Politics has never been a favorite topic of mine, but recent events have made me take a stab at them
India is at a crucial point in history. Climbing the ladder to become a world leader has its own pitfalls.
Ever since India got its independence, we have managed to not align ourselves with any country, at least not militarily. Although from the You are with us or against us stand point of the United States, it looks like India was never on their side, we just plain preferred to sit out some important events as declared by the historians and in case you have not noticed, we never took sides. The only place you will find the Indian army is as a part of the UN’s peacekeeping force, and rightly so.
The honeymoon had to end sometime and it looks like now is the time.
India has/had two deals in its hand, an oil pipeline from Iran and the access to civilian nuclear technology from the USA. A few months ago when India voted against Iran, everyone thought that the pipeline deal would be off. But after a little reluctance Iran said they would analyze the situation based on its own merits.
If things work, India will be the first country in the world that has not signed the non-proliferation treaty that will get its hands on civilian nuclear technology. And about the non-proliferation treaty, if you thought about it well enough, there are not many countries that India would like to deal with (besides rouge nations). Given that we have a head on our shoulders and enough money for the near future, I do not see the slimmest chance of that happening.
Mr. Mulford stated the obvious, but got into trouble for that. Practically analyzing the situation would tell you that if India does not support the US, the US would not find it appropriate to support India. So, we cannot have the cake and eat it.
Historically India and the USA have never been allies. They have always had a neutral relationship, acknowledging that the other existed and living life their own way. Given that China has started to become a major power in the world, analysts feel that The White House has decided to change its attitude towards India to counter balance things in Asia. Over the past couple of years, there have been joint Air Force and Naval Missions between both countries. There has been an increased cooperation and sharing of sensitive intelligence information and of course Americans have stated investing in India, instead of just using it as their back office: Things that cannot be attributed simply to India’s economic boom.
Given the fact that this relationship is going to last for a long time, I suggest that India take the upper hand. India never has been seen as the mouthpiece of any country and we do not want start doing it now. So I think India should push its own agenda and attach a few strings. I mean, if you are going to eat the cake, might as well make a party out of it.
Yes it’s the same analogy. If you are in the company of a good-looking girl, you have already entered the Forbidden City. When seen with a country like the USA, India has a newfound glamour and attraction, like the kid on the block with a new bike. We absolutely have to make good use of this and make good use of it when the time is right. Look at what happened to France, most fast food joints now serve freedom fries.
There are things that immediately strike me as important, as far as the Indian agenda goes
a) The Security Council seat.
For a long time now, India has been trying to get into the Security Council. As one of the strongest developing countries, I think India should on its own merit get in. But that has not seemed to materialize. So lets lay that down on the table. We already have Russia in there that will support us, besides China is in there, so why can’t we ?
b) How about them patents.
Although this does look important, in a few years the Indian markets will open up to the world. It will not be funny when we decide to go to those yoga classes and the instructors have to pay a royalty to some guy in California who decided to patent different positions that technically belongs to Indians. And think lets not get started on Basmati rice.
c) Please do not tell us what to do (atleast not in public)
Indians are smart. Honestly, if you do not trust me, take a walk to the nearest NASA facility or for that matter any place that has anything to do with technology or medicine. You will find many brown brothers and sisters. We like any self-respecting country do not like to be told what to do. We understand complications, politics and policies. We hate being looked at as the Asian office of the White House Press Secretary . So if there is something that we should know, that you think we might have overlooked (slim chance), let us know through the diplomatic channels. I mean, isn’t that why you have an Ambassador sitting in our capital. Make use of the man, please.
There could be more things that India could attach as strings and I will keep you updated as and when I can think of more. If you feel I missed something, please feel free to comment on it.
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This is a very touchy subject and I got flamed (email fights in layman terms) by many of my buddies coz they did not understand my point. I was not trying to say that they were cheaters, I just wanted to logically think.
