HIGHLIGHTS OF THE FOLDER ON
FOREIGN POLICY AND SECURITY ISSUES:
MAKING INDIA A JUNIOR PARTNER OF THE US
1.The NCMP had stated, “The UPA government will pursue an independent foreign policy keeping in mind its past traditions. This policy will seek to promote multi-polarity in world relations and oppose all attempts at unilateralism…Even as it pursues closer engagement and relations with the USA, the UPA government will maintain the independence of India’s foreign policy position on all regional and global issues.”
2.The Congress-led Government betrayed this and India is now increasingly becoming a junior partner to the US. The growing ties with Israel show how far India has moved from its support to the Palestinian people against the brutal occupation by Israel. Notably, this vision of allying India with the US and Israel is a part of the Jana Sangh/RSS strategic thinking.
3.The Manmohan Singh-Bush Agreement in July 2005 was not just another energy deal as the Congress-led government claimed. It was the centrepiece of the strategy to draw India into the US camp. It was followed immediately by India’s two votes against Iran in the IAEA, making India party to an anti-Iran gang-up. The Congress-led government was willing to give up cheap gas from Iran for the benefit of much more expensive nuclear power from US-made nuclear reactors.
4.The Hyde Act, which was the basis of India-US Nuclear Deal made clear that India’s foreign policy must henceforth be “congruent” to that of the US. It also imposed the condition that India must align with the US on Iran’s nuclear programme. India’s record on both these counts show the impact of the Hyde Act and the Nuclear Deal on Indian foreign policy.
5.The public justification given for the deal was that it was necessary to address India’s need for energy. It is clear that nuclear energy is not going to meet more than 5-6% of India’s energy needs. This is also what the Planning Commission has projected in its Integrated Energy Plan. The CAG report has made clear that the shortage of uranium – cited as a justification for the deal – was entirely created by the government and not due to a lack of uranium reserves in the country.
6.The CPI(M) and the Left not only brought out the complete one-sided agreement that India was entering into with the US, it also pointed out that the cost of power from imported nuclear plants would be 3-4 times that from coal fired plants, or even Indian nuclear plants. There is no fuel supply guarantee, the agreement can be terminated at will by the US, thus holding India to ransom, and imposes stringent terms on nuclear supplies made to India. It also does not lift the sanctions on the high technology sector in India.
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