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Government rejects Left’s criticism of Foreign Policy

	October 09, 2006

The Manmohan Singh Government says that it has not only pursued an independent foreign policy, but has demonstrated far greater autonomy in decision-making concerning foreign policy and security issues, than has been the case in recent years, especially under the previous Vajpayee Government. The UPA has rejected the Left’s criticism that the Government has been toeing the US line on major issues and failed to pursue an independent foreign policy.



In a written response to the Left parties on their note on the performance of the Manmohan Singh government on different issues, including foreign policy, the Government said that the defence cooperation with the United States was no different from similar cooperation with other countries. On allegations of arms purchases from Washington, the Government said it has not gone in for any massive arms procurement from the United States. On India’s vote on Iran’s nuclear issue, the Government claimed that it had no connection whatsoever to pressure from the United States or any other country.



As regards Pakistan, the Government said that there is no room for compromise on our position that Pakistan must adhere to the commitment it made in January 2004 to act against terrorism directed at India.





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Foreign policy initiatives on uncertain ground



Observers, however, point out that the UPA Government’s three ambitious foreign policy initiatives are on uncertain ground: its much-trumpeted nuclear deal with the US, its high-profile bid to have an Indian as UN Secretary General and its high-stakes effort for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council.



While expending huge resources, political capital and international goodwill on these three initiatives, all of which are now tottering on the brink of failure, Pakistan has cleverly stolen a march over India on the world diplomatic stage.



Last month, Pakistan was unanimously elected to chair the Group of 77 (G77), the world’s largest coalition of 134 countries, even bigger than the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) with 118 members. India was handed the G77 chairmanship on a platter, but the UPA government turned down the offer.



Similarly, in the run-up to the Havana NAM summit, India was sounded out about assuming the next chairmanship of the movement it helped found 45 years ago. That offer, too, was turned down by the Manmohan Singh government. As a result, the Havana summit chose Egypt, another co-founder of NAM, to host its next summit in Cairo in 2009.



India’s rejection of the G77 and NAM chairmanships was reportedly the result of an illusion in South Block that India was now part of the “big boys’ club” and did not need its traditional allies and partners any longer.







That illusion was reinforced by a view that the US was now India’s “natural ally.”



But when it came to the crunch, Washington did not support New Delhi’s bid either for a permanent seat in the Security Council or in electing Shashi Tharoor as the next UN Secretary- General.



With Pakistan at the helm of G77 and New Delhi’s kid gloves approach to Cuba’s radical leadership of NAM, India is suddenly finding that it has no allies at the UN and no one to turn to for bloc support.



India has only the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, but SAARC is often a platform for member countries to use India as their whipping boy.



The Pacific group is the biggest sub-group among members of G77. So when Asia’s turn to lead G77 in 2007 came, Pacific countries approached New Delhi with a request to take over the chairmanship, according to their diplomats.



But New Delhi stubbornly rejected the suggestion twice. Similarly, a large number of NAM members were keen that India should host the 2009 NAM summit, especially to correct any radical deviation that the movement may assume under Cuba’s current chairmanship.



That too was summarily rejected by New Delhi. For India, whose nominee to the UN Human Rights Committee, Justice P.N. Bhagwati, was re-elected for the fourth time last month with the second highest number of votes, the sudden changes represent an avoidable reversal of fortune.



But it is also a reminder of the fickleness of international relationships and the constant need for diversity in networking, observers say.



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Sonia Gandhi backs Left demand on Women’s Reservation Bill



Congress president Sonia Gandhi has backed the Left parties’ demand for tabling the Women’s Reservation Bill in its original form in the Winter Session of Parliament. The Left leaders said after the UPA-Left Coordination Meeting on October 4, “Sonia Gandhi supported our demand to introduce the Bill as it is.” Home Minister Shivraj Patil pointed out at three-hour meeting the problems of bringing the Bill in its original form saying there was divergence of opinion on reservation for the weaker sections.



A major part of the meeting was devoted to food security, wheat imports and related issues, with the Left parties telling the Government that they disagreed with the manner in which the wheat imports were handled. The Government promised to review the criteria for issue of Below Poverty Line (BPL) cards.



On the issue of privatization, the Left parties said outside of Delhi and Mumbai airports modernization, they would not agree to the route adopted by the Government. On its part, the Government representatives said that the Airports Authority of India would be given opportunity in modernization of 35 non-metro airports.



As regards Kolkata and Chennai, it was said that the West Bengal and Tamil Nadu Governments suggested the privatization/modernization route. However, the Left leaders pointed out that the subject was in the domain of the Centre and outside the purview of State Governments.



Besides Sonia Gandhi, the UPA was represented at the meeting by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Patil, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, Minister of State in PMO Prithviraj Chavan and Ahmed Patel.



The Left leaders present at the meeting were Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat, Politburo member Sitaram Yechury, CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan, its National Secretary D. Raja and Revolutionary Socialist Party Secretary Abani Roy.