What I have always failed to understand is the almost unconditional support to the Indo-US nuclear deal. Anyone with the temerity to question it and set some conditions has to be labelled a communist sissy without so much as a second thought to the concerns raised. Whether those concerns are valid or not could only be determined with careful consideration but that almost never happens. While I want to make it clear that I am “for” the deal, although it is yet one more example of the hypocrisy of the US foreign policy, it should not be unconditional and without safeguards.

And the first safeguard should be non-intervention by the US in India’s foreign policy or internal affairs. For anyone who has read ever the bare minimum about US foreign policy or taken a peek into the history, there are multiple examples of the arm-twisting of nations by the United States. And that makes it a very valid argument. Today came yet another example of a US attempt to influence and India’s policy with a letter by Democrat Tom Lantos to the Indian prime minister warning him that “New Delhi’s ties with Iran had significant potential to harm India-U.S. relations and the landmark deal.”. According to this report:

The letter — signed by Democrat Tom Lantos, chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, senior Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and others — was the third, and strongest, in recent days expressing concern over relations between New Delhi and Tehran.

They urged India to end what they said was “military cooperation” with old friend Iran and terminate participation in the development of Tehran’s energy sector.

And this is not new. There has been instances in the past too where the US has tried to further its own interests by trying to influence Indian foreign policy. The Indian government should, and I believe it will, protest at this open interference in India’s internal affairs and foreign policy. I wonder what the realists think of this interference.

As Douglas MacArthur said -“No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation”