As many of you might have read as I did with a lot of curiosity and maybe disappointment or joy, the Indian government refused foreign aid for the Tsunami relief efforts. While it opened its gates to relief agencies and NGOs, Indian said "No, thanks" to the global consortium of donors for the Tsunami relief effors like Australia, Unites States, UK, Japan and much of Europe.
When I first read the piece of news , I was shocked. I do understand that a 1 bn plus populace (with a lot of dollar expatriates) can fund the relief efforts. But saying No and then changing the stance could be political hara-kiri. And true to this thought, India amended its policy for forign aid to include organisations like World Bank since it realised that the donor efforts were far from sufficient. A political dichotomy seems to exist in India which wants to have US as a close ally in this fight against nature but cant align itself publicly by refusing to commit to the core group as requested by the US. What are we telling the world here ?
While many claim that India wants to assume more prominence as a player rather than a ballboy in the global political scene, it might be churlish to ward off support when it truly needs it. The UN which has swung into action in Indonesia and Sri Lanka has not made any entry into India courtesy the No invite policy. Are we setting a bad precendence here?
Yes, India is a big country which is heading towards completely self-sufficiency (if oil can be discounted from the picture). But are we capable enough to manage and coordinate massive relief efforts on the aftermath of natural disasters ? Money might not be a requirement someday. But what about advanced technology at the site of disaster to ensure food and medicines reach the farthest corners immediately. Does life justify the cost of continuing to be a regional power or a future UN Security Council seat ? Are we missing the big picture ?
Are we fools as an nation or is this the beginning of an era of significant Indian presence in the global political arena ?
5 comments:
Well said. I do agree that its about time India stands on its own feet and say No to aid with strings attached for future ties. But, we could have done it in a much more humbler manner which would have made the point but also kept the doors open for help if need be.
then we may need to accomodate the helping countries in some way. For instance, India might be asked to dump all its nukes or sign the non-proliferation treaty, or something like that.
Also comes the question of opening up more Indian markets. These are very critical issues that might ultimately hamper the poor. So we better manage ourselves when we have the resources. I'm sure India is quite capable.
good one man.
Read Mr.Pranab Mukherjee saying that India needs no aid at this point as she has funds that could sustain for sometime and then would seek international help if need be. That was as diplomatic as it can get. Seeking WorldBank aid now, is hence justified.
India dominates Indian Ocean. And she proved her maturity by despatching help to SriLanka and Indonesia just as soon as the calamity struck. Also wouldnt make sense to see American ships in this domain.
In all, a very good move.
Yes, 'this is the beginning of an era of significant Indian presence in the global political arena'.
well said Pradeep. This is the right time for India to establish its dominance of the Indian Ocean. Sri Lanka asked for help, and US was more than happy to send a naval fleet to the region. I'm not blaming Sri Lanka, but only proving the intentions of the US here.
I'm really glad that India realised this situation and acting accordingly.
Good points Pradeep and Saran. I definitely agree on the fact that we need to assert our growing prominence to the world sooner than later. We are a developing and prominent economy and the world needs to be told of our arrival in the scene. But international politics is a quagmire where only the cautious will survive. Attitude counts. What was discomforting to me was the attitude that the rhetoric echoed and a softer approach to saying NO could have been well received.
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