This new "Framework" entails: conducting joint exercises and exchanges; collaborating in multinational operations; strengthening the militaries’ capabilities to defeat terrorism; enhancing the capabilities to combat proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; increasing defence sales to India; and expanding collaboration in missile defence. During his visit Pranab Mukherjee met senior Bush officials, including the vice-president and secretaries of Defence, State and Commerce, the National Security Advisor, the chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff and leading members of the Congress. He also visited the Joint Forces Command and the Northern Command. The Agreement has been signed on the eve of the very first meeting between the heads of the two countries, paving the way for even greater capitulation!!

The Agreement was followed by the setting up of a Defence Procurement Production Group to oversee defence trade and look into the possibilities of technology collaboration. These agreements take a quantum leap forward the defence relations with the US compared to the earlier agreement signed a decade back. The earlier set up Defence Policy Group will continue to serve as the primary mechanism to guide the bilateral strategic defence relationship. The speed at which these agreements were signed makes it clear that the groundwork had already been done secretly.

This push towards the US imperialists is taking place with a government backed by the so-called left CPI/CPM. The extent of the capitulation by the present UPA government is in no way different from that of the earlier NDA government, notwithstanding the mock opposition of the revisionists in power. NDA rule witnessed a huge leap in the number of port calls by US warships and joint exercises at sea, in the air and even on the land.

The serious implications of this agreement will mean: (i) there will be more involvement of the US, indirectly and even directly, in the suppression of the peoples’ movements within the country and in South Asia, particularly those led by the Maoists; (ii) Indian soldiers will be used as cannon fodder to further US geo-political interests worldwide and particularly in Asia; (iii) the strategic implications of the agreement will mean even greater servility before the US demon, implementing their orders with horrifying affects on the lives of the people of the country.

The US and Indian armed forces have already been involved in a series of joint counter-insurgency training campaigns within the country, particularly in the North East. The aggressive policies of the present government against the Maoists have the full backing of the US administration. In fact it was the US that had first goaded the rulers to take a tough stand in the wake of the unity of the Maoists, threatening that it would affect foreign investments in the country.

Besides internal interference in police activities by the US, it is clear from the Framework that the servile Indian defence minister has agreed to use Indian soldiers as cannon fodder to serve US interests worldwide. With the US having already faced about 2,000 casualties in Iraq (official figure) and thousands more seriously injured, the US is desperate to find people from the backward countries to be in the firing line for their new wars. Both the NDA and UPA government tried their utmost to send Indian troops to Iraq, but were stalled from doing so due to hostility from the masses. But now, in future the Framework will be utilised to do so. Already India has one of the largest numbers of ‘peacekeeping’ forces abroad. The Framework talks of "taking the strategic cooperation between the two countries to a qualitatively different plane in the spheres of multilateral operations, disaster response, ‘peace’-building, and spreading ‘democracy’ worldwide". In other words now the US plans outsourcing of some of its political and military tasks. The Defence Agreement envisages the deployment of Indian troops in unidentified US-led "multilateral operations" around the world regardless of whether these are authorized by the UN or not. In fact in the Framework the section that deals with the "commitment to assist in building a worldwide capacity to conduct successful peacekeeping operations" there is not even a mention of the UN. Not even in passing. So, the Framework, in effect, recognises US hegemony worldwide and offers to assist the process.

When read alongside of the aim of "enhancing the capabilities to combat proliferation of weapons of mass destruction", the agreement to collaborate in multilateral operations, amounts to an indirect signing up of the notorious US Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI). The PSI is a US-led multinational initiative involving the attack on third country ships on the high seas. Among the major countries in Asia opposed to the PSI are China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Iran. But the excessively servile Indian government has de facto signed on the dotted line. Anyhow, even before this agreement the Indian Navy has been assisting the US naval forces in policing the strategic Straits of Malacca.

The Framework also stated that India and the US will expand collaboration in the field relating to missile defence. This is not surprising as, under NDA rule in 2001, India was the first country to support the US’s plans for a Ballistic Missile Defence, even before the NATO countries did.

The third important aspect of the Framework is the plan to shift purchase of military equipment on a huge scale to the US. Already the US has offered India 120 F-16 fighter planes (the same offered to Pakistan). This will not only give a boost to the crisis-ridden US companies like Boeing, but will further tie India to US dependence on military hardware. The US stooge, Mukherjee, went so far as to state that "India could be an excellent base for the US defence industry in a number of areas". He added that "we need to, in a purposeful and progressive manner, remove impediments coming in the way of our natural alliance to join hands to make this world a more secure, peaceful and prosperous place". A bilateral Defence Procurement and Production Group has been set up to oversee trade and prospects for cooperation for coproduc-tion and technology collaboration.

The Defence Framework is part of the Indian ruling class’s steps to go completely into the US camp and act as a servile tool of the US imperialists in Asia in the coming geo-political scenario. On the other hand the US sees the importance of India as part of its plans for Asia and with the long-term goal as the main bulwark in the region to counter the emerging giant — China. No sooner had this Agreement been signed that one of America’s chief think tanks, the Carnegie Institute released a report on the importance of India for US’s worldwide plans. This Report is an eye-opener on what the US seeks with India.

The Report entitled, India as a New Global Power: An Action Agenda for the United States, was presented by J.Tellis, a defence and nuclear expert and senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. It was released in conjunction with the former ambassador to India, Robert Blackwill. It was Tellis who was one of the chief advisors to push the strategic partnership put forward by the Bush/Vajpayee regimes.

The Reports says "Bush should aid the growth of India’s national power by augmenting its economic and defence capabilities, not jam the brakes. He must … support India’s bid for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council, pull India out of the ‘netherworld’ of nuclear technology, offer a defence partnership and share information across the board — political, scientific, technological — to show that New Delhi is a real partner." This report even calls on the US to support the Iran pipe line and remove all restrictions to India on hi-tech technology transfer even in the sphere of defence.

Further Tellis has big ideas for the defence sector. He proposes: "a comprehensive defence partnership" which can integrate the military-to-military relations, defence trade and production, joint research and operations into a single document; India and the US can sign an MoU on operations in the Indian Ocean; US companies could be encouraged to invest in India’s defence sector.

The Tellis report also calls for detailed involvement in counter-insurgency operations in India. The report says "Given the scale, diversity, and sophistication of terrorist networks in India, New Delhi’s interest in computer forensics, network surveillance, and the protection of supervisory control and data acquisition systems as means to defeat terrorism is not only under-standable but ought to be supported as part of the US global struggle against this menace". It adds that the "strategic dialogue should focus on India’s membership to the UN Security Council, defence ties, cyber security and space cooperation."

The Tellis Report clearly states that India should be built as a bulwark against an emerging China. It says " an unbridled China is not in the US interest and by bolstering India, the US can arrest the growth of Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean rimlands and Chinese penetration of Myanmar……… India is a potential hedge against a rising China".

In fact in 2002 itself the Pentagon had commissioned a report entitled The Indo-US Military Relationship: Expectations and Perceptions. This 131 page report had the purported aim to: "reveal the opportunities for the impediments to military-to-military cooperation". In this report US officials spoke of the value of India in America’s emerging Asian strategy. This Report clearly states that the "US military seeks a competent military partner that can take on more responsibility for low-end operations (i.e. do the dirty and risky jobs) in Asia, such as peace-keeping operations, search and rescue, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and high-value cargo escort, which will allow the US to concentrate on high-end fighting missions". To put it in simple words the US will use Indian military for its purpose as its front paw, using Indian troops as cannon fodder; and after the dirty jobs are done the US forces will enter to take control. This report too talks of using India to deal with the strategic challenge from China. Such a role has serious and dangerous implications. It de facto means outsourcing military jobs to India.

The Report openly states that US military officials are "candid in their plans to eventually seek access to Indian bases and military infrastructure."

In the geo-politics of the world imperialism, and particularly of Asia, India has an enormous significance. That is why it is much coveted by the major imperialist powers. With all powers contending it is the sole superpower in the world today that has an edge. Since the 1980s the Indian ruling classes have been shifting closer and closer into the US camp. Which ever party has been part of the power structures, including the CPI/CPM, there has been little change in this trend. After 2000, even with the growing rift between the US on the one side and the EU and Russia on the other, the Indian rulers have even further developed their close ties with the US (though the other powers have been competing for influence — particularly Russia and the EU countries).

The significance of India in imperialist strategies is for a number of reasons: First, it is a huge country of over one billion people and therefore an important market and source of raw materials. Second, with a huge army and para-military force it can become a bulwark of reaction and counter-revolution in the region. This is specifically important given the growth of the Maoist movements in Nepal, India and the potential for growth in Bangla Desh. In fact the three major Maoist-led people’s wars are in Asia — Nepal, India and the Philippines. Third, India is seen as a counter to a resurgent China. Fourth, its huge population and armed forces can be an important source of cannon fodder for the imperialists in the unfolding war-like situations being precipitated throughout the world. And lastly, India has a long history of a servile ruling class who have danced to the tune of the imperialists and colonialists for over two centuries — they are a trusted force for the imperialist war-mongers.

It is only the people of India who can foil the schemes of the imperialists and their servile tools within the country. Only mass opposition to the Defence Agreement can prevent its implementation. Only an anti-imperialist mass upsurge can prevent the continuous capitulation of the country into the hands of the imperialists, particularly the US. Meanwhile, great dangers await the people of the country as the rulers rush into the imperialist clutches!