, India has achieved a great success without following the path of NPT, CTBT in forging bilateral relations with United States (4) and in the “unanimous approval by the IAEA Board of Governors of the related safeguards arrangements, and by the consensus decision of the forty-five member Nuclear Supply Group to enable cooperation by its members in peaceful uses of nuclear energy with India.” (5)




Left groups opposition to the agreement is known to the Indian people, whose vision of USA has been still locked in the cold war politics syndrome. They will oppose every move of cooperation with USA in any field as they still perceive USA including European powers as imperialist colonial forces without realizing the changed scenario in the business structure of USA and Western Europe in the age of globalization. And, I agree with the view of Indian ambassador to US – Mr. Ronen Sen given to a Hindi daily ‘Hindustan’ on 12th of October 2008, that, “their difference with USA is deep rooted.” (6) India’s handsome ambassador loved by Late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi – Mr. Ronen Sen had been in controversy last year for his remarks against Parliamentarians, but Parliamentarians should also assess themselves that are they behaving the way Jawaharlal Nehru, Govind Ballabh Pant, Sardar Patel, Piloo Modi, and Ram Manohar Lohia etc. had been debating issues in Lok Sabha? The case of bringing money inside parliament by one political group for political mileage, not allowing different views to be heard despite many calls by the humble and honest Speaker – Mr. Somnath Chatterji, are eating their own credibility as their action had been live before the nation through national television channel - Doordarshan. In future, Mr. Somnath Chaterjee would be remembered as a great personality of Modern Indian history for his crucial historical role as a speaker.




The Strategic Reality of the Agreement:



Now the question comes that, whether India under the ruling Congress Party alliance or UPA (United Progressive Alliance) really sacrificed her strategic interests by signing the agreement with United States as opposition groups are advocating including banned ultra leftist’s underground movement or it has signed a ‘trust agreement’ with USA keeping India’s strategic interest of future testing of atomic weapons secured besides civil nuclear cooperation? The whole of India knows that, Left parties opposition to the agreement is not on the issue but becoming close with America and it can’t be redressed with old leadership of left. BJP’s concerns are genuine and they are waiting for the detailed documents of the agreement to fire on congress. But BJP should also understand that, does India is an insignificant and small nation of world map, which can be defeated by any agreement by any powers of the world? The answer is obviously strong – NO. There are many examples in modern world history from Austrian-Hapsburg Empire to League of Nations and during post second world war scenario, that, if nation can forge relations, it can also break it, if time warrants for that. But meeting of India with USA is a strategic reality of world politics for a safe democratic world, which even Swami Vivekananda desired a century ago. It is high time for the US and Indian foreign policy establishment to start Swami Vivekananda Educational Fellowship for undergraduate, post-graduate, doctoral and higher studies to cement this new relation of common faith.




Moreover, the strategic question is safe under the agreement as India has committed to place only 14 of 22 reactors under international safeguards and not all the strategic nuclear reactors and only pledged to put its future civilian reactors under permanent safeguards and not strategic nuclear reactors. (7) Those who opposes the agreement on the question of US President – George W. Bush statement as a political statement should also know that statement’s of US President was not made at ‘Tea Shop’ but at the official ceremony to realize the agreement and US President’s statement has also significant values in American Constitution (the limitation of theme and post doesn’t allow me to give examples of Modern American History). Although, unfortunately as the news indicates that, a group of nine US Democratic lawmakers has written under the leadership of Congresswoman - Madame Ellen Tauscher (a California Democrat) that, if US President’s ‘signature statement’ is not consistent with American law, the next Congress “will be compelled” to reconsider the law,” (8) failing to see fast changing world politics beyond American shores, which US President – George W. Bush could see.



In addition, what is ‘strategic issues’? There has been trend in international relations to see military/defence cooperation as a major strategic issue. But history teaches that, these ‘so called’ strategic defence issues had been out-product of political trust. One can’t build strategic paradigm without forging political trust. India & USA shares the same common faith of political trust. So in future, India’s present policy of constructive engagement with Burma’s ruling military Junta as a strategic cooperation will ultimately fail to achieve the core objectives, where this political trust is missing. Moreover, the India-US agreement opens the door for intensive cooperation in the field of space technology, civil aviation, information technology, infrastructure development, educational fields, agriculture, biotechnology, high critical technology, joint operation against terrorism besides defence and civil nuclear cooperation, which are more strategic in the age of globalization.




Those who opposes the agreement on so called ‘strategic issues’, should not forget that, it was the first time, that, United States has recognized India as equal partners in world affairs after second world war or Modern history and not as subservient partners of ‘common faith’. It also recognized that India’s has to play major role in world problem beyond South Asian Politics. The official statement of the US Secretary of State – Condoleezza Rice visualizes the agreement as the meeting of “the world’s largest democracy and the world’s oldest democracy, drawn together by our shared values and, increasingly, by our many shared interests, ‘now stands as equals’, closer together than ever before.” (9)




Moreover, those who opposes the deal, should also not miss the point that, it was also first time in US House of Representative debates, that, US has taken the strong position of supporting India’s rightful place in the permanent membership of the UN Security Council and wants to see it happen within the next five years. (10) So the agreement has been rightly perceived by Indian Ambassador to US - Mr. Ronen Sen that, “we should be a little more confident of ourselves. We should have little bit more self esteem and we should not always requires these re-assurances…we should grow up.” (11) Now the time is ripe for the Indian National Congress Party to place the agreement of common faith before nation in a vocal way because Swami Vivekananda, Lajpat Rai, Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajiv Gandhi and Mahatma Gandhi also internally desired and worked to establish this bond of ‘common faith’.




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Endnotes:


1. Bush inks historic nuclear deal bill into law, Zeenews Bureau, from: zeenews.com, 8th of October 2008.
2. Vidheyak par dastkhat ke sath hi sarkar par phir hamle, Hindi Daily ‘Jansatta’, 10th of October 2008, Front Page Story.
3.Ibid.
4. Congress Spokesperson – Mr. Manish Tiwary’s word’s on India’s National Television Channel – Doordarshan, 10th of October 2008.
5. Remarks by External Affairs Minister Shri Pranab Mukherjee at the signing ceremony of the 123 Agreement between India and USA in Washington, Ministry of External Affairs Press Release, Government of India, 10th of October 2008.
6. Deal Ne Diya Bharat Ko Vishwa Shakti Ka Rutba, Indian Ambassador to US – Mr. Ronen Sen’s interview published in Hindi Daily ‘Hindustan’ on 12th of October 2008, Patna Edition, p. 10.
7. Bush, Others to Stump for US-India Nuke Deal, Fox News.com, Washington, USA, 7th of March 2006 also reported in Associated Press News.
8. Note No. 1.
9. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Indian Minister of External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee At the Signing of the US-India Civilian Nuclear Cooperation Agreement, US Department of State Press Release, Benjamin Franklin Room, Washington DC, 10th of October 2008.
10. More Than Just The 123 Agreement: The Future of U.S.–INDO Relations, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, June 2008, p.7
11. India’s Concerns on N-Deal have been met: Sen, From Zeenews.com Bureau Report, Washington DC, 9th of October 2008.




(Continued…)



By: Rajshekhar, Burma Review, INDIA



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