NEW DELHI: The joint concern expressed by India and China, during the prime minister, Li Peng s recent visit this country, about the dangers of an “international oligarchy”, almost jeopardized New Delhi’s newfound intimacy with the United States. Ata time when India’s relations with the Bush administration were improving the sanctioning of the IMF loan, closer cooperation in defence and. Americas support for the Indian stand on Kashmir the reference to “international oligarchies”, an euphemism for the U.S. and its western allies, shocked Washington.

The Bush administration which had perceived a thaw in Indo U.S. relations, was surprised at the official use of this term by the Chinese and Indian leaders. This coupled with the arrest of Tibetans and beating up of demonstrators in New Delhi were noted with concern in the U.S.

ZIONISM ISSUE: However in direct opposition to the signals that were being interpreted as hostile to the U.S., the next day India for the first time voted with the US, on the sensitive issue of Zionism and racism. This decision was “taken in the highest quarter” and instead of abstaining India made a deliberate choice and voted with the US.

India’s vote In the UN helped to reassure the Americans, especially since India had always supported the PLO and the Arab cause. Even during the Gulf war when the Muslim world itself was divided on the issue of support to the president Saddam Hussein, and Pakistan had sent troops to help the allied effort India had remained aloof, and never openly supported the alliance. Except for a brief period when the former Prime Minister, (Chandra Shekhar, had allowed the refueling of US. military aircraft in Bombay. This came to an end soon after a public outcry was raised, Surprisingly India’s voted did not cause a public uproar and was not taken up seriously even in Parliament, which was in session at that time. One reason for this perhaps is the division within the Muslim hold, peace settlement in West Asia, and the fact that today the majority of the Arab countries are willing to recognize the existence of Israel.

The Indian ambassador to the US, Abid Hussain, is optimistic about the future of Indo.U.S. relation’s and says that in the coming year he expects further cooperation in various fields between the two. Hussein feels that in the new unipolar world, with no division between the ideological left and Right, there is no reason why India and the U.S. with their common faith in democracy should not become “natural allies”. The compulsions which drove a wedge between India and the U.S. no Longer holds good. Pakistan which was vital for Washington, so long as Communism posed threat, now no longer finds itself in that happy position. The change in the. US. Perceptions over Kashmiris something that all political parties cutting across ideological barriers welcome.

The emphasis today in U.S. and the west is human rights, and here despite the changed stand on Kashmir on the part of the Bush administration, the issue worries a large number of Congressmen, Hussain agreed that there were some differences between India and the U.S. on the question of human rights. The official stand according to the ambassador is to reiterate that New Delhi agrees with the US. on the need to preserve human rights all over the world, troubled border states of Punjab and Kashmir, where militants keep attacking innocent civilians, this is not the time to raise these issues.

The government points out that, any misuse of state authority is immediately noticed and action taken against the offenders, without giving undue publicity to this. The question why Amnesty, is not allowed into India is frequently asked by various Congressmen,

“The other issue on which differences continue to persist is on intellectual property rights. Here 30 far there has not been much meeting ground between the two countries. A lot of spadework would have to be done before this sensitive issue can be tackled.

Article extracted from this publication >> January 10, 1992