For Enhanced Indo US Ties, Defence Minister Austin should not poke his nose into Indo Russian S400 Deal during his visit to India
Shri Lloyd Austin will be the first ever US defence minister to visit India on his maiden foreign trip. He is scheduled to meet his counterpart Shri Rajnath Singh,Raksha Mantri along with Videsh Mantri Shri S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit K Doval, during his New Delhi visit from March 19 to 21.
Shri Austin is visiting India, to strengthen the ties between the two largest democracies of the World. He will also work towards better trade and commerce facilities and closer defence ties. India needs certain advanced weapon systems for not only enhancing its capabilities to defend itself from a Combined China Pakistan onslaught but also to take the battle deep into the Indo Pacific.
However, instead of trying to sell its advanced hardware to India, a myopic and misinformed American Senator has urged the US Defence Minister to take up the issue of sale of Russian S-400 missile system during his visit to India along with their concerns on human rights issues.
Well the honourable Senator, in case he is one, should be knowing that firstly no one can dictate to India, as to from where it should by its arms and weapons. Only India will decide that. So Austin ji should not be wasting his time over the S400 Deal or USA in the bargain may lose a very lucrative market in India. Secondly he should not even try to threaten India directly or indirectly in this regard, as then QUAD will go for a six along with other relationship.
Also USA should rather look internally and safe guard the human rights of its black, hispanic and Asian population. They are being massacred on daily basis inside the USA by the White American police and misguided elements among the civilian population.Only after banishing prisons like Guantanama bay forever and carrying out major reforms in running of the hellish prison system in USA, should the American politicians dream of lecturing during India on the subject of Human Rights. The USA must also stop all the Human Rights Violations its Forces have been carrying out in Iraq and Afghanistan for decades.
An international inquiry must be made to investigate murder and massacre of innocent civilians in Afghanistan and Iraq by USA troops. The tip of the iceberg has come out in the form of stories of Australian SAS doings in these occupied countries.
Instead Menendez the Senator says “In meetings with Indian counterparts during your upcoming visit, I strongly encourage you to make clear that in all areas, including security cooperation, the US-India partnership must rest on adherence to democratic values,” Menendez said in his letter, a copy of which was released to the press on Wednesday.
“Getting the US-India partnership right is critical to addressing 21st century challenges, and that includes urging the Indian government to uphold democratic values and human rights,” Senator Robert Menendez, Chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, wrote in a letter to Austin.
He should have added that seeing the past and present history of the USA, the Country has no moral or social superiority of any kind over India and therefore Austin ji should not try giving any sermon on the Mount.
In his capacity as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Menendez plays a key role in influencing the country’s foreign policy and national security. Imagine thus guy giving such advice to his Raksha Mantri, after a large group of American Citizens demonstrated their love for Democratic values by trying to storm the Capitol hill itself.
On India’s reported plan to purchase the Russian S-400 missile system, Menendez said that if India chooses to go forward with its purchase, that act will clearly constitute a sanctionable transaction with the Russian defence sector under provisions of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act or CAATSA.
Well we Indians give a open challenge to Shri Menendez to carry out his threat and then USA Senate itself will realize that what kind of joke the CAATSA is.
“It will also limit India’s ability to work with the US on development and procurement of sensitive military technology. I expect you to make all of these challenges clear in conversations with your Indian counterparts,” he said.
This Senator does not realize it is the USA which needs the ability to Work with India. India needs some advanced technology to fill in the gap till it develops its own but it is not so desperate, that it gets dictated by any one.
While democracy and human rights issues do not come under the domain of the Pentagon, Menendez urged Austin to raise these concerns with Indian leaders.
Menendez without even knowing what he is talking about has made comments like “ The Indian government’s ongoing crackdown on farmers peacefully protesting new farming laws and corresponding intimidation of journalists and government critics only underscores the deteriorating situation of democracy in India,” he wrote. The chap should have first taken steps to stem the deterioration in his own Cou try before even tryi g to comment on Indian Laws.
This Senator of a country which has gone crazy after destruction of just o e building in New York by terrorist bombing has the gall to make comments like “Moreover, in recent years, rising anti-Muslim sentiment and related government actions like the Citizenship Amendment Act, the suppression of political dialogue and arrest of political opponents following the abrogation of Article 370 in Kashmir, and the use of sedition laws to persecute political opponents have resulted in the US human rights group Freedom House stripping India of its ‘Free’ status in its yearly global survey,” he said.
Well Mr Menendez, India is a vibrant democracy full of life, you may come and visit us. However we Indians are quite worried about the deterioration of democratic values within your own USA and the way you treat the population of countries where your Forces are deployed.
