The cover story in the latest issue of INDIA TODAY is how timid Indian foreign policy is and how the UPA government has brought the country to its knees in the international arena. I couldn't think of a more unfair assessment of all what the present dispensation has done ever since they came to power in 2004.
Lets take the joint declaration in Egypt after the meeting between India and Pakistan. The only thing wrong with it, is what the Foreign Secretary candidly admitted later- bad drafting.
Lets take the joint declaration in Egypt after the meeting between India and Pakistan. The only thing wrong with it, is what the Foreign Secretary candidly admitted later- bad drafting.
Otherwise it shows that we are committed to long term peace with our troublesome neighbour. I don't understand the criticism of "capitulating" to Pakistan. The UPA government is the ONLY one to actually apply strong arm tactics on the Pakistanis and get tangible and credible results. They have, for the first time ever, admitted that a terrorist attack originated from their soil and have actually made arrests. All this without firing a single shot. Compare this with what the "muscular" BJP achieved. A national shame at Kandahar. Intelligence failure of the highest degree followed by massive bloodletting at Kargil (I'm not even going to refer to the profiteering on coffins) and an impotent mobilisation of troops following the attack on Parliament. (The only result of the mobilisation was loss of morale and several thousand crores)
The Prime Minister's defence of the Pakistan strategy in Parliament was absolutely brilliant. There is simply no answer to his question on what the alternative to the present policy is. Israel has shown the world that the only result of a trigger-happy foreign policy is an end-less cycle of violence and hemorrhaging. Once we go down that path, there is no return and we will have to live with the reality of a hundred 26/11s every month.
Let me now come to the relationship with the United States, which in spite of whether anybody likes it or not is the world's most powerful nation. Manmohan Singh has adopted a very smart approach of finding common cause with the Americans and getting them to endorse India at every turn. The civil nuclear deal is a superb example of getting unprecedented concessions to further the pursuit of energy independence, while keeping the nation's strategic options intact. On this the prescription from the worthy communists is to shun USA altogether and get into bed with Iran, Palestine and .......China!
India is one of the few countries, maybe the only one, that explicitly aims for the greater good along with national interest in its foreign policy. The Non-Aligned movement, principled opposition to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (think about it- what is the difference between a voluntary moratorium on testing and actually signing the CTBT). We still do it because of the discriminatory nature of the agreement, while remaining resolutely in favour of nuclear disarmament. We should be proud of what we stand for...not show China's ugly example of slimy statecraft as the path to follow.
Our clear objections to climate change related emission reduction proposals and WTO agricultural tariff reductions show that we can stand up to pressure where it makes sense. India is quite unique in wanting whats good for her along with what's good for the whole world.
Let me now come to the relationship with the United States, which in spite of whether anybody likes it or not is the world's most powerful nation. Manmohan Singh has adopted a very smart approach of finding common cause with the Americans and getting them to endorse India at every turn. The civil nuclear deal is a superb example of getting unprecedented concessions to further the pursuit of energy independence, while keeping the nation's strategic options intact. On this the prescription from the worthy communists is to shun USA altogether and get into bed with Iran, Palestine and .......China!
India is one of the few countries, maybe the only one, that explicitly aims for the greater good along with national interest in its foreign policy. The Non-Aligned movement, principled opposition to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (think about it- what is the difference between a voluntary moratorium on testing and actually signing the CTBT). We still do it because of the discriminatory nature of the agreement, while remaining resolutely in favour of nuclear disarmament. We should be proud of what we stand for...not show China's ugly example of slimy statecraft as the path to follow.
Our clear objections to climate change related emission reduction proposals and WTO agricultural tariff reductions show that we can stand up to pressure where it makes sense. India is quite unique in wanting whats good for her along with what's good for the whole world.
Lets applaud the awesome work our Prime Minister is doing and strengthen his hands. The alternatives are comrades whose bufoonery will take us back to the dark ages and rabid god-men who will bark but not bite.
Wow that was cool...More Indians should start feeling proud about their country than just complaining about its flaws.
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