In the interest of promoting Ethical democracy both in India and the U.S. and noting that several miles of text and thousands of pixels of digital images have already been expended by the media and the respective governments in disseminating information on the India-US Civil Nuclear Energy Cooperation Agreement, it is important that India NOT sign this agreement AT THIS TIME.
Why?
Because the Bush Government is a state sponsor of terror. Can the country of Gandhi be allied with a regime that purports to fight terror with acts of terror? "Shock and awe" is terror.
India's role in the Agreement should not be allowed to become part of the disastrous and ethically repugnant Bush "legacy". What if Bush and Cheney are impeached? The movement to accomplish this is gaining momentum.
Perception is reality. Signing with the Bush regime (which will end anyway in late 2008) will be viewed by much of the world as a deal with a regime that invaded Iraq, killed tens of thousands of Iraqi children, women and men and continues to issue threats to Iran. Such a perception would weaken India's strategic and ethical objective of continuation of "civilisational ties" in the long term with nation-states of West Asia, South Asia and Africa. Notice I do not use the term "Middle East." It is an invention of the imperial Brits in the early 1900's a term that has been strategically affirmed, accepted and promoted by the U.S. State Department and the Pentagon.
Middle of what? East of where?
To meet its energy needs India must fully explore solar and wind power and other important sources of renewable energy. Natural gas imports are a real option since it is proposed to be made available by neighboring Turkmenistan via pipeline running via Afghanistan and Pakistan. Not the easiest route but India must continue to persevere in building alliances with its neighbors.
To meet its energy needs India can and must conclude bilateral and multilateral agreements on civil nuclear energy not only with the U.S. but with many other nation- states.
There will be time enough for India to sign a civil nuclear cooperation agreement with a new U.S. regime in 2008, after and only if that newly elected U.S. regime has publicly committed to withdraw its occupying troops and acted upon its intention by actually withdrawing troops from Iraq.
http://www.EthicalDemocracy.blogspot.com
