French kiss

After French President Nicolas Sarkozy8217;s passionate defence of India8217;s case for nuclear cooperation last week, the Manmohan Singh government can surely claim to have addressed an important domestic political objection to its nuclear diplomacy. The Communist opposition to the Indo-US nuclear deal is rooted in the misperception that it was all about building a new strategic partnership with Washington at the expense of India8217;s traditional foreign policy. By mobilising Russian, British and French support and winning Chinese neutrality in an intensive round of diplo- matic effort over the last two months, the government has put the nuclear deal with the US in perspective.

All the other four permanent members of the United Nations Security Council are now ready to resume nuclear cooperation with India, but only after the Indo-US deal is implemented. The CPM and BJP are unable or unwilling to recognise one plain truth 8212; the Indo-US nuclear deal is the necessary first step towards ending India8217;s nuclear isolation. That India had to hold back from signing negotiated agreements on nuclear cooperation with France and Russia underlines the inescapable reality 8212; either we get to cooperate on nuclear matters with all the countries or none. In the last few weeks, the government8217;s big power diplomacy has also demonstrated India8217;s enduring commitment to an independent foreign policy. Barring the ideologically blinkered, most Indians can see and feel the achievement of India8217;s current foreign policy 8212; deepening of partnerships with all the great powers. Never before did we have positive relations with the US, Russia, China and Europe at the same time.

Having disproved the tendentious Left thesis that India has 8216;abandoned8217; its independent foreign policy, the prime minister must address another equally important charge. It is not always articulated openly; but there is a strong sentiment, even within the Congress party, that India has downgraded its relations with the Muslim countries in search of better ties with the US and Israel. The PM must blame himself for letting this misreading of his foreign policy, which has real political consequences at home, gain ground. He has long-pending invitations to visit the world8217;s most important Muslim countries 8212; including Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Iran and our immediate neighbours, Pakistan and Bangladesh. By limiting his foreign travels to multilateral conferences and the capitals of major powers, he has willy nilly undermined the sense of balance necessary for any successful foreign policy. The PM needs to quickly schedule the long-delayed tour of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf kingdoms.