NO CHEERS FOR THIS ONE

SITARAM YECHURY
courtesy– Hindustan Times 12 11 2010

India's position in the world lies in its intrinsic internal strength.

We will end up weakening ourselves if we become a subordinate

ally of the US.

President Barack Obama came, saw and in a sense, conquered, by

drawing India further into the US geopolitical strategic framework,

apart from advancing US commercial interests. Before leaving

Washington, according to The New York Times, Obama said that “The

primary purpose is to take a bunch of US companies and open up

markets so that we can sell in Asia, in some of the fastest-growing

markets in the world“, and “create jobs at home“.

This may sound desperate but logical in the backdrop of the severe

electoral drubbing that the Democrats received in the recent US

Congressional elections.

With unemployment breaching the psychological barrier of 10% and

an economic turnaround not appearing on the horizon, the US needs to

prise open the markets of the emerging economies to sell its products.

By the time he left India, it was announced that deals amounting to $ 15

billion have been sealed, creating nearly 75,000 jobs in the USA. In an

effort to appease India Inc., Obama said, “They (deals) will create jobs

in the US, it is true, but those same technologies will also allow Indian

entrepreneurs to create jobs here”.

The joint statement issued after the visit shows that in the name of

promoting food security through an “evergreen revolution“, the Indian

market is being pushed to open up further for US agri-produce. This

would create conditions of `instant death' for Indian agriculture which

is already reeling under an acute crisis. The flooding of Indian markets

with highly subsidised US agricultural and dairy products may well

escalate distress suicides that are already haunting our country. The US

is now anticipating huge orders for nuclear reactors as well as hefty

defence purchases.

The promise of technology transfer by removing Indian organisations

from the US `entities list', however, does not include the Department

of Atomic Energy. This clearly shows that the commitment made in

the India-US nuclear deal of full civilian nuclear cooperation including

technology transfer will not materialise.Couched in the flowery rhetoric

of India having already “emerged“,rubbing shoulders on the `high table',

the framework for economic cooperation in the joint statement maps

further opening up our markets.

This is happening when the US continues to actively discourage,

through policy prescriptions, US firms from outsourcing, adversely

affecting employment in India.

There is a satisfactory purr in `Shining India' that the US has endorsed

India's entry into the United Nations Security Council as a permanent

member.

Speaking to us in Parliament, through us to India, Obama invoked

many an Indian icon, acknowledged India's spiritual and scientific

contributions including the invention of the zero, effortlessly assayed

through Chandni Chowk, panchayat and Panchatantra, using this

as a cushion to declare that “increased power comes with increased

responsibility“. This was followed by a virtual admonition of India for

not articulating forcefully the issue of democracy in Myanmar.

This was followed by hailing India's commitment towards complete

nuclear disarmament and, therefore, suggesting that we fall in line

with the US in supporting sanctions on Iran. President Obama raised

these issues within the context of universal values of peace, security,

democracy and human rights. Universality of values must necessarily

be accompanied by universality of their application. Talking of

democracy in Myanmar while remaining silent on the gross violation

of the human rights of the Palestinians, or the merciless massacre of

civilians by the 50,000strong US army in Iraq or the illegal economic

blockade of Cuba sounds not merely politically selective but hollow.

Talking of nuclear proliferation and sanctions against Iran and

remaining silent on Israel reveals the agenda of imperialist strategy.

US geopolitical military strategy had led it to underwrite dictatorships

across the world in the name of protecting American interests. Hence,

one can only conclude that the US would be prepared to see India with

`increased power' but only if it comes with `increased responsibility'in

supporting its strategic interests. President Obama clearly said in as

many words in the Parliament that he expected India in its current two-

year term as a non permanent member of the UN Security Council to

play such a role. He has, thus, put India on probation. A probationary

period of two years when support to US positions will determine the

latter's support for India's permanent membership.

`Shining India' is also glowing in a sense of `triumphalism' that the

US has finally nailed Pakistan on the issue of terrorism. Obama spoke

of Pakistan's need to dismantle `terrorist apparatus' on its soil and

bring the perpetrators of 26/11 to book. This comes on the back of

billions of dollars of aid that the US has given Pakistan in return for its

military and logistical help in anti-Taliban operations in Afghanistan.

The fact of the matter is that the US needs Pakistan in these efforts. It

would, thus, be naïve for us in India to hope that the US would jettison

Pakistan and support us in the fight against terrorism. The US `Af-Pak'

strategy cannot advance without Pakistan.

In the final analysis, India has to battle the terrorist menace -as we

continue to do -on the basis of its own strength and resilience. Instead,

that we are relying on the illusory props of US support explains why

India failed to raise the issue of David Headley's extradition.

Likewise India failed to remind Obama that double standards on

dealing with industrial accidents are not acceptable. Dow chemicals must be

made to account for the Bhopal gas tragedy like Obama made BP shell

out billions for the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

India's position in the world's comity of nations lies in its intrinsic

internal strength. It is precisely this strength that will be weakened

when India seeks the status of a subordinate ally of the US as the crutch

to `arrive' in the world.

These and many other crucial issues will continue to engage us as we

battle to improve the livelihoods of the vast majority of impoverished

Indians -the real India. We, the Indian Left have heard Obama. It is

now his turn to listen.

Sitaram Yechury is CPI(M) Politburo member and Rajya Sabha MP

The views expressed by the author are personal