UPA foreign policy promotes
national interest or business one?
What is the driving force behind our foreign
policy – the national interest or the business interests of individuals or
companies?
If today's (January 20) Indian Express
report is to be believed, it looks the interests of individual companies
motivate our foreign policy and not the interests of the nation.
A front page Express story headlined
"Upset India snubs Maldives, refuses to host foreign minister" makes
a startling revelation of the way our foreign policy under the present
dispensation is being framed and pursued. In the opening remarks the story
states: "Sending a strong signal to Maldives that India is not willing to
engage with its current leadership after the GMR controversy, the government
has turned down an official request from the Maldivian foreign minister to
visit India to set up a visit by the Maldivian president."
What a contrast!
Our dealings with
Pakistan stand in stark contrast.
In its story
headlined "Peace process with Pakistan back on track 'considerably',
Khurshid says" the Times of India today states: "Asserting that it will not be influenced by
"jingoistic conversations" in sections of the media, the government
said on Sunday peace process with Pakistan was back on track
"considerably" but made it clear that "atmospherics" have
to be right to move forward. Speaking at a CNN IBN's Devil's Advocate
programme, the External
affairs minister Salman
Khurshid, while underlying that it is sensible not to
hasten and rush into things, also denied that the government has been boxed
into a corner over the ceasefire violations at the line of control and the
beheading of an Indian soldier by Pakistani troops.
This clearly implies that tempers of the present
government do not boil up at the dastardly killing and severing of the head of
one of our brave soldiers at the Line of Control (LoC) and repeated violations of
ceasefire and blatant intrusion into our territory by a belligerent and
unrepentant Pakistan, but feels so much terrified and angered at the treatment
meted out by the Maldivian government to GMR that it curtly tells Maldives that
"India is not willing to engage with its (Maldivian) current leadership
after the GMR controversy".
The daring and cowardly 26/11 attack by Pakistan
sponsored terrorists that killed about 200 people, injuring and maiming another
a few hundred. Yet, the UPA government could not gather the courage to cancel
the secretary-level meeting with Pakistan. Numerous terrorist crimes have taken
place in the country killing a few hundred with the connivance, financial
support, logistic help, and training to terrorists, yet our Prime Minister
repeats with great force: "The peace process will go on".
Even after the cruel killing of our two brave
soldiers, the UPA government was not willing to terminate the India-Pakistan
cricket matches. Under great pressure of public opinion it had 'reluctantly' to
send Pak hockey players back. Pak women cricketers are still in the country.
No words are needed to explain where do the UPA
government's priorities in its determination of national interest lie.
One may just say: It is g…..r…..e…..a….t!
One may just say: It is g…..r…..e…..a….t!
