RE:TOM -- WHO?
by Gautam Sinha on May 04, 2007 04:03 PM Permalink
Read my answer to a similar post below. But remember India can also answer the same for US continuing co-operation with Pakistan. For us Pakistan is as much a rogue nation as much as Iran is to USA.
RE:Politicians dont have other issues it seems
by Gautam Sinha on May 04, 2007 03:42 PM Permalink
Discussion on the topic is very justified. First to address your quesion who is TOM- Unlike India, in USA a person need not have a formal post to be considered influential and lawmakers fall in that category. Now think cooly what he has said - He has indirectly accused India of espionage for Iran. Understand what that means before uttering comments based on jingoism. This is a serious matter and a joint statement from the houses is desired to convey to USA and the world that India is not going to get drawn into controversies imagined by paranoia. Ignoring them would not solve anything.
There is absolutely nothing wrong in what the US senator wrote to the PM. If he wrote that US may have to reconsider its ties with India, if India and Iran become cozy, what is wrong in that? It is the opinion of the US senator and it may perhaps the opinion of the US government. They expressed their opinion and there is nothing wrong in it. If we (India) have any shame, let us decide whom we want: US or Iran. When the Indian government can urge US government to declare Pakistan a terrorist state, why can't a US senator ask the Indian government to cut ties with Iran? Of course, just as US decided to make Pakistan a great ally in its fight against terror, India can also decide to enhance its ties with Iran. If US chooses to cut its ties with India, let India also cut its with US. There ends the matter. Let us not behave like shameless idiots.
RE:Nothing wrong in what US senator wrote
by gera vinay kumar on May 04, 2007 03:48 PM Permalink
Right Said "When the Indian government can urge US government to declare Pakistan a terrorist state, why can't a US senator ask the Indian government to cut ties with Iran? ". A nice analogy.
RE:Nothing wrong in what US senator wrote
by on May 04, 2007 04:07 PM Permalink
You are absolutely right Dheeraj. US needs Pakistan for the fight against terrorism, India needs Iran for energy. Why should we listen to the US accusation that Iran is the largest sponsored of terrorism when they themselves are supporting the state sponsored terrorism by Pakistan. So whats wrong if India has ties with Iran. We shouldn't care about the contents of the letter. It is very surprising that an official letter written to PM surfaced in the media? We shouldn't over react to this letter and continue doing what is good for our country. India shouldn't bother even if US congress doesn't approve 123 agreement. We have to take it lightly and invest in research and development of our own nuclear technology. Sooner or later the technology for solar energy also improves and will make it a reliable source. Probably that will also reduce the thirst of US for oil and stop it attacking Middle east.
RE:Nothing wrong in what US senator wrote
by M.A.VENUGOPAL panicker on May 04, 2007 03:18 PM Permalink
THE INDIAN parlimentarians have only one object in their mind. The vote banks. Since they do not want to disturb it they will make all the noices. They can ill afford to be in bad books of some people, left or otherwise, for obvious reasons.
RE:Nothing wrong in what US senator wrote
by armando on May 04, 2007 03:15 PM Permalink
well said pal.....for once there is some sensible postings on this forum. Normally, we have guys shouting from the rooftops and that too without making any sense.
I think your posting is to the point. Why should we overly react to all things said by others? We have our own dignity and are a sovereign state. WE have to respond rather than react to things.
"There have been some resolutions in the UN on the Iran issue. India being a member of the UN is expected to honour such UN resolutions"
Don't forget not too long ago (during the liberation of Goa) the "UN" (other than the USSR & Yugoslavia) opposed our military intervention against the Portuguese in Goa.
RE:UN resolutions & India...
by cattamanchi chaitanya on May 04, 2007 03:22 PM Permalink
What is this UN boss , what is it doing when USA was going for war against Iraq .Kofi Anand condemned the war , but US went on with it .. So I dont think UN is present at all ..
The letter is written by us Senator and it is not by US govt..our parliaments seems too have lot of time in discussing such foolish issues what next ? they will come out with legislation that only 27% (as they are obseesed by this fih=gure)of US senators can write letters ......i wonder if an Italian senator had written this leeter what would have been the reaction...???
RE:hi
by Pat Thakur on May 04, 2007 03:16 PM Permalink
Dear friend, you have gone completely off - track. If only for once, our Politicians have shown some Sense & Unity cutting across party lines to screw the USs High Handedness which is spelling Disaster everywhere in this world. Isn't that great enough? Regarding the question of an MP writing or a PM writing letters, the govt. is completely responsible as both MP's & PM's are Spares ofa big mechanism called Govt.
RE:hi
by Deepak on May 04, 2007 03:46 PM Permalink
they may have done that when they had a break off screwing each other. They will shortly resume their primary duty.
Will the US senate react ,if one of our MP's wrote to bush?It is clear our parliament does not have any important issues to discuss,next they will be discussing the shilpa shetty kiss.
The other day MPs in Parliament reacted very strongly to the letter from US Senators to the PM on Iran issue. In Rediff site also I see angry postings by many on the subject.
There have been some resolutions in the UN on the Iran issue. India being a member of the UN is expected to honour such UN resolutions.
Indo-US energy agreement No.123 in under processing now. India's response to Iran resolutions, may have a bearing when it goes for approval. India badly needs fuels for its reactors for the power hungry nation. This should also be kept in mind, when we decide our response. The US Senators have only expressed their views. There is no compulsion that we should agree to whatever they have said in their letter.
Therefore it is India's responsibility to study the contents of the letter carefully, and take appropriate action IN THE INTEREST OF THE NATION and in accordance with our foreign policy.
Therefore let us come out of emotional outburst, and look into/study the matter carefully, and take appropriation action at the appropriate time.
RE:US letter to PM on Iran
by A Moin on May 04, 2007 02:57 PM Permalink
I agree. But what I have difficulty comprehending is why can't we settle for indegenous generation capacity of energy rather than import it for a costly price...? We have one of the best collection of brains worldwide, there's no denying of that.
Our nuclear scientists feel confident they can make us indegenously self sufficient, in terms of energy.
Or at least we can strike deals with non interfering countries like Russia.
THough we need energy, we also need LPG badly. As of now, we're importing it from Quatar at 4 times the price of what it would cost to import from Iran. I think we all know the LPG is a household staple in India, used by at least a few hundred million folks. We should keep their interests at heart too...
For now, the public sector is severely strained because it has to subsidize such an expensive commodity. The Iran deal will greatly free up this burden and give the cash strapped public sector treasury some much needed surplus revenue...
RE:US letter to PM on Iran
by Rajiv Alterego on May 04, 2007 09:54 PM Permalink
Moin, I agree with most of what you said. Here is something I found on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States-India_Peaceful_Atomic_Energy_Cooperation_Act
It says "While India is self-sufficient in thorium, possessing 24% of the world's known and economically available thorium,[10] it possesses a meager 1% of the similarly calculated global uranium reserves.[11] Indian support for cooperation with the U.S. centers around the issue of obtaining a steady supply of sufficient energy to grow the economy. Indian opposition to the pact centers around the concessions that would need to be made, as well as the likely de-prioritization of research into a thorium fuel-cycle if uranium becomes highly available given the well understood utilization of uranium in a nuclear fuel-cycle"
We need the fuel. If we cannot get it from the US, we should at least be able to source it from others like Australia and France. That's what this deal is all about. Getting rid of road blocks.
RE:huh
by sanjeev dhiman on May 04, 2007 02:49 PM Permalink
it has nothing to do with interferance of india's sovereignity.in fact indian politicians of every hue and colour supported and lobbied for laxmi mittal during arcelor takeover in the EU.don't blame indian communists unnecessarily and on flimsy grounds.don't vouch for home-spun stories to satisy your political grudge.be rational and cool....
RE:huh
by A Moin on May 04, 2007 02:45 PM Permalink
The Chinese stopped being Communist ever since the death of Chairman Mao Tse Tsung. They're a capitalist autarky with a populist logo. And they don't pretend to hide this either.
And since West Bengal is kind of close to China geographically, it's obvious the ruling party in Bengal would vouch for ties with China.
The Indian government will do well to recall how the US intervened in Chile in 1970s against Allende, when he charted out an economic policy free of US interference.
From 1950s up until 1989, when we dealt with the USSR, they helped India without pre- conditions. Now, THAT is an ally.
Anyone expecting the US to exhibit the same professionalism as the USSR is sadly mistaken. I hope we realise before we become a neocon colony...
