We have always mistaken articulation of naive platitudes as practice of foreign policy. Remember Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai? And Panchsheel? And closer to our times, Natwar Singh, before he was sacked by Sonia Gandhi, petulantly saying that we should approach NAM (Gawd ! In this day and age!). And our citing the mid-wifery of Bangladesh only to be fobbed off by Bagladeshis? Similarly, our attitude to the Tibetans - we neither challenged China nor supported the Dalai Lama. The latest fiasco in Nepal - even a schoolchild could have foreseen that not backing the king was a fatal mistake.
Chacha Nehru, with his typical head-in-the-clouds personality, laid a weak moralistic foundation for running a ministry that is all about realpolitic. We're still paying the price for it.
Also, let's face it, Hinduism is an other-worldly religion which due to the sheer preponderance of Hindus in this country, impacts our strategic thinking, even though we profess to be what passes for secular.
In all this debate two things come out : 1. We need ouselves to be aligned to someone 2. Russia / America / China are smart people with even smarter diplomats/foreign minister.
Shows Lack of confidence on part of a nation which will have an economy equal to US in 40 yrs from now.
When Bhadrakumar mentions that relations have decided gone cold with Russia ( it was never warm with China after 1962 anyways )...I agree. Russia's found again assertiveness under Putin we can use it to as a leverage against America.
American connection always come in handy for China and Pakistan. The fact is that International Diplomacy is about developing counter balances. America , Russia and Iran need us also. We only need to be assertive !
India has a foreign policy ? That is news to me.. If they call reactive floping around policy then problem is worse than it appears. As for the nuclear deal , problem is in FMCT objectives that are included in NSG agreement that nix the nuke weapons through the BACK door , no new fissile material means NO NUKE weapons. Devil is in the detail.
I feel 123 is a good deal for India. Perhaps it is the best it can hope to get. So far as Hyde act is concerned, as long as India is in USA's good book, we can detonate as many devices as we need. We will have to cool our connection with Iran until US changes regime in Iran.
However, it is scare tactics for rediff to use caption like "India's foreign policy running aground".
RE:RE:This is scare tactics
by on Nov 05, 2007 07:46 AM Permalink
Your statement sounds like you are one of those running dogs of anglo-american imperialists, ever ready to wag in front of your masters.
Good-books is what you want to be in. You want the anglo-americans to consider your sifarish for nuclear deal so you can beg nuclear fuel from them and remain slaves forever.
It is people like you because of whom India existed as a slave and looted for two centuries by the anglos.
Good-book guys like you are working together with anglo-americans to break India and bring back colonialism.
First we need to take care of our internal policies before having a strong external policy.
1. Decide a clear command of control, so that we know who is the decision maker. Right now one decides something and announce it and after few hours it will be changed by someone else
2. To concentrate more on external politics, we need to have a better internal politics. Politicians are required to take out time from their busy mud throwing schedules to doing something more concrete.
3. The major change we need is demolition of caste based politics..cheap politicians have gained ground on caste and region basis without any proper vision and qualification. If we can eliminate that then lot of time, of our so called busy politicians will be saved for doing something else.
4. Clarify the policies, take every conceivable scenarios in consideration before making laws. So many time it happens that decision is taken based on some scenario and is revoked afterward due to someother considerations.
5. Most important, once a decision is taken, then stick to it, instead of making changes on every objection. If we can do that lot of shameful moments in international politics can be avoided.
6. Clear the preferances on which the decisions are made...sort of clear decision tree, so that each decision can be checked on as many fronts as possible.
What more can you expect from dumb,incompetent people like Sonia-Manmohan combo.They try to copy Nehru in their bombastic language but fail to convince even their Leftist friends.We r also too cowardly always dictated by Moscow and now by Peking thru their local agent Karat.Independent foreign policy-my foot.Jai Hind
RE:Foreign policy
by on Nov 05, 2007 07:40 AM Permalink
I dont think anyone is getting dictated by Moscow or Peking. May be you are a paid chela of anglo-americans who looted us for two centuries.
India faces an existential threat from anglo americans who want to divide us into dozens of small weak countries based on languages, caste, ethnic groups so that we can work in sweat shops making fine clothes, software, for anglo-americans. The chinese want to cut us into pieces so that noone can challenge china's dominance in asia. the chinese also fear and rightly so that we do not have any self respect and we are ever ready to serve as chelas of anglo-americans, that we are running dogs of anglo-american imperisalists.
We must ally and deepen our relationship with Russia and Japan to counter anglo-americans and keep china in check and stop fighting among ourselves.
RE:Foreign policy
by C J Rackham on Nov 05, 2007 11:42 AM Permalink
Who cares about our relationship with Russo or Japanese !! Lets try and build a good & harmonious relationship among ourselves first. Then lets work towards economic development. Our skills are unmatched by any other country in the world .. If we work we will lead the way !
India has no consistent, coherent foreign policy to speak of. It has made no mark in international forums, never comes up with any worthwhile initiative and the tired, old men running India currently simply do not have the sophisication and vitality to persuade seasoned diplomats on a particular strategy.
As for Kissinger, he is a plain old war criminal. Why doesn't India have the guts to denounce him as a fake and fraud who is only peddling the US case for lucrative contracts?
RE:India's foreign policy
by apjunkmail on Nov 02, 2007 05:57 AM Permalink
Yes Kissinger is also on Saudi payroll big time. This scoundrel sited conflit of intrest with saudi business ie. lobby activities, as a reason to remove himself from 911 investigation panel. If he does that to his own country what intigrity does he have? He is a hack for hire. Zero cerdibelity.
Indicisiveness is the talk of the day.123,Karnataka,Iran- America issue,Iran-India issue, Mynmar issue,Shri Lanka issue,Pakistan issue,J&K issue,North East issue,Gujrat issue, Bihar issue,Naxal issue ,Eduction issue and last but not the least Corruption issue. Non rsolution,no,no,no,no intention to resolve such issues has made the Nation a nut. It is a shame if we blame democracy (people) for this.People are equal to GOD who are peaceful,patient and mighty to resolve anything if it comes to them. The only reason which could be visualised for all this and present condition is wasted interest of few in every walk of life who for their on wasted interest ( rascal). It is a time for everybody to involve in governness of the nation with orginal thinking forgetting everything of past and only remembering themselves as a human.
RE:Indian Government inactivity on all issues not only foreign.
by Pradip Parekh on Nov 01, 2007 10:45 PM Permalink
good post. of course you meant to say "vested interest". the present indian electoral system stinks, frankly. the system does not allow good candidates to rise or even present themselves. the political party bosses actually select who they want to contest, locking out good, competent people with different ideas and outlook. this is so unacceptable form of democracy in which a few individuals decide who the rulers will be - not the people. in a democracy by the people, for the people and of the people, anybody wold be allowed to be a party member and contest with others and it is the people who would choose who they want - this is called the primary election as is witnessed in usa. pres bush or anybody can't stop anyone from contesting in a republican primary. this is how smart peopple like bill clinton rise from obscurity to become president. actually, primaries _are_ the best feature of america's democracy, so opine usa's best political commentators. how long are we going to see the same tired and sick faces of vajpayee and advani and gandhis?
