Barack Obama’s much-hyped visit to India was lauded by liberals and conservatives alike. The chief guest at the 66th Republic Day celebrations, he is also the first sitting US president to visit India twice. Apart from grabbing all headlines, pundits acclaim that his visit was “indisputably successful and game-changing.”
So elated was the Indian prime minister, the ex-RSS pracharak, that he sported a black and gold pinstripe suit estimated to have cost Rs1m. The founder of this Hindu right-wing organisation, KB Hedgewar, must have turned around in his grave to see Modi’s extravagant transformation. But, their sworn enemy, Mulayam Singh Yadav’s son, Akhilesh, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister was gaga over the benefits that this visit would bestow.
Assuming a statesman-like manner, Mr President held more than half rounds of talks with the Indian PM in an atmosphere of great camaraderie. Discussing diplomacy, economics, and matters of strategic relations, they ended up signing a good number of agreements.
Deals aimed at unlocking billions of dollars in nuclear trade and deepening defense ties were announced, steps which both sides hope will help establish an enduring strategic partnership. The agreements centred around nuclear deal, closer strategic partnership, defense, renewable energy and climate change, investment and trade, etc.
A long joint statement with Modi was released to grace the occasion. Obama also spoke at a number of occasions highlighting the importance of achieving durable Indo-US ties to guarantee a safe and secure world, and thereby a better future for all.
A major highlight of the tour was the agreement “Joint Strategic Vision for the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean Region.” This strategic maritime partnership, according to a White House press release, would extend from “Africa to East Asia.”
It also stated that “regional prosperity depends on security.” And therefore, affirmed that “safeguarding maritime security and ensuring freedom of navigation and over flight throughout the region, especially in the South China Sea” was crucial. China sharply reacted to this statement and spelt out its disquiet over any intrusion on its “backyard.”
The reaction was palpable, as the Asian giant is locked in numerous disputes with Vietnam and many others in the South and East China seas over the control of islands, reported to be holding huge reserves of oil and gas.
The US was also keen to enlist India in Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), a network of 21 Pacific Rim member economies that seek to promote “free trade” and economic cooperation throughout the Asia-Pacific. Though Russia and China have welcomed India’s inclusion in the forum, the subjacent US keenness to forge a partnership with India is in its interest to “contain” China’s growing military and economic power in the Asia-Pacific-Indian Ocean region.
The US expects India to play a pivotal role in Asia. Let us not forget that in this new century, China’s emergence as a major power counter-weighs American commercial predominance.
This growing Indo-US proximity could only be understood through the lens of American geo-political ambitions for Asia, which is a component of its even larger project of constructing a Eurasian (and therefore global) dominance. It has been almost two decades that the Indian government has abandoned any semblance of non-alignment towards a foreign policy that could accommodate it as a junior partner of the US.
While many see it only as a capitulation to American imperial interests, let us not forget that Indian capitalists and elites nurture ambitions for an increasing slice of the global pie; and therefore, any bonhomie with the Americans could be mutually beneficial.
The global hegemons need local mandarins or satraps in helping manage the US hegemony in different parts of the world in exchange for certain privileges and benefits. The latter would be a function of the balance of forces between the lead wolf and its sidekicks.
Another “great achievement” boasted by the establishment is over the nuclear deal. However, according to concerned citizens working on the issue, “the Indian government has capitulated to aggressive US demands and agreed to a deal that indemnifies American nuclear vendors from the consequences of accidents caused by design defects in their reactors.”
The government has, in fact, passed the buck of any potential American liability to Indian taxpayers. The people of India could end up paying for “mistakes” by multinational capital as it happened in Bhopal in 1984 with 3,787 deaths, 558,125 injuries including 38,478 temporary partial injuries and approximately 3,900 severely and permanently disabling injuries, according to government affidavits.
The US capital gets its way on nuclear liability as India concurs to compensate billions of dollars for immature American technology, and then ensuring that American companies will be set scot-free, even with design defects. Not officially announced so far, but it is pretty obvious that this is the substance of Modi’s “diplomatic victory.” You get vaporised, you pay for it as well.
Well, in the end, what was under the surface fully came into the sun.
Sushovan Dhar is an activist. He is based in Kolkata.
