IS SINGH KING?

Manmohan Singh

Prime Minister Singh of India came to Washington, was feted as expected and has left after the usual bland joint communiqué was issued. Indian spin masters and the paid hacks in the US think tanks and media is now busy turning a non-event into an event but there are limits to which you can go with a damp squib. The US media has been somewhat restrained and busy with the new Obama strategy on Afghanistan.

Much is being made of India-US cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. The US has been and is a strong presence there and it has excellent bilateral relations with the countries in the region. It is India that is worming itself there on US coat tails. The countries in the region have duly noted Indian ambitions and will no doubt have their own views and reactions. The US does not need US-Ind in AS-PAC nor do the regional countries—they would like to trade and interact with India on their own terms.

India is equating itself with the US and trying to forge a 'space partnership'. Does the US need India for this? How will others see this cooperation? An unpopular and largely condemned India-US Civil Nuclear Technology Agreement that is seen as country specific and discriminatory should not lead to more destabilizing ventures.

There was much talk of Afghanistan and by Singh only - Pakistan. Wisely the US remained restrained and quiet on Pakistan in their bilateral discussions even though Singh took every possible opportunity before and during the visit to malign Pakistan and hold it responsible for terrorism in the region and India. Two things are noteworthy. First a statement by the Indian Army Chief that 'South Asia had gradually emerged as one of the epicenters of conflict and destabilization and that the situation would further worsen since there was neither any political or diplomatic unity nor any common ground to build a consensus to fight this new war' Truer words were never spoken. South Asia includes India and you develop unity and common ground against a threat through dialogue - something that Singh and his advisers do not want. Or perhaps Singh does want it because he said so in Sharm el Shaikh but then recanted under South Block tutelage!! The other event is the Lieberhan report that indicts the BJP leadership for the terror that led to the destruction of a 16th Century mosque and the consequent killing of thousands of protesting Moslems. Both these cast a pall on the Washington doings.

Inevitably India's internal situation must have been on everyone's mind—the 'real' India behind the façade of an emerging power house. The grinding poverty, the treatment meted out to minorities especially the 'untouchable' Dalits, the freedom struggle against Indian atrocities in Kashmir, the insurgent movements in India's North Eastern states, the Hindoo extremists and their terrorism with the connivance of India's politicians and security agencies and the involvement of serving and retired military personnel in extremist terror. Bollywood, to its credit, highlights all this in their films.

Finally as Obama and Singh discussed Afghanistan the wise words of General McChrystal must have been on Obama's mind---the security concerns raised by India's large presence in Afghanistan. The fact is that India is piggy backing on the US in Afghanistan and what it is doing is counter to US interests. Singh was not king.

GREG MATTHEWS

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