People's Democracy

THE Vajpayee government has accomplished an important task towards becoming a junior partner of the USA. In recent weeks, it has established a full-fledged military relationship with the US, accompanied by a concomitant security cooperation which involves India's internal affairs.

In People's Democracy, December 2, 2001, we had dealt with the increasing efforts to establish a strategic military relationship between the two countries. An important step in this regard was the meeting of the Indo-US Defence Policy Group (DPG) which was held in Delhi on December 3-4, 2001. The joint statement issued after the meeting illustrates how far the BJP-led government has gone in accepting the US global strategy. The statement says, "India and the United States agree that they share strategic interests in Asia and beyond". Further, "They express satisfaction at the cooperation between the two countries in the ongoing campaign in Afghanistan." Significantly, the statement talked about "joint counter-proliferation efforts to achieve the goals of their defence cooperation".

By this joint statement, India has unreservedly endorsed the United States strategic interests in Asia, endorsed its ongoing war in Afghanistan, and America's global campaign against terrorism. The agreement on counter-proliferation indicates that India will line up with the US to attack countries like Iran, China and North Korea, whom the US considers as proliferators of missile and nuclear technology.

The joint statement affirms that executive steering groups of the army, navy and airforce of the two countries would meet to plan out joint exercises and training programmes. It also talks about a long-term defence supply relationship as part of the overall strategic cooperation.

The DPG will meet again in May 2002, but in between various other steps are being taken for strengthening military ties. Soon after the DPG meeting, the first joint exercises between the two navies since 1997, took place from December 15 to 17, 2001, off the coast of Mumbai. The US aircraft carrier, Carl Vinson which was engaged in the operations against Afghanistan, took part in these exercises, This is a precursor to various other joint exercises being planned by the executive steering committees of the three services.

The reference to "long term defence supply relationship" in the joint statement comes at a time when the Vajpayee government has decided to open up defence production to the private sector and foreign companies. US corporations which produce weaponry, have expressed interest in entering this sphere, and the matter had come up during the visit of George Fernandes to the United States.

The six-day visit of George Fernandes to the US has led to the signing of the General Security Of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) between the two countries. This agreement which has not been signed by India for more than a decade, is the prerequisite for closer military ties and transfer of military technology and equipment to India. The agreement provides for confidentiality of the supplies by the United States. This will be ensured by inspections by US personnel of Indian military installations. Already US teams have, according to reports, visited some of the military installations for this purpose.

George Fernandes, throughout his visit repeatedly declared that the defence relationship between the two countries is "qualitatively different from the days of the Cold War". This was Fernandes' oblique way of stating that a military alliance has been established between the two countries. Consequent to the DPG meeting and the Fernandes visit, the United States has provided export licenses to seven Indian firms for procuring weapon locating radars, light combat aircraft components and other military equipment. The sanctions imposed after the Pokhran tests in 1998 is now effectively over.

The Vajpayee government is taking its role as a military ally of the US seriously. In a shocking decision, it has agreed to the US request for Indian naval ships to escort American warships while they travel through the Indian Ocean upto the Malacca straits. The role of escorting and guarding US ships by the Indian navy dramatically illustrates how the Indian armed forces will be acting as a cog in the global military mission of the US.

It is not only the defence relationship which is rapidly taking shape. The BJP-led government has decided to deepen the relationship with America by entering into security cooperation. It started with the setting up of the Joint Working Group on terrorism. The fourth meeting of this group was held in Delhi in January and its agenda was expanded to include discussions on internal security, cooperation in strengthening forensic capabilities in India, border management and aviation security. The FBI was allowed to set up its office in Delhi in mid-1999 as part of the programme to counter terrorism and the narcotics trade. This role is now being expanded with the CIA being brought in.

Prior to the Joint Working Group meeting, a ten-member US team visited Jammu & Kashmir. Significantly, it included Vice Admiral Wilson, Director of the US Defence Intelligence Agency. The delegation met both civilian and military officials including the chief minister during their visit.

The Joint Working Group meeting decided to initiate a pilot project for border management which will involve the sale of electronic sensors by the US, to be placed on the border between India and Pakistan in Kashmir.

The growing US intervention in the internal security matters in India is taking place alongwith the growing Israeli involvement in internal security matters. According to the Jane Weekly based in Britain, Israeli security experts have been training Indian security forces in Kashmir in counter-insurgency.

The total reliance of the Vajpayee government on the US to manage the affairs in South Asia was also seen in its unwillingness to receive the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. Annan visited Pakistan and Afghanistan and was interested in coming to Delhi. But the BJP-led government had no time for him. An outlook which was displayed by its refusal to take the December 13 attack on parliament to the UN. Having hitched up with the Americans there was no need for the United Nations.

Prior to George Fernandes' visit, L K Advani had gone to Washington. The Indian media highlighted the warm reception he received from the Bush administration. For the first time, an Indian home minister met the CIA and FBI directors. The BJP-led government has no compunctions about formalising relations with the CIA and the FBI. Last year, Brajesh Mishra had met George Tenet, the CIA director. Advani meeting him on an official visit symbolises the nature of the strategic cooperation which the BJP government wants. Advani on his visit to Israel in 2000 had forged a similar security relationship. Thus, the triangle is now complete, with the Indian government establishing close security cooperation with both the United States and Israel.

The unquestioning acceptance of US hegemony was reflected during Advani's visit. At no time did Advani bother to ask his hosts, especially, the US Attorney General John Ashcroff, about the fate of Indian citizens detained by the authorities after the September 11 attacks. Two Indians from Hyderabad, Ayub Ali Khan and Mohd. Jawed Asmath, were detained as suspects along with hundreds of others. The FBI even sent its agents to Hyderabad to interrogate their families, without the knowledge of the local police authorities.

The home minister of India does not even ask the US authorities about the fate of Indian citizens illegally detained by them without charges. This is in sharp contrast to the British government which has demanded that its citizens who were with the Taliban and detained in Guantanamo in Cuba, be returned to Britain. The ceding of Indian sovereignty and the rights of its citizens has reached shameful depths.

The Joint Working Group meeting was followed soon after by the visit of the FBI Chief for discussions with Indian security agencies. For the past six weeks, every week has seen a visit by US officials at the highest level, ranging from Colin Powell to the DIA Chief, to the FBI director. To the gratification of the Vajpayee government, India is now firmly in the focus of US attention, the only problem for them is that most of these visitors to Delhi have either come via Islamabad or gone there afterwards.

The reality is that after September 11 and the strenuous efforts of the cravenly pro-American BJP regime, India has been reduced to the status of a US ally like Pakistan and Afghanistan. South Asia has now become a playing ground for the US.