Letter imperfect

The May 2 letter addressed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by Tom Lantos,  chairman of Foreign Affairs of the United States House of Representatives  and six other leading Congressmen over illicitly obtaining US technologies  for Indian ballistic missile programme, and India’s close energy, trade and  security relations with Iran is bound to be considered both intrusive and offensive in India. 

American plain-speaking is a symbol of robust democracy in one sense, but it doesn’t often go down well everywhere, and the angry reaction in the Rajya Sabha on Monday was evidence that at least Indian opposition MPs did not take to the letter kindly.

The American legislators are saying in no uncertain terms that India should not be strengthening its military, energy relations with Iran. US-Iran  relations have never been good after the Khomeini Revolution of 1979, and in recent months have plumbed rock bottom. India’s close ties with Iran have bugged many American politicians, notwithstanding the fact that this country has taken a tough stand on Iran’s nuclear policies.

For Americans, however, a kind of “If you are not with us you are against us” kind of culture has begun to prevail, and on the matter of Iran, they are in no mood to see any other point of view.

Now the question is about the Indian response. The MPs,  especially from the Opposition parties, are justified in expressing  their anger, concern and protest. But getting worked up over the views held by US Congressmen is a bit of an over the top response. Instead, why not have a clear debate in the  House, and send out a message in a dignified way that India is under no obligation to accept the point of view of American Congressmen.

In any case, the bigger point here is the Indo-US Nuclear deal, which has a momentum and dynamic all its own and which is not going to fail or succeed on the basis of the views of a few representatives on either side.

It appears that the Opposition is keen to flaunt the issue of the Lantos letter to embarrass Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. That would be short-sighted. It is true that Singh has staked a lot on the India-US civilian  nuclear co-operation deal, but the Prime Minister is as conscious as any of the danger of being seen to succumb to American pressure tactics.

He thinks that the only way to deal with it is to engage with the Americans and sort out all contentious issues. Parliament can contribute to it by discussing the deal in its entirety rather than getting worked up over the views of a few American Congressmen.