INDIA(WINNER/LOSER) IN INDO-US NUCLEAR DEAL

Tweet

AS MUCH as the US Congress’ approval of the nuclear deal with India is a rare foreign policy success for President George Bush of late, it is not entirely free of controversial content that has come to surround most of his initiatives. Indeed, critics have been quick to point at the Bush administration’s “double-standards” in allowing, in fact aiding India develop civilian nuclear energy while refusing, in no soft words, the same to Iran. Washington’s case is made more difficult to defend considering Iran is very much a signatory to the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) while India is not, and the latter is an active member of the international nuclear power club, having conducted tests in 1974 and 1998. It is important to note that while, as per the White House, the deal does usher in an era of strategic political, economic and technical partnership between Washington and New Delhi; it is riddled with potholes that could quickly cause unwarranted friction within the Asian Region and beyond. Critics’ fear that the extra nuclear fuel could free India’s domestic uranium to bolster its weapons programme will no doubt raise eyebrows in Islamabad, which is already upset about its requests of a similar deal being turned down by Washington. Any distrust between the South Asian neighbours would unwind the already sea-saw peace process, undoing years of careful bridge-building and again destabilisng the region. Also, the deal entails US demands that will have a direct bearing on Indian foreign policy, like towing Washington’s line on Iran and North Korea. Of course, such a development would replace growing India-Iran business relations with political rifts difficult to sort out in the short-term. Wisely, India has maintained its policy direction as its own prerogative, ruling out any unconditional support for US dictates. Watching closely behind the scenes will no doubt be China, whose growing regional influence and economic might the deal is clearly meant to counter. No doubt it will monitor subsequent developments with a justifiable degree of suspicion, and reactions on its part may prompt more political, economic and military races in the region. Nuclear energy is definitely the way forward considering present and future demands, but the way the Bush administration is using it is more like a card in a poker game. For a deal that “could alter the global power balance”, it provides little guarantees, sets ambiguous precedents and relies too much on how it would wish future developments to unfold.