(The next coming post will be the concluding post, the first and second part published on 14th of October 2008 and 3rd of December 2008, the view expressed in the article is an opinion of a common man of India and nothing to do with the official view of Government of India and reader’s are free to differ with the opinion)
As in my earlier post, I wrote that I will respond to the issues raised by India’s two leading strategic experts on emerging US-India relations. Till now, if I couldn’t do so because of the limitation and challenges of working from a small town faced with infrastructural bottlenecks and hacking activities of cyber war from powerful forces intended to weaken meeting of democratic ethos of US-India and Burma’s engrained democratic spirits. These forces are same which stood firmly against the vision and idealism of individual freedom and democracy during the cold-war against Anglo-US alliances, however with old actor taking new leading role to propagate ideology indirectly in Asia and unfortunately the new democratic Russia following her footsteps in the name of minimizing US unilateralism in international relations; although the reason lies in Russian interests in Caucasus affairs (which Russian President clearly indicated last year in his national address to the Russian people) and US should adopt moderate approach towards “Democratic Russia”. India’s rich experience of working with Russia could also play an important role and India can act as a bridge to the United States and Russia. In a recent conflict of interest between China and India on ‘fertilizer issue’ (on sodium nitrate business)’, China played the old diplomatic emotional card of ‘cooperation between developing world’ of NAM days. But in practice, Chinese business corporations are eating telecom and software businesses of Pakistan and Pakistan foolishly giving its entire strategic infrastructure to China in her rivalry with India like they have been involved in Burma’s economy. India has many rich examples in history following the footsteps of Mahatma Gandhi, in which, Indian Political leadership has given the call to Indian overseas community that, think about the nation in which you live. Like once, Mahatma Gandhi had addressed to Indian community of Burma in March 1929 trip to the golden land that, you first think of Burma’s interest in which you live and not of India. But it is difficult to find these rich historical traditions in modern Chinese history, probably regimented ideology prevents it.
On Mumbai terror attack, I know lastly, Pakistan will come out with result tagging it with Kashmir to fool international community. It is like, you ask for water and in return the person gives you the bread. If Pakistan wants to work with India, it has to take Indian dossier seriously to book the culprits. Indian External Affair’s minister is right that, If Pakistan wants to work; it should work with official channel and not through media. Yesterday, there had been large meeting on this issue at Bangalore organized by one of the respected Muslim organization, in which, Indian Film Personality - Mr. Mahesh Bhatt, Mr. Ravi Shankar of Art of Living and one of my hero of contemporary Indian society – Swami Agnivesh addressed the large Muslim gatherings. However, for my surprise, I found everyone talking of Israel’s attack on Palestine and killing of innocent Muslim people and condemning Israel and Hindu speaker’s were more vocal in that, particularly – Mr. Ravi Shankar. However, Muslim’s and other speakers were missing the point that by doing so they are giving legitimacy to the rightist theory of appeasing minority community. But unfortunately no one was talking of Hamas violent rocket assault on innocent Israel’s people in that meeting; in which also children and women’s are killed (the whole event was live on ETV Urdu Channel on 31st January 2009). Muslim brothers should understand that those who talks of only Israel’s attack are not your genuine friend, they want to take your praise but not to solve your problem. The genuine way is to condemn equally all sorts of violence perpetuated by both sides.
After the inauguration of Mr. Barack Obama’s Presidency in the United States, there had been much heated debates on new US-India relations at New Delhi and the recent one being shown at 10 PM on 30th of January 2009 on Indian official channel ‘Doordarshan’. However, I don’t want to comment on my fellow citizens opinions. Those who opposes close US engagement in the name of Democratic and Republican politics of America have their answers in Mr. Obama’s recent message same like Mr. George W. Bush that, “India and United states are natural partners”. Although, I’m surprised about the British foreign secretary’s childish mistake of referring Kashmir in his recent visit to New Delhi, which took away all the good gestures of his planned trip with dynamic Congress General Secretary – Mr. Rahul Gandhi to his loved district – Rai Bareilly. And I hope that, Britain and any western nations would not commit this mistake again, if it wants to forge relationship with India beyond technicalities. The left party’s in India have now started criticizing US-India relations on two logics that, by coming close with US-Britain and western nations; we have imported ‘terrorism’ and ‘economic depression’ of America and Western nations to India. This absurd logic far away from reality doesn’t take care of the fact that, India is a victim of terrorism since the days of cold war and ‘terrorism’ is not a post US-India civil nuclear deal phenomenon. However, the reality is that it became more intense with the growing of relationship of Pakistan with China. This foolish logic also found suitable ground to grow recently from the mistakes of US establishment of Carnegie Endowment for International Peace scholar - Ashley J. Tellis theory proposing in its findings, that, “India has worked as a ‘sponge’ against terror attacks against western civilization” in Senate hearings. (1) Regarding left’s attack of importing economic depression from western civilization to India; it is like the same logic, which China has been advocating since the start of economic crisis and Russia following the same course.
However, last Wednesday in a meeting of the World Economic Forum, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin had rightly refrained from directly blaming United States for the crisis (after the announcement of the scheduled proposed meeting with US administration on Caucasus issues) but China continued blaming United States for all the economic ills. (2) Although, with the telephonic conversation between the new US President and Chinese political leadership, China modified its approach overseeing prospect of US FDI and lucrative market for their industry for finding suitable moment to attack US future moves in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Now, new modern China’s strategic carriers are their new business corporations of telecom and information technology companies penetrating in democratic world taking advantages of the weakness of liberal democracy-capitalism and through its own byproduct - World Trade Organization and India is also not exception to this, where the key contract of its largest telecom structure – BSNL’s has been taken by Chinese telecom/software companies. However, the struggle between United States and China will continue because it is a struggle of survival of legacy of founding father’s of respective nations and India, Burma and democratic world has to side with United States because we share same ideals of ‘common faith’.
Obama’s Message to India and Burma:
Now before dwelling upon the US role in India-China war of 1962 and Mr. Brahma Chellaney’s complain of late and delayed help of John F. Kennedy’s US administration to India. It is important to understand the message of United States new President – Mr. Barack Obama in his inaugural address to India and Burma. However the address was directed towards the American people but it is also indicative of how America wants to function in coming next four years under Mr. Obama administration. Mr. Obama is very clear in his inaugural address that, “As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding father’s, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake.” The US President’s described golden ideals of individual freedom of ‘rights of man’ also establishes the bond of ‘common faith’, which unites India, US and Burma in their natural urge towards common faith. Burma’s military junta’s message of congratulation to the new US President and Vice-President is a welcome step but the best message SPDC could have given to the United States and world by freeing Asia’s symbol of non-violence – Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners. Burma is fortunate to have great leaders of international stature like Daw Suu Kyi, which SPDC fails to understand and intensely engaged in performing secondary role to China. SPDC’s congratulatory message to the new US President and Vice-President has no meaning, if they abuses Voice of America, BBC, Democratic Voice of Burma, Radio Free Asia in their official media.
Recently, India’s senior diplomat - Mr. M.K. Bhadrakumar wrote another article in the Hindu (29 January, 2009, p.8), entitled, “Pakistani Military Sizes up ‘Smart Power’ and he started with the statement & doctrine of US Secretary of State’s elaboration and confirmation hearings at the Senate that, “America cannot solve the most pressing problems on its own, and the world cannot solve them without America…we must use what has been called ‘smart power’, the full range of tools at our disposal – diplomatic, economic, political, legal and cultural – picking the right tool or combination of tools for each situation.” The article had indirect message also to Indian policy makers that India might not fall as a tool to American strategic design (although, it has been written on Pakistan and Afghanistan theme). However, India in its size, resources, technically skilled man power, economy and most importantly the values of democracy of individual freedom can’t become tool of any powers of the world and future partnership of US and India is of common faith gained from our freedom struggle. It is a transparency of ‘open society’ and ‘strength of democracy’, that, anyone can get the United States Senate hearings documents through internet, whereas it is equally difficult to get the ‘polit-bureau’ proceedings and document of regimented society. It is possible to make caricature of Mr. George W. Bush in front of White House, when he had been President in a democracy on recent shoe incident in Iraq but can anyone imagine of doing so against Chinese leader – Mr. Hu and Premier – Wen Jiabao at Red Square in Beijing or for that matter in Cuba?
End Notes:
- India Protects US, Senate told, The Hindu, Friday, January 30, 2009, p.17
- Beijing blames US for global crisis, The Hindu, January 30, 2009, p.17
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