[Gengis Khan]

<< 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.

[razoroccam]

Unfortunately Gengis, you are wrong on four critical issues:

1. Iran is not a friend of India. Start with Nadir Shah, through the Shah of Iran (who gave money to Pakistan) to present day Iran (which pressures India every time a Muslim in India, even a terrorist, sneezes)

2. Iran was and is a signatory to the NPT, India is not. Therefore, India's building the bomb was not breaking the rules of NPT. Iran would be breaking the NPT regulations.

3. You cannot equate Iran's acquisition of nuclear weapons to that of India. Iran has offered nuclear technology to all Muslim countries. How often has India offered to share its nuclear knowhow?

4. India is being short sighted about the gas pipeline. How long would gas from Iran take care of India's needs? And how easily would it be held hostage to upheavals in Pakistan and Iran? In contrast, nuclear plants offered by US would help India without having to rely on unstable supply issues. As long as it doesn't piss off Australia (i.e. they can keep winning cricket matches, but with the team we have, that should be no problem)

[ulmo3]

We are not signatories to NPT so we cannot violate NPT when we never agreed to it in the first place

[swarthyguy]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4485523.stm

India's Iranian cafes fading out

By Jayshree Bajoria
BBC News, Mumbai



Many of the cafes have shut up shop due to competition
The Iranian cafes in the western Indian city of Mumbai (formerly Bombay) have long stood out from other city eateries - but their days could be numbered.

With their red and white checked tablecloths, straight backed wooden chairs and the aroma of freshly baked bread and sweet cake, the cafes are an indelible part of Mumbai's cosmopolitan heritage.

But all this may well become a thing of the past.

Having withstood a century of change, the cafes are feeling the heat in Mumbai's fiercely competitive food market.

Many of the so-called Irani cafes are getting a complete makeover and becoming pubs or restaurants. Others are simply shutting up shop.


And so it goes. Increasing prosperity wipes out a landmark institution.

[Tailgunner Joe]

Don't give in to U.S. pressure on Iran: Karat - Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat on Friday said India-Iran relations could not be held hostage to the United States. He asked the United Progressive Alliance Government to act in India's interest and pursue an independent foreign policy. "The UPA Government should not be stampeded into taking any stand against Iran which will undo the work done in recent years to establish close ties with Iran."

---

Will India side with Red Jihad against America? I think we already know the answer.

[Tailgunner Joe]

"India can trust us to protect their peace pipe to Iran. Really."

[familyop]

The Iranian leaders shout for the destruction of Israel and the USA. It's up to you and India. Either join us, or join the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and its military adjuncts. We in the USA will not continue to feed technology through India to evil regimes, each of which wants to eventually be the prevailing empire.

And contrary to propaganda in some small "elite" British circles (especially some businessmen) that we, as they, entertain desires of "empire," we certainly do not. If India would rather fight it out later with its preferred friends in the east (the mullahs, for example) for a chance at ruling the world, that's her business. We can let that happen, with the exception, of course, that no other nation will antagonistically touch countries like Taiwan, Australia, Japan, New Zealand or other of our Pacific Rim allies without paying a miserable price.

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