With the death of Cold-War and the widening economic compulsions, foreign policy in the present day World has to take into consideration economic and emotional aspects as well.
While the drawbacks of an India-US relationship should be taken into account, it should not prevent India in engaging with United States in the areas of mutual interest. The same concept should apply to the countries of vital strategic and economic interests to India.
The bottom line is that India's national and strategic interests should be of supreme importance, while devising the foreign policy.
I disagree with Mr. Sikri that friendship with US will hardened China. Instead China will try to settle the boundary question and try to wean us away from US. Till now Chinese have not given up their brinkmanship, they are arming pakistan and spying in India using Pakistan's ISI. They have not budged a inch on border. So sticking with old policy with China is not pragmatic ,we have already lost Conceeded tibet to Chinese and we will conceede more if we keep ourselves weak. Regards Patriotic Indian
RE:Missing reality
by saibaskar on Jan 04, 2007 06:26 PM Permalink
The author seems to miss the point that our most serious threat (i.e.. nuclear weapon of Pakistan) comes from China and not USA. China believes in using Pak for contain India policy.. We need arms and technology to survive our deadly neighbour who will go to any extent to destroy india. And US has the technology to help us. After all it is isreal that is selling vital arms to us in recent past. The reality is following middle path simply means no friends. As far as USA preferring Pak, the truth has to be seen in the actions of US and not in what Bush says.. US bombed madarasa the day Pak's govt signed treaty with tribal leaders. Though US govt said nothing it showed what it can do. Pak is currently a US hostage where as India is a different case. We need investments from them and they need market. And by no stretch of imagination we are pro-US in our foriegn policy, we are dealing with US like China dealt with them in 70s and 80s. Every nation in the world has an evil past even India in its 60 years have a few black spots, it is pragmatism that should guide our foreign policy and not rethorics.
This is nothing but same old recycled crap decked up in new clothes. The author seems to be still living in the fossilised age of NAM, Hindi-Chini bhai-bhai, South-south co-op and India-China-Russia Axis etc... which are nothing more that feel good rhetoric with no relation whatsoever to reality.
The NAM policy is a major disaster, India got nothing out of it. Not a single NAM country has supported it on issues of concern like Kashmir or even during troubled times like the 1971 bangladesh war or 1962 chinese aggression.
The Hindi-Chini bhai bhai policy got it a knife in the back from China. China has been unremittingly hostile to India from day one and looks like the author simply has fooled himself into believing that somehow that is not so.
The India-China-Russia axis is a non starter simply because what he alleges in the case of USA actually holds good for China. It is simply not willing to share power and any strategic relationship with it will not be on equal terms not even with Russia. The author needs to get acquainted with reality than just live in his own make believe world.
RE:Same old recycled crap
by Nitu on Jan 04, 2007 03:19 AM Permalink
Shut up puppet of USA. You are one of those idiots who think USA will help become India superpower. India will at best become slave which unfortunately it already is.
RE:Same old recycled crap
by Subhadeep on Jan 04, 2007 01:43 PM Permalink
Mr. Shankar, Either you have totally misread the article, or as the old adage goes, you only see what you want to see. 1. The author very specifically points out "Non-alignment as a policy option for India, as distinct from the Non-aligned Movement...", and he goes on, saying that this "has nothing to do with the so-called Cold War mentality". This is obviously lost on you. 2. Hindi-Chini bhai bhai. This too seems to be a figment of your imagination. The writer talks about India's strategic objective to wean China away from Pakistan, its suspicions about the nature of our relationship with the US, its hardening position on the border issue. Does he advocate cosying up to China? Clearly, you and I have been reading different articles. 3. The India-Russia-China axis. The writer doesn't keep dreaming about it, as you have insinuated. He talks about our long standing partnership with Russia, both military and in terms of support in the UN. Nothing with China. Now, your post seems to carry the attitude that any critisim of our budding (and still very limited) relationship with the US constitutes turning our backs on 'reality', or 'fossilized' thinking, or god forbid, leftist!!
Sir: Mr. Sikri has hit the nail right on the head. It is a pipe-dream of all governments at centre, regardless of their political affiliations to have an equal relationship with the U S of A.
However hard a country tries, the U S will make sure that they are the First among the equals.
India should give up this grandiose wish of being equal with the U S. India will always be equated with Pakistan by the Yankees. Everyone knows that the Pakistanis neither aspire to be equal to the U S nor will they ever be. India will be same as Pakistan in the U S eyes---NEVER NEVER AN EQUAL!!!!!
we seems to have an endless supply of such lousy babus with an anti Us mindset time for our business to annhilate such fellows from the babucarcy that infects our country like cancer.
Mr Sikri has stated India\'s position very succintly. There will always be a divergence in the long term goals of India as its interests are based on economic prosperity, safety and security of the nation,its rich civilisational heritage and finally to its unity. However, there are commonalities in the way the US and India are placed. Both the societies are multicultural and lately the US has begun to acquire the kind of diversity which prevails in India. India\'s experience as a nation is just 60 year old however we are home to the oldest living civilisation Our democracy is of recent vintage we have a lot to learn from the US experience for building a national conciousness and in strengthening our democratic freedoms. This part of our national interest is important for our country to acquire some kind of influence on the Global Stage. Our friends such as Russia, and the Muslim states,have fundamentally flawed societies.They have an ethos of brutal repression, cruelty in their own lands and those around. We must recognise these differences for what they are. We cannot forget the ravage of our land at the hands of marauders from these lands.
At last an article in rediff, likes of which actually made it a best website in recent times. In recent times I have seen downward trends on opinion columns. Good Opinion columns are what makes rediff a must read website every day. Hopefully that is not compramised. Very good article, must read.
Rajiv Sikri is very astute in his observation of the Pros and Cons of our growing relationship with the US. America has always had and will continue to have its political, economic & military interests at the forefront of its priorities....even at the expense of treaties, pacts and other related agreements. India needs to stand firm on its principles, its long-lasting & time tested geo-political friendships and its commitiments to domestic and international issues. "Never put all your eggs in one basket" may be an old saying the Indian people and its Democratic leadership should always keep in mind. Jai Hind Frank Cherian - USA
