People's Democracy

Prakash Karat

OON after the prime minister's visit to Washington, both the Prime Minister and the External Affairs minister have denied reports that a military alliance between the United States and India is in the offing. They were reacting to the India Today report that such an alliance has been proposed by the United States.

Whether the Vajpayee government is going in for a military alliance or not is not the real question. What is undeniable is the BJP-led government's eagerness for close military ties with the United States. Instead of an alliance, it calls it cooperation. Such efforts were being made even before the United States decided to launch its war on Afghanistan after the September 11 attacks.

Jaswant Singh, in his dual capacity as External Affairs and Defence minister, had visited Washington in April this year. The outcome of this visit was the decision to renew military ties which were suspended after the Pokhran tests in May 1998. Joint exercises between the two armed forces, training and exchange programmes and meetings of the civilian defence officers, the Defence Policy Group are once again to be resumed.

It was as a result of this agreement that, for the first time, the Chairman of the US Joints Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Henry Shelton, visited India in July. During the visit, the United States confirmed that it was ready for resumption of the institutional framework for cooperation, as set out in the 1995 agreement on military cooperation.

After the September 11 attack, the Vajpayee government eagerly solicited American use of Indian military facilities for its war on Afghanistan. The US decision to enlist Pakistan as its partner in the war, though it caused consternation at the outset, led to redoubled efforts to forging closer military ties with the US.

The United States made it clear that Pakistan has priority for its current war in Afghanistan. With India, the US expects to forge a long-term military relationship. In the face of persistent Indian requests, the US agreed to use Indian ports for its ships involved in the operations for "Enduring Freedom" for refuelling and for "rest and recuperation" for its naval personnel. Already two ships have docked at the Chennai Port in November for this purpose. Both are destroyers belonging to the Seventh Fleet. This is the first time that US naval ships involved in military operations are using port facilities in India.

The US Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, visited New Delhi on November 5. After talks with defence minister, George Fernandes, Rumsfeld said that, "both of us are back in this job for the second time -- to be able to strengthen the military to military and defense ties between our two countries which, I think, are so important". He confirmed that military exchanges and training are part of the discussions. The Indian government, according to reports, wanted to expand military contacts beyond the Pacific Command which currently deals with the Indo-US military ties. The Vajpayee government is keen to be involved in the global military strategy of the US and would like to be collaborating with the Central Command which oversees the Gulf and middle-east region.

The Chief of the US Pacific Command, Admiral Dennis Blair, has already arrived in India for talks. This will be followed by the first meeting of the Defence Policy Group after 1998. The Under Secretary for Defence, Douglas Feith, will be coming to Delhi for this meeting. The United States has proposed closer cooperation between the two navies. America has given proposals to India for naval cooperation to guard the strategic oil routes from the Gulf region to the Indian Ocean. The US has also requested the use of port facilities. In the military exchange programme, the United States has for long been interested in use of the high altitude training facilities in the Himalayas. Some of these proposals have been made much earlier but have now come back on to the agenda with the revival of the institutional framework for cooperation.

The BJP-led government's willingness to favourably consider the American request has led the US Ambassador to India, Robert Blackwill, to state in his recent press conference that both countries were "set to embark on a new phase of defence relationship".

As for India's request for buying American defence equipment, the Bush Administration has said that it will consider the specific demands. With the prohibition on sale of dual purpose technology still in place, the US will not be able to comply for any major equipment but many agree to sell some subsidiary items. Rumsfeld stated that the US state department will take a decision on the status of the remaining sanctions on India in due course of time. In the meantime, India is being asked to take steps to align its technical equipment with that of the US forces. Admiral Blair, in an interview with The Times of India termed Indo-US military cooperation "as a work in progress". "It is not easy as turning on a switch". Because of the Soviet/Russian equipment used in India, Blair pointed out that the fuel pumps or water hoses of the US warships do not fit the docking berths at Indian ports.

The picture in South Asia has dramatically altered in a few weeks. The American armed forces are operating from Pakistan, they are conducting operations in Afghanistan and are there to stay for some time. With India, they are planning an expanded military relationship which will be a long term one.

The question, therefore, is not whether the Vajpayee government has entered into a "military alliance" with the US. The United States does not need permanent military bases in India. Currently, the military strategy of the United States relies on hi-tech mobile armed forces, which are backed by aerial and ship-based fire power and in such a scheme, permanent military bases are not required. What the US expects from India is access to its military and logistical facilities which can be used for any operations in this region. India has already declared that it is willing to allow the Americans the use of such facilities. As for the other aspects of military cooperation, India has entered into a strategic military relationship with the United States which encompasses both joint military exercises and training programmes and participation in peace-keeping and counter-terrorism work.

The growing military cooperation with the United States is being forged in a style which has become typical of the Vajpayee government. It's hallmark is to push through, as surreptitiously as possible, the reversal of India's longstanding policies. The BJP-led government has become known for its policies of creeping communalism whereby in small incremental steps it seeks to undermine the secular principles of the State and the secular content in education and culture.

In the case of foreign policy, India's independent and non-aligned positions are being eroded in a similar fashion. There is a creeping collaboration with the United States and its military establishment, which is being carried out in a covert manner. It is the same government which engaged in secret diplomacy through the Jaswant Singh-Strobe Talbott talks for nearly a year. That is why the vigorous denials of Vajpayee and Jaswant Singh that no military alliance with the United States is being contemplated, cannot be believed.