 "CPI(M) claims India-US defence deal will put American troops on Indian soil")
Unlike the Left parties, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s motives to oppose the India-US nuclear deal in 2008 had little to do with ideology and were patently political. In government, the Narendra Modi-led BJP has pushed for the conclusion of the nuclear deal. But this bipartisan support for India-US relations is in stark contrast to the early-1990s when the Chandra Shekhar-led minority government was slammed by political parties of all hues for allowing American planes, then involved in the Gulf War after Iraq had invaded Kuwait, to refuel in India.
Compared to the controversy over the refueling in 1991 and the India-US nuclear deal in the 1998, the reaction to the India-US defence pact where the Americans will get access to Indian bases has been much muted at least until now. None of the key political parties, barring the Left, have been critical of the move.
At least since the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, there has been a consistent effort for greater strategic synergy in India-US ties. The Strobe Talbot-Jaswant Singh dialogue initiated the process in 1999 during the Vajpayee years (1998-2004). It was further consolidated during Manmohan Singh years (2004-2014) with the then US President George W Bush (2000-2008) being a strong votary of a India-US entente. The last decade and a half has seen not just the India-US nuclear deal but increased defence cooperation between the two countries.
In a statement, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) termed the move to allow US armed forces to use facilities in Indian naval and air force bases as a “dangerous step”. It said the Narendra Modi government has compromised India’s sovereignty and autonomy and that it was an “anti-national” step.
The CPI (M) said the India-US Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) was just another name for the Logistic Support Agreement that the US enters into with military allies like the Philippines, South Korea and Japan.
It contended that the claims by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar that there will not be any permanent presence of US forces in India were wrong. The party said refueling, maintenance and repair facilities for American ships and airplanes will require the stationing of US armed forces personnel on Indian soil on a regular basis.
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It also criticized two other agreements on the anvil – the Communication and Information Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA) and Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA). These will make the Indian armed forces command and control structure integrated with the US armed forces. In doing so, the BJP government has crossed a line which no other government has done since independence – converting India into a full-fledged military ally of the United States.”
The latest agreement comes in the wake of increasing Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean region. Over the last few months, Beijing has added to its ‘string of pearls’ in the Indian Ocean, with more assets in Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Pakistan. China is building ports and infrastructure projects both in Sri Lanka and the Maldives. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is also a matter of concern for New Delhi.
Meanwhile, the US has been increasing its focus on the Indo-Pacific region to try put in shape a new security architecture that involves Australia, several of the ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) members like Indonesia and Vietnam - all of whom have their own concerns about a more assertive China.
Meanwhile, the US has been increasing its focus on the Indo-Pacific region to try put in shape a new security architecture that involves Australia, several of the ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) members like Indonesia and Vietnam - all of whom have their own concerns about a more assertive China.