Beware of Americans who bear aid

India should treat US Secretary of State John Kerry’s announcement of aid for the victims of the Uttarakhand disaster and other programmes with trepidation.
American aid agencies have a reputation of fomenting civil strife and being conduits for bribes to be paid in exchange for advancing the interests of American politicians.

These groups seldom help the victims of disasters and instead use calamities to make money by preying on the goodwill of people. The American Red Cross raised 486 million dollars by appealing for donations to help the victims of the earthquake in Haiti in 2010. This amount was nearly 7 per cent of the GDP of Haiti and could have been used to rebuild the country, but very little was done in this regard. There is almost no visible evidence of the efforts of Red Cross in Haiti where most victims still fend for themselves. The little money that went to Haiti was in the form of perishable goods like flu shots, water, cookies and cheap tents which mostly served to provide photo opportunities for Red Cross.

During his tenure in the US Senate, John Kerry was the main advocate for foreign aid. He lobbied for setting apart four billion dollars as aid for Pakistan.

After this effort failed, he wanted the same amount of taxpayer money earmarked as aid for other countries although he failed to clearly articulate the objectives of the proposed aid programmes.

This should surprise no one as it has been estimated that each dollar of American aid benefits American businesses and non-profit groups to the tune of two dollars. This is because American aid always comes with the condition that the recipients of the aid procure goods and services from American businesses and non-profit organizations. Tied aid is no aid but a mechanism to funnel money to privileged people while hiding behind a humanitarian mask.

Another disturbing aspect of American aid agencies is their support for violent groups like the Maoists. Maoists are able to wage a prolonged war and purchase sophisticated weapons only because wealthy nations support them with money and indulge in propaganda on their behalf. Indian Maoists receive support from Jimmy Carter and the international “human rights” lobby.

Many Indians who routinely defend the Maoist terrorists have received grants and awards from American universities and groups such as USAID, Ford Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation. Not long ago, the University of Pennsylvania hosted a conference titled the ‘State of Maoism and Indian Left’ and had Communists as participants.

The US government too generates reports that make false accusations against the opponents of Maoists. India must also remember that Americans sheltered the Mumbai terror attack mastermind David Headley from the Indian justice system.

Now, John Kerry wants India’s support to set up an international agency to control the global license-raj for industries with the excuse of preventing global warming. Such a move will have no impact on the environment while retarding the growth of the Indian economy. Indians will have to obtain licenses from a Western institution to carry out legitimate economic activities and will also have to pay taxes to this institution.

The fact that John Kerry has sought support for his political aims while offering “aid” should set the alarm bells ringing. Unless Indians are vigilant, Indian politicians may broker away the interests of India in exchange for donations to their charities. John Kerry should be asked to base the India-US relationship on good faith and honest business transactions, but India would do well to beware of Americans who bear aid.

The author is an expert on technology and economic issues. Views expressed are personal.