This refers to Ajai Shukla's column "Stop the dithering with Washington" (Broadsword, June 9). While pointing out the invaluable support the US provided to India in 1962, Shukla has omitted the US' 1956 snub - "If you are not with us, you are against us" - to democratic India that pushed us into the open arms of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; the aircraft and tanks supply to Pakistan that caused the 1965 war and; the unbelievable US support to atrocities in the then East Pakistan in 1971. Even the much touted India-US Civil Nuclear Agreement is yet to see ground-level implementation, with the US still cribbing about the safeguards that are more than reasonable after Bhopal.
Given this background, is it not only reasonable that India should proceed with caution in getting into a strategic tie-up with Washington? If the US continues in its arrogant ways, who knows, India might be forced into closer relations with China and Russia, especially if China's growth weakens (as is not unlikely) and it becomes more responsive to India.
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Given this background, is it not only reasonable that India should proceed with caution in getting into a strategic tie-up with Washington? If the US continues in its arrogant ways, who knows, India might be forced into closer relations with China and Russia, especially if China's growth weakens (as is not unlikely) and it becomes more responsive to India.
Alok Sarkar Kolkata
Letters can be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to:
The Editor, Business Standard
Nehru House, 4 Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg
New Delhi 110 002
Fax: (011) 23720201
E-mail: letters@bsmail.in
All letters must have a postal address and telephone number