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With the Bush visit
we have already seen how the Indian ruling classes fell at his feet. But this
was only a culmination to the consistently servile policies of the Indian rulers
to the US (and it allies) interests. The bonding between the US TNCs and the
Indian comprador big business houses has gone so far that during the Bush visit
the CEO-Forum of ten such from US and India put forward a vast number of
humiliating suggestions for implementation in India’s economic policies which
fully serves US interests. Instead of rejecting it outright the Planning
Commission has set up a as many as 24 commissions to look into each of the
‘suggestions’. With the head of the country and the head of the Planning
Commission ex-employees of the IMF/World Bank can one expect anything different?
But this bonding was to be seen even earlier as a run up to the visit.
It is not just US
High Commissioner’s arrogance to dictate Indian policy and issue threats, but
the Indian ruler’s servility that allows for such open display of imperial
authority. Till now what was done behind closed doors is taking place openly.
Such is their confidence of the Indian ruling elite dancing to their tune. First
Mulford openly threatens that if India did not vote against Iran at the IAEA
meeting the US would retaliate. Then he openly castigates the Left for opposing
foreign investment in the retail sector.
Then the British High
Commissioner, Michael Arthour, warns the Indian government against sale of
military aircraft to Myanmar after the offer of BN-2 Islander aircraft was made
by the Chief o Naval Staff to Myanmar. He warned that any such sales could
impact the Navy’s plans the fighter on the aircraft carrier INS Virat and also
supplies and spares for helicopters.
Then the US tells
India to back off from the oil deal with Syria. In December last year the ONGC
Videsh Ltd. (OVL) and China National Petroleum Corporation teamed up to purchase
a 37% stake in the Al-Furat oil and gas field from Petro Canada for $573
million. The US stated that "the US strongly opposes such investments in
Syrian resources". In blatant arrogance it added that the US encourages
India "to send the Syrian government a tough message that the international
community — in which your nation plays a crucial and growing role — expects
Syria to improve its behaviour before other States can resume normal dealing
with it".
Not only that, the US
is directly intervening in the political appointees. The removal of Natwar Singh
and now Mani Shankar Aiyer at US behest is linked to the fact that they were
closer to the other imperialist powers and for promoting the Iran oil pipe line.
Aiyer’s conflict with the Chairman of the ONGC, a total stooge of the West, was
also along the same lines. It is not surprising that on the eve of the removal
of Mani Shankar Aiyer, the Chairman of ONGC, Subir Raha, on Jan 19th signed an
all-encompassing deal with the Shell Company. The agreement was for the joint
exploration and production of oil and gas, cooperation in international
projects, joint development of coal bed methane gas, export of petroleum
products, joint participation in the petro chemical plant in Hazira and many
more points of cooperation. Now the Indian rulers have once again bowed to US
dictates to vote the US sponsored resolution at the IAEA against Iran when three
other countries had the guts to vote against and another five abstained. The
resolution goes against the very rules of the NPT, drafted by the imperialists
and signed by Iran. India, has the audacity to dictate to the Iranians not to
enrich uranium even for peaceful purposes when itself is a nuclear power.
Not satisfied with
the present level of political intervention in the country the US is all set for
a massive physical intervention in order to increase its diplomatic pressures
even further. In what Condoleeza Rice terms "transformational diplomacy" the US
has planned a massive influx of officials into the country. As a first step in
addressing the changing world , Rice said that the US will begin a major
repositioning of American diplomatic personnel across the world, including
moving 100 positions from Europe and the headquarters in Washington to countries
like India and China. Rice also pointed out that there are nearly 200 cities
worldwide with over one million population in which America has no formal
presence. Where establishing new consulates id not immediately feasible, Rice
said Washington will go with a more economical idea called an American Presence
Post (APP). Under the plan US diplomats will move outside the embassy to live
and work and represent America in an emerging community.
In this context new
American consulates and posts are on the cards in Hyderabad, Bangalore and
Ahmedabad. Steps are also being taken to send scores of officials to the
diplomatic corps in India. It sound more like the colonial days!! With this
influx we can expect more arm-twisting and greater intervention of the US in
every sphere of the country’s life.
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