published in June 21, 2016.
The
recent bonhomie between the New Delhi and the Washington has been termed as
“consolidation” and “Strategic symphony” between the two countries. The Indian
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has visited United States four times since he took
his office in 2014. The recent visit from June7-8 2016 has if one side
substantiated the Indo-US bilateral partnership, but at the same time it has
erupted new geopolitical fissures in the Asia Continent.
The
consolidation of bilateral engagements between the India and the United States
particularly in the defense field has not gone well in the geostrategic circles
in the Islamabad and Beijing. The joint statement issued after one to one
meeting between the President Obama and the Indian Prime Minister resolved that
two sides would be “priority partners”. This is “consolidation” on the 2015
US-India Joint Strategic Vision for the Asia Pacific and the Indian Ocean. The
Indian Prime Minister’s speech in the US Congress avoided a direct reference to
disputed South and East China seas. But, the Beijing understands that the Joint
Strategic Vision for the Asia Pacific and the Indian Ocean between the New
Delhi and the Washington is containment policy towards China.
The
Chinese official statements during Modi’s trip to the US made it clear that India’s
admission in the Missile Control and Technology Regime (MTCR) and Washington’s
push to India’s membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group would imbalance the
geopolitical landscape in the region particularly between the New Delhi and the
Islamabad. It is pertinent to mention that the New Delhi admission in MTCR
paved its way to receive duel-use technology from the Washington. Moreover,
last hiccups in the Indo-US nuclear agreement have also been resolved. The
United States has agreed to start preparatory work for six nuclear reactors to
be built by US company Westinghouse in the Andhra Pradesh state of India.
The
Washington’s de-hyphenation policy between the New Delhi and the Islamabad
would not help in resolving bilateral disputes between India and Pakistan. The
Indo-US joint statement issued after the bilateral meeting has reiterated their
mutual collaboration in fighting terrorism and a direct reference towards
Islamabad. The fact cannot be concealed that the current crisis around the
Af-Pak region is the US driven. It would not be a prudent policy to push
Pakistan in isolation vis-à-vis fighting irredentist groups in the region.
New
Delhi must understand that the US policy of containing China through New Delhi
would not be a good move from Indian point of view. Antagonizing Chinese would be
an imprudent policy in long run. We have seen how India was pushed by
Washington to vote against Iran in the IAEA Board of Governors Meeting in 2005.
The Iran-US nuclear agreement reminds New Delhi that how Washington changes its
preference even upto 360 degree.
Coming
to South Asia the United States has never acted in sincerity to help in
resolving Indo-Pak bilateral disputes. Rather it has always tried to manage
their bilateral conflicts upto the level, where its own interest does not get affected.
The recent bonhomie between India and the US would ultimately escalate tension
in the Indo-Pak bilateral relationship and the same may happen between the
Sino-Indo ties. There is a probability that Beijing-Islamabad would counter
Indo-US consolidation, which at the end of day would hit a peace in the South
Asian region.
