The turn of events over the recent past has made evident the increasingly pro-US foreign policy followed by India. From being the prominent member of the Non-Aligned Movement in the times of cold wars, to being a close ally of the Soviet Union, it has come a long way in the current capitalist economic world order.
With the fall of USSR, and the rise of West and and the US, to being the world's biggest superpower, there was a clear shift in world order toward west. There was centralisation of power both economical and political.
India's bond with the US is largely a measure by both parties to keep China, a heavyweight in the region, in check. Hence the many joint drills that are conducted by the two armies . Also the signing of much hyped Nuclear treaty between the two countries for civil nuclear projects.
There are economical reasons as well. US is the third largest trading partner of India and its largest trading partner is the UAE which is pro-US. India's major dependence on other countries is for energy and its largest imports of oil come from pro-US Gulf nations.
Wikileaks also revealed this in the cable sent on January 30, 2006 (51088: confidential), sent by Ambassador David C. Mulford to Washington. It says that the January 2006 Cabinet reshuffle, which saw the removal of “contentious and outspoken Iran pipeline advocate” Mani Shankar Aiyar and the appointment of “pro-US” Murli Deora as Petroleum Minister was described by the American Embassy as signifying a “determination to ensure that US/India relations continue to move ahead rapidly.” It has also since followed a string of reforms allowing FDI in single brand retail and mulling over allowing FDI in multi bbrand retail
The evidence of India's pro-US stand was in siding with the US and Saudi Arabia backed resolution on Libya and Syria. India has long been a supporter of the sovereignty, but in both cases it went against its own ideology. Also supporting the reolution against Sri Lanka for the alleged Humar Rights violation towards the end of the war, while it has no concerns for the war crimes in war-torn Afghanistan, where only last week a US soldier shot down 17 innocent children and women. US soldiers have been involved in numerous other cases of human rights violation in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The problem with this strategic and tactical siding with the US is that the center of power is now shifting east. Although in cognizance of this fact, it has formed a group of fellow emerging nations BRICS but that alliance is mainly economical. While China and Russia vetoes the resolotion on Syria, India voted with the US. China voted against the resolution on Sri Lanka but India voted for it. The group lacks unity in political matters.
It's time India takes notice of its own emerging role as a nation on the world stage, not just economically but also politically. It felt good to see India refusing to bow down to the western pressure on reducing oil imports from Iran, since it is a important state for India's energy security and also for its interests in Afghanistan. The future lies east and India is going to be a part of it. It should ready itself to take bigger challenges and responsibilities to be more assertive in the region.
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