Dr Swamy, the only economist amongst Indian parliamentarians, always favours a foreign policy based on transactions because he understands American Lawmakers’ psyche
Indian foreign policy-makers need to make a transitional shift towards transactional based foreign policy. It’s always give and take. Until Indian foreign policy babus and Foreign Ministers understand the importance of transactions for American foreign policy creators, they will continue to make reactionary foreign policy decisions. The reaction is not always good. Responsibility is.
The responsible foreign policy will ideally try to understand American objectives and weigh it against Indian objectives and barter. But a reactionary or irresponsible foreign policy will always jolt Indian foreign ministers and babus into doing something immature.
Dr Swamy, the only economist amongst Indian parliamentarians, always favours a foreign policy based on transactions because he understands American Lawmakers’ psyche. That’s the most pragmatic way to deal with America.
For example, offering Indian ground troops in exchange for hardware in larger interests of India and USA. For example, offering Tech Manpower in exchange of Know-how is always a pragmatic way. Give and take is the most ancient law of peaceful co-existence when both parties need that. Offering 100% tax incentives from both sides on equitable items is a pragmatic way. Offering Indo-US armed treaty in exchange for Indo-Pacific support from USA is the next logical thing.
Sanctions for Sanctions when the Indian economy is growing and needs international support is not the most practical way. I hope Indian foreign policy-makers listen to Dr Swamy and make India greater today.
Areas where India can help the USA
- Military manpower
- Financial markets
- Metals and minerals
- Manufacturing hub
Areas where the USA can help India
- Weapons
- Non-IT Manufacturing innovation
- Technology for agriculture
More is needed to be done from India today. I hope things will not become worse.
Note:
1. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.
- Dharmic Americanism should be the new philosophy - June 12, 2020
- Sattology: Preserving Ancient History of India - October 1, 2019
- Ayodhya, where the Hindu hearts sink - September 25, 2019
Mr. Satsangi
Are you suggesting we should use our young as cannon- fodder for US interests.
Pakis tried that.
See where it got them.
Besides why should our young be killed so that you can enjoy a H 1 visa and comforts in picturesque Oregon valley
Well said. Power respects power. India need to do a hard negotiation with US on certain things if sanctions are need to be accepted. One nation cannot dictate terms to the world. But, in our current Govt only Swamy and may be Modi has got that acumen and guts to do that. Rest do not even stand against them.
Very immature and irrelevant post. Better live in reality. Things are not as simple and illogical as you’re portraying.
I love Pgurus and its articles but I’d have to slightly disagree with the premise of this article. I agree that India needs to treat US in a transnational manner but the article seems to assume that there are more points of convergence than there are in reality.
A key point to note is that after the collapse of the Bretton Woods Gold Standard, it is the US-Saudi deal to denominate oil in dollars that helped set up the modern day petro-dollar system. Why does the US demonize Iran while ignoring Saudi Arabia? I am no fan of Iranian theocracy but Saudi is a far bigger sponsor of terror (note in India, virtually all the terror groups like Lashkar, etc are Sunni and not Shia). However Saudi Arabia sells oil in dollars giving itself a free pass. It would be great to have no middle eastern oil but that’s not the current reality.
So in the context of Iranian oil, India needs to stay firm and not give into US sanctions. Iran’s oil is a bit cheaper and has more generous payment terms. They may even accept rupee payments. Did not India survive sanctions in 1998 post Pokhran? Alternatively, India needs to strike a hard bargain that if the US wants India to not import Iranian oil, then the US in turn must be willing to sell oil at the same terms that Iranian oil was sold (ie at some discount and longer payment window). Other alternative deals which give India some real tangible benefit may be also thought of.
Similarly, the US has been pressuring India not to buy the Russian S-400 system. Based on Defense analyses, the US patriot missile defense system seems inferior to the S-400. If China already has the S-400, why not India? But here too, the US is not respecting India’s right as a sovereign nation. A deal can only be made if both parties understand each others’ concerns.
Making general claims that the US can provide technology while India can provide financial markets, manufacturing hub, etc is all rather vague. The current reality is that the US has targeted even India with tariffs though India has far less of a trade surplus with the US than China has. India has rightfully retaliated back with tariffs of its own.
If India is to be a superpower plus “Vishwa Guru”, then there will be no choice but to antagonize America. In the long run, smaller countries will respect and accept India’s soft power only if India acts like a superpower, not like Europe or Canada who thus-far have been de-facto American vassals. The choice is either to be an American Vassal or to be 1 more Axis of power whose independence may irk other axes of power. Modi was elected to make India a strong independent nation, not to make India a vassal of any other power.