Sunday, August 19, 2007

Nuke(d) polity

By Manish Anand


Indian political stability stands nuked thanks to the Left's allergy to anything that involves the US. The Central government is also to lose its credibility to do business with other countries. The immediate neighbour China must have been laughing its heart out at the ugly dance of the political divide of the Indian democracy. Also, the nuclear scientists, the blue eyed baby of the Indian policies for decades, would be whining for loss of chance to fill in the gap created by their lack of capabilities through the Indo-US nuclear deal.
As the Congress in an effort to cling to the chair at any cost would buy time in the name of holding more debate on the deal, it would be up front for it to divulge all details regarding the nuclear research in the country in the last six decades. The financial cost of the research as well as the tangible and intangible benefit out of it should be put into the public domain. And, also let the nuclear scientists tell the nation how many more years they would take to produce the dreamy 20,000 MW of nuclear power. Whether they can do it or not, they should tell the nation honestly.

Also, the Left must tell with which nation it wants India to have strategic relations and why and the rationale behind their formulations. China has been an enemy, which needs no further elaboration. Pakistan has given the "hundred cuts" and continue to do so with impunity. Russia is a power consigned to the history books. Europe has no political standing at all. So, Left should tell the nation if not the US then with which nation India should have strategic relations to protect its national interest.

The Left should also come clear on why it's helping quite tangibly China to remain the sole superpower in Asia. What it has to say on the issue of Tibet and China's claim on Arunachal Pradesh. At the same time, the Left should come clear on the question of its ideological sovereignty independent of the Chinese comrades.

It's definitely not the time for India to go to the poll. The outcome of a mid-term is known to all parties, hence the parties should inform the people why they are imposing an election and why in logical and clear cut terms.

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