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Saturday, August 08, 2009

The Russians also deserve our thanks


Pity the poor Russians. They have not been given any thanks for helping us build our nuclear propelled submarine. The media, out of ignorance or jingoist pride ignored them, the Department of Atomic Energy and Defence Research and Development Organisation officials are still waxing pompously about their respective “achievements”, shamelessly stealing credit for designing not just the sub, but its reactor and the Sagarika submarine launched missile as well. The Indian Navy, in tune with the motto of Silent Service, has stayed silent.

Two weeks ago, when US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited India, the media fell over itself in trying to outdo each other. There were affirmations and promises galore on how our “strategic” relationship will flourish. But the core outcomes were a technology safeguards agreement and the end-user monitoring agreement, whose essential purpose was to lay down conditions on which the US would sell us defence and aerospace materials and equipment.

Friends

The Russians also have conditionalities, but most relate to intellectual property rights, not what use India will put to a piece of equipment. Considering we are talking about weapons or instruments of war, isn’t it somewhat peculiar that there is need to prove you are using it in a “legitimate” fashion? Let us get a sense of proportion here.
No other country, most certainly not the United States, would sell us an aircraft carrier. As for helping us design a boomer, that would be simply unthinkable. But the Russians have done both. And not only have they not got any thanks for it, the Comptroller & Auditor General has jumped on them for overcharging India for the refit of a disused aircraft carrier, Gorshkov. In our righteous indignation we fail to see that we are dealing with a seller’s market here.


The Gorshkov facts are somewhat complex. The large carrier, commissioned in 1987, was damaged by fire and lay in the shipyard for years before India decided to acquire it in 1996. The best of inspections — and there were several — failed to gauge the level of refurbishment needed. Indeed, when the Russians reached the engines, which were expected to be in good conditions, they found two of the six needed to be replaced and four were in need of considerable repair. They did the needful without presenting a bill.
As for the Arihant, without Russian designs, drawings, technical assistance for the hull and the nuclear reactor, we would not have been able to build the ATV.
Srikumar Banerjee, Director Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, told newsmen at Kalpakkam on Sunday that “we have used the Russians as consultants” though he insisted that “everything is totally indigenous.” He is understating the truth by several magnitudes, and don’t let the DAE tell you that the NPT or the Nuclear Suppliers Group occasions the subterfuge. A loophole in the NPT permits marine reactor export, and as for the NSG, we have applied the “grandfather” clause since the Russians have been helping us on the reactor from the 1980s, before they became members of the NSG.

Americans

That the US does not provide its cutting edge technology to everyone and anyone is understandable, as is the fact that it puts conditions on its use. Accepting conditions to import such technology would be a necessary evil. What is inexplicable is that India is being forced to accept conditionalities for importing equipment — some of it dated — that the Americans are desperate to sell.
We accepted conditionalities on a 36-year old amphibious transport ship USS Trenton (now INS Jalashwa) which restricts us from deploying the ship in offensive operations. Why we have a ship in our naval fleet that cannot be used for offensive operations is not clear.
The Trenton conditions became known through the C&AG which had occasion to examine and criticise this purchase in 2006. What could the conditions be were India to agree to buy American-made aircraft —the F-16 or the FA-18 — to meet its needs for as many as 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft? Could we be denied the right to use them against Pakistan? General conditions such that you can only use them for “legitimate self-defence” are always open to interpretation.
The issue is not that the Americans are bad and Russians are good. But that India needs to carefully balance its relationships keeping its self-interest at the fore. It also needs to clearly understand that when it comes to strategic programmes, the US and India are simply not on the same page.
The US may have agreed to a nuclear deal as part of their grand strategy. But it was also an acknowledgment that the forty year old non-proliferation treaty was not working. It was punishing countries like India, whose non-proliferation record is excellent, and benefiting China whose is simply abominable, and was also being used by signatories like Iran and North Korea to camouflage their nuclear weapons programmes.
Russia has been India’s tried and tested associate — let’s not use the cliched “friend.” This relationship has been forged in the crucible of regional politics and is based on enlightened self- interest. USSR/Russia backed India on Jammu & Kashmir and still does, and has backed almost every regional initiative India has undertaken, including the liberation of Bangladesh.



Self-interest persuaded the two to stand by the Northern Alliance against the Taliban in the dark days of the mid-1990s. It was fickle Uncle Sam, in its temporary self-interest, which created the mujahideen in the 1980s, and is now fighting them and wants the world to do the same. It is entirely possible that come 2011, the US declares victory and pulls out of Afghanistan leaving us high and dry.
India and Russia were united, too, in understanding the Chinese threat. For the US, this is a matter of the moment. Sometimes Beijing is up on a pedestal where it can do no wrong, even when it gives away nuclear weapons designs. At other times it is an adversary that Washington does not know how to handle.
As the world’s only real superpower, the US has the luxury of acting on whim, and it does. But it also drags its “friends” and allies into the bar when it goes on a bender, as it did with the mujahideen in the 1980s, and more recently in Iraq. Its action in knocking out the Taliban in 2001, and then taking the dangerous detour to Iraq, have only strengthened the Taliban and expanded their influence into Pakistan.

Balance

In some measure this is a result of the American political process which, over the years, has displayed a dangerous level of partisanship. Political attitudes between the right and the left have hardened and there seems to be little meeting ground between them. Some of this ideological conflict is spilling over into world affairs with negative consequences.
Despite the end of the Cold War, the world has remained a dangerous place. Though buffeted by its backwash, India has managed to play a role as a major stabilising force in the South Asian region. The record will show that Russia has been a helpful factor; this is not just today, when it has retreated from its Cold War frontline positions. The US has made significant efforts to befriend India, but there is considerable historical baggage and mistrust between us that we must first overcome.
The Indian grand strategy has to be to get extra-regional powers to see things our way, rather than the other way around. Unfortunately, New Delhi seems to be determined to play second fiddle to Washington DC.
Perhaps we are dazzled by the American attention. But even so, let’s not forget the Russians, who have, by loyally tailing us in the region, enhanced our security and provided us the much needed room for maneuver.
This article appeared in Mail Today August 6, 2009

9 comments:

syed asadullah said...

Current affairs
13 Aug 2009, NewAgeIslam.Com

CHINA’ S GRAND STRATEGY TO SPLIT INDIA

Try to break India into 30 parts, Chinese official think tank tells govt
In April last year, Zhan wrote an article, ‘A Warning to the Indian Government: Don’t Be Evil!’, which accused India of adopting the “same old path of confrontation with China” that had led to war in 1962 by reinforcing its troops in Arunachal Pradesh. At the time Indian officials had pointed out that the CIISS was always headed by a senior party functionary and “several senior members from the Chinese Communist Party are known to write under aliases on its website.” They had suspected that Zhan was a senior party member writing under a pseudonym. Taken together, the Zhan Lue articles and the Global Times editorials suggest serious undercurrents of anti- Indianism in China. -- Manoj Joshi
The tense relations between the Han Chinese and the ethnic minorities — particularly the Uighurs and the Tibetans — are historical and China for decades kept these under wraps using brutal methods and by killing their identities, culture, language. For years, Beijing demonised them as terrorists.
Chinese officials had said the country is facing a “life- and- death struggle” in Tibet and southern Xinjiang.
China’s traditional practice of killing domestic issues through international support, especially from the Muslim states, may be getting dated now. Sympathy for the Tibetans and Uyghur’s is growing even among the Muslim countries. -- P. Stobdan
Photo: Manoj Joshi
URL of this page: http://newageislam.org/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1642

Anonymous said...

>>Shamelessly stealing credit

Where have they shamelessly stolen credit? The Sagarika is an Indian missile through and through. Your loathing and self doubt colours everything you write about India. Please leave your leftist tendencies apart when you write about Indian R&D and the DRDO, for they make you come across as an inveterate liar.
It was no less than the PM who specifically called upon the contributions of the Russian specialists during the Arihant launch and thanked them. Not only that, but they stood shoulder to shoulder with Navy, DRDO and DAE personnel having been given special access.

And you cant even do basic research apparently. You write, that the Russians gave us VM-5 reactors, one of which the dastardly DAE assembled at its land based site. Then you go ahead and say that the Arihant has the same reactor (the second imported from Russia) and of 85 MWT. A few minutes researching the topic would have shown you that the VM-5 is 177 MWT, and not 85 MWT and that clearly, your two statements are contradictory.

Mr Joshi, I used to read your articles with great interest in the 80's. You were one of the better defence correspondents in the country. After that, you have ossified. Your constant attacks on the DRDO, Scientific establishment are but poorly researched diatribes and not even well researched critiques of specific areas they are weak in and need to address.

Its a shame actually, and your political bias towards the center-left has clouded any objectivity you once displayed or so it appears.

Unknown said...

MJ is quite right.All media reports thus far have clearly shown that the Russian involvement in out ATV project was the cornerstone for its success thus far.Russia has always been a true and trusted friend unlike the US which is right now wanting to send an arsenal of arms to Pak,from Iraq too, even though its own reports say that Pak is modifying these weapons for use against India.We should instead blacklist ALL US arms manufacturers until the US stops supplying Pak with arms.But has our weak and soft leadership sold out to the US and prefer to be lackeys of Uncle Sam instead of being proud independent Indians?

Anonymous said...

ATV has VM-4 reactor not the VM-5 reactor

and no one from russia or india would acknowledge this that its VM-4 reactor built in india with russian help despite it is

indians don't have ability to design civilian nuclear reactor thats why we need to import reactors from abroad so how can indian scientists build reactor for ATV

but some nerds on "bharat rakshak" won't believe this

Anonymous said...

Joshi ji,
gaandu ke jaise baat mat karo.
bharat se dushmani hai tumhari lagta hai.
Yeh angrezi jo tum likh rahe ho, kya iske liye angrejon ko kabhi shukriya kiya tha tumne? Kya is blog ka software banane waale ko shukriya kiya tha tumne?

Tumhaare jaise log, bus ek hi concept leke jeetey hain. Bharat mein sub kuch corrupt hai, sara system sada hua hai.
Tumhaari dukh bhari zindagi mein kya kya haadse huye hongey, bus hum to soch hi sakte hain, tumhari vitriol bhari writings se.

Anonymous said...

the reason India was lukewarm in apprecaiting the Russian controibution was simply because india has been infiltrated by american agents like unlelctable mfor mP but installed as PM manmohan harami singh who should be tortured to death for his treachery to Indiaand his colleages and the media atooges of usa.

NOW WE KNOW HOW THE AGENDA OF THIS TRAITOR MANMOHAN SINGH HAS BEEN FOLLOWED TO THE LETTER THOUGH HE IS NOT A LEADER OF PARTY OR COUNTRY AOR OF MEN.

THE SaME WAY WGHILE THE CONGRESS HAD BEEN DEFEATED IN AN ELELCTION 10 YEARS AGO-THE BJP WHICH CAME ON PLATFORM OF ANTI GLAOBALIZATION HAD TO CHANGE TACK WITHIN 5 DAYS.
THE MEDIA SAID THAT FINANCE MISNTER SHOULD BE THE SAME PRO WEST PRO GLAOBALIZATION MAN,

THE INDIAN PUBLIC HAS BEEN BOOTING OUT THE GOVTS. AFTER GOVTS. AS TERM EXPIRES BECAUSE INDIAN PUBLIC DOES NOT WANT SO CALLED

LIBERALIZATION AND PIRATE CAPITALIST SUYTEM BUT THE POLITICANS INT EH PAY PACKET OF BUSIENSS MEN AND MEDIA BEING PIMPS OF CAPITAL HAVE BEEN

NULLYIFYING TH ELECTION RESULT FOR LAST 15 YEARS.

THIS SYSTEM WAS BROUGHT TO INDIA BY THE AMERICAN AGENT MANOHANS SINGH WHO BRIBED THE MPS TO KEEP THE NEAO LIBERAL AGENDA OF HIS UNCLELCTABLE GOVT. BOth IN 1993 and 2008.

such people swear a lot by democracy aswell.!!


What that has done to the indian elelction process is that it has made the result of Indian elelction as farce as of any american or

british elelction result. During 60s and 70s and even 80s the Indian masses used to celebrate elcetion time as a festival of choice -the

people power to take account of the polictiicans -therefore there was a large turn out of people in voting. but having seen that even after
toppling the govt. the new govt from oppositon is made to act just like previous one-looking after interest of business class and corrupt traders-the Indian public is getting tired of voting and the voting tally is going down from 85% to 65 %. this is exactly what the corrupot business class want-the people to be depoliticised.
and that is the tactics the Indian corrupt business sclass has imported from britian and usa.

Anonymous said...

may ,1998.


Why so much apology
Why so much apology and attempts toe be in good books of enemies by
The Indian Prime Minister Mr. Vajpayee in his explanation in the Parliament?
What he should have said,he said exactly opposite. It is a known fact-and
escepeially known by utterances of opposition leaders and testaments of former
President of India- that the opposition party(both congress and janta) had no guts to
go ahead with the test and the time was running out because of increasing subjugation
of India on econimic matters in the hands of foreign and often enemy hands.Insted
This P.M. gives credit to those gutsless partyeven to Mulam singh Yadav during
whose tenure the The Indian Army was at point of revolt.Instead of declaring
these oppostion leaders as traitors and anti-nationals(which they are) this B.j.p.
leader gives them credit for nuclear preparedness ,which is rubbish.
And why give address in english? Most of Indians understand hindi movies?
If some insist on being given translation then let us have Hindi translators.
It will give more job to hindi knowing people. In fact this english press
in India and english press abroad are our main enemies.

Nuclear test was
needed firstly because then there will never be another gulf-war like situation and even if comes
the result will be very opposite of what happened in gulf war.Secondly also
to give sense of pide and honour among thirld world and not only India.
Remember that it is the same bastard b.b.c. and anglo-american media who
led a propaganda for nuclear armament of britain and for american missiles in britain.The same british gave a overwhelming
support to their p.m.when she said in '82 that she will be ready to bomb soviet union.Forget
the fact that britan was a mouse campared with soviet power.But that irrational utterance got
her popularity soaring and media ensured that the small opposition was
virtualyy eliminated.Not only micheal foot but also kinnock was made villain.and the same briitsh prime minsiter said that if mr. foot wins then the generals will have something to say about this-in other words she was inciting military coupe in uk if foot wins-though media made sure that there was no chance of foot having any support anywhere.Such are the english race.this present

Anonymous said...

thisis what i wrote a week before nuclear test.



2nd may,1998.



The statement of Defence minister that india will constitute national security council
and then if that advises the govt. for nuclear option;thenthe indian govt. will think of it;is a sad
reflection on defence preparedness of india.That country has already been talking about keeping
nuclear option open for more than a quarter of a century and wittered away the initial lead.
It has made the country neither strong nor made any friend. Talking will not do -there is not much
time left before loosing even that option.India must make nuclear bomb now.If the govt.wants otherwise then let it
say then in the next election people will decide to elect one who will make the bomb.Defence can not be left just like that.The
prime duty of govt.is to protect people against external aggression-and india has natural enemies not only in Pakistan but also much further away.
The nuclear option is tio ensure that India does not have to succumb to any blackmail.And India must not heed to those big brothers(goons)aho did not want even
France to test nuclear weopon in '95 because they do not want any other country to get independently strong.Praesident Chirac rightly had sais,before
testing,that France needs to test to counterbalance the anglo-saxons. Therefore France rightly did not heed to their propaganda.India
must also do the same.
One thing more-talking all this nonsense talk of economy.No time in history has any country enjoyed
prosperity for long time with out strong defence.Either thier riches is taken away-as recently happened with Japan and east Asia
or as it happened many times with India.On the other hand many poor countries have enriched themselves either throgh military victory
or cheating(as in case of anglo-saxons).As Asians are not that capable of being that cheat, They have to be independently military strong.
Let Pakistan also have the same -it does not matter. China shows the way.And what is that? Indepencence,self-respect and national interest. Russia became poor when voluntarily ,on western propaganda,
she aboned military power on advice of west to convert ''tanks into tracters''. Why did west not do the samewhat it preached to Russia?
Instead it goes on incresing arms sale after ruing one competitor(Russia).
On that topic the BJP must also campaign against what Narsingha rao and Manmohan singh did to India(destroyed
Her economic independeceand retarded missiles programme)and against Mulayam singh Yadav for having weakened Defence so much that there was a virtual mutiny in
the Army. Also people have press this govt. to go for nuclear deployment.No excuse is to be entertained.

India must deploy nuclear bombs and missiles now-not for war but to avert war becauese that is ultimate deterrent.

Anonymous said...

and after nuclear test-tells about caliber of us indians -real coward and unsure race.



may ,1998.


Why so much apology
Why so much apology and attempts toe be in good books of enemies by
The Indian Prime Minister Mr. Vajpayee in his explanation in the Parliament?
What he should have said,he said exactly opposite. It is a known fact-and
escepeially known by utterances of opposition leaders and testaments of former
President of India- that the opposition party(both congress and janta) had no guts to
go ahead with the test and the time was running out because of increasing subjugation
of India on econimic matters in the hands of foreign and often enemy hands.Insted
This P.M. gives credit to those gutsless partyeven to Mulam singh Yadav during
whose tenure the The Indian Army was at point of revolt.Instead of declaring
these oppostion leaders as traitors and anti-nationals(which they are) this B.j.p.
leader gives them credit for nuclear preparedness ,which is rubbish.
And why give address in english? Most of Indians understand hindi movies?
If some insist on being given translation then let us have Hindi translators.
It will give more job to hindi knowing people. In fact this english press
in India and english press abroad are our main enemies.

Nuclear test was
needed firstly because then there will never be another gulf-war like situation and even if comes
the result will be very opposite of what happened in gulf war.Secondly also
to give sense of pide and honour among thirld world and not only India.
Remember that it is the same bastard b.b.c. and anglo-american media who
led a propaganda for nuclear armament of britain and for american missiles in britain.The same british gave a overwhelming
support to their p.m.when she said in '82 that she will be ready to bomb soviet union.Forget
the fact that britan was a mouse campared with soviet power.But that irrational utterance got
her popularity soaring and media ensured that the small opposition was
virtualyy eliminated.Not only micheal foot but also kinnock was made villain.and the same briitsh prime minsiter said that if mr. foot wins then the generals will have something to say about this-in other words she was inciting military coupe in uk if foot wins-though media made sure that there was no chance of foot having any support anywhere.Such are the english race.this present british p.m. is
more right wing than any right extemist party in India and he had to flex his musles(on back of americans) in gulf.If
it is all right for a third rate country like britain to flex muslcle then why not for India? Do not
underestimate duplicity of shopkeepers, race like english-with out history,class culture or taste.They
through their british agents(and that includes all british and english language media )they make
foreign and domestic and economic policy of america and through america of the world. They destroyed Russia
with false promise of so called free market so that they can sell drugs(alcohol and cigattetes) to starving russians.