Replies

<< India likely to vote with U.S. on Iran in IAEA >>

If that is true it will be a welcome move in the right direction.

But there's still a very very very long way to go given India's track record of having, for almost sixty years, in international forums, including at the UN, voted more than 80% of the time against America's interests.

We live in prayer -- and hope.

Brian, thanks for the ping.

However I am going to have to disagree with you here. I am sorry whatever I am about say might anger a lot of people here, most here at FR would disagree with me but I would like you to know that this is how India thinks.

America's demand that we strike off relation with Iran is unfair, unjustified and undeserving. It (US) is asking for too much of a price for friendship with India. I am afraid India is unlikely to give into such silly demands. This is not how "India" functions. We are not Pakistan to switch sides and ditch ol' time allies overnight to derive material gains from US (as the Pakistanis did with Taliban). India is no client state of the US and we dont intend to be one if thats your idea of an "alliance". Washington does not make decisions on our foreign policy. I am sorry we do not give into this kind of arm twisting.

Iran is a great friend of India and we have excellent relation with Iran. Iran is also among the only true ally we have in the Islamic world. It would be a very sad day to see India voting against Iran (even when they have been a good friend of our) only to please our American suitors. Notwithstanding America's (HRWOT) hollow rhetorical war on terrorism such "you are either with us or with the terrorists" the US itself chooses to keep allies like Pakistan that has broken every law in the book (and Saudi Arabia) and asks of us to give up on Iran. US wanting India to join the "US lead international bandwagon" to tighten the screws on Iran to make it back down from Nuclear fuel processing does not make for a very convincing case to Indian ears as long as US grants billions of dollars of military and monetary aid and advance weaponry to Pakistan which virtually ran an international nuclear walmart and Iran itself being among its list of prime beneficiary.

India has no moral right to advise Iran not to build nuclear weapons when we(India) ourselves have violated the norms of NPT and went on to built the bomb.The Iranians essentially hold the same position on NPT (that its an unfair and discriminatory regime aimed at creating and maintaining a divide between the haves and have-nots) that we held for so long. It seems our spineless Congress government is ready to bend over backwards to please the US government even as the US itself is neither ready nor willing to concede anything in favour of India. The US has so far only dangled the "nuclear technology" carrot (which is facing stiff opposition in the US Senate and seems unlikely to be ratified) and moreover its not ready to support India's bid for a permanent seat at the UN as it does incase of Japan. Incase of Kashmir issue (the less said the better), the US is outrightly helping Pakistan as Condoleezza Rice calls on Dr. Singh to accept more of Pakistani demands. And its for this reason the (otherwise pro-US) BJP and NDA alliance is now against the Indo-US deal, the leftist are already against the US and that leaves the Congress. Should American arm twisting continue then I doubt there would be any Indian political party left supporting the US. In my opinion, if India is not in a position to vote in favour of Iran then we must abstain, but definitely no vote in favour of US. Not unless the US is ready to accept our demands.

Brian, we never voted for (or against) American interests but only in favour of Indian interests and thats how it will remain for the next 60 years.

Indo-US Issues Ping.

Freepmail me if you want on/off.