RISE OF A NATION

History has its own funny way to surprise and when you think that this is the turning point, to your utter displeasure nothing happens. September 11 when the twin towers came crashing down the whole landscape changed for good or for bad history will be the judge. And one of the new pieces of the changing landscape came as the Indo-US nuclear deal. The world order which has not changed for decades is changing and changing for only one country India. The world’s largest democracy, a land of billion people, multi ethnic, mutli religious, a peace loving nation. But has the world woken up to this fact now. Something must have changed which brought years of isolation in the nuclear field to an end. 8% GDP growth is an attraction but most importantly the ripples created by the twin towers reached Indian shores. The think tank in US has realized that for a stable world order rise of nations like India is important. And with a single master stroke they brought the two of the greatest democracies closer. It is a win win deal for both the nations. India on its part gets recognized as a nuclear power. But more importantly the nuclear isolation which has to some extent slowed India’s nuclear energy has been reignited. And the nation which is hungry for energy resources has one more option. But the more important question is what the US is getting. India with more than 300 million middle class is a huge market for the US goods. With the ever growing India’s defense budget companies like Lockheed martin are looking sell the f-16 and the f-18. And some thinker also sees a third angle to it, the China factor. And the most important factor for me is that the US wants to engage India strategically as a growing Asian powerhouse. But let’s not jump to far too quickly. This deal has to go through the US senate and by all indications it will sail through. And then there is the question of the NSG and there also thinks are looking up with backing from France, Britain and Russia.
But the angle which took me by surprise was the not the criticism but the kind of it. Major US dailies clubbed India with countries like North Korea and came down heavily on India for it’s refusal to sign the NPT. Is it ignorance on the part of the writer’s or is India perceived in a way which we all are in denial. Many critics feel that this is the final nail in the NPT as by rewarding India they have put the very existence of NPT in doubt. Another surprise was Thomas Friedman who in his New York Times column published on Wednesday said: “We should not go ahead with this deal until India is ready to halt its production of weapon-grade material”. Has he lost touch with the reality India will never does that. And let us not forget years of isolation have hardened India’s nuclear program. And the assumption by some observer’s about the support for this deal is greatly mistaken. India stands as one on the matter of foreign policy. There might be rumblings but the domestic support to the India’s nuclear program has never been stronger.
Ultimately, there are no better alternatives. It’s better for everyone to have the India’s nuclear program under IAEA safeguards. And let’s not keep our eyes closed when the world order is changing. Recognize the arrival of a nation which has the capacity to become the next big thing. Recognize the RISE OF A NATION.