By Colonel Awadhesh Kumar, Veteran Special Forces
No one, not even Donald Trump can dictate to a nation of 125 Crores. India will decide its own course of action in World affairs. We will be friends with every one, who are ready to reciprocate on the basis of equality, be it the largest or be it the smallest.
On looking around, it is easily visible that, India has quite good relations with both USA and Russia, with Australia and Indonesia, with Palestine and Israel, with UAE and Iran.
Then without abandoning any ties of friendship with Vietnam or Japan, we are handling our relations with China equally well. Even Saudi Arabia has given a over head flight route to Air India for Delhi -Tel Aviv Flight.
So raving and ranting by Trump may be fine but any thing more than that on Indo Iranian friendship will be highly counterproductive to American Interests. India will not bow to the American dictum ” if you are not in my camp then you are with them “.
Well, in case of intense pressure, there may be a brief tactical halt or even a withdrawal to gain time, till a totally insulated financial set up comes up for Indo Iranian trade. However there after India will surely race ahead to operationalize both SURYA ICBM and its Submarine launched version of 15000 km range.
Both India and Iran have national and political will to pursue infrastructure projects and continue energy trade overcoming challenges created by US withdrawal from the nuclear deal and subsequent sanctions.
Thus is exactly what was said by Iran’s Roads & Urban Development Minister Abbas Ahmad Akhoundi who was hosted in New Delhi, coinciding with the Indo-US 2+2 Dialogue. Was this meet just a Co incidence or a deliberate move by India?
Both Akhoundi and Nitin Gadkari, Indian Transport Minister met and discussed further actions by on India in operationalizing the Chabahar Port, railway project connecting Chabahar Port with Zahedan, other railway and infrastructure projects that India is undertaking in Iran etc at the earliest.
This meeting 1+ 1 meeting took place along with the 2+2 meeting in New Delhi itself. Though Ministry of Transport etc may not sound Weighty in comparison to Foreign Affairs and Defence, Surely Weight wise ( physically and politically ) Nitin Gadkari’s presence couldn’t have escaped the attention of the Americans.
India has already made it clear that it will not be able to reduce Iranian oil imports. The issue must have figured in the 2+2 Dialogue also and the ball is squarely in US court. Waiver or no waiver Sushmaji must have clearly sensitised the two US ministers about long-standing energy ties with Iran.
“India and Iran will together overcome challenges created due to decision taken by the US. Ours is not an artificial relationship but a relationship that goes back in history. The US decision has no doubt created difficulties but Delhi and Tehran are finding ways to overcome this situation,” clarified Akhoundi.
On November 4th the Trump’s sanctions with respect to Iranian crude oil will be enforced, and the Americans are naively expecting that the purchases of Iranian crude oil will go to zero from every country.
The fuel prices in India have already hit the roof. With the General Elections looming ahead, it needs to be brought down sooner than later. This is the right time for PM Modi to show his WILL POWER (56“) to the Nation and to the World. Any closet manoeuvre though required may not be able to produce the desired political results.
Also it is not only oil but our entire Strategic edifice and paraphernalia in Central Asia, including Afghanistan and indirectly Baluchistan and Pakistan that is at stake. India cannot abandon either Chabahar or Iranian Oil.
