Obama's India Trip Will Be A Pale Shadow of Putin's Visit, Says Indian Foreign Secretary

During her short visit to Washington, Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, addressing the High Technology Coordination Group (HTCG), set up by the Bush administration, told the audience in Washington that unless the Obama administration changes its ways of dealing with the Indian government, Obama's scheduled state visit to India this summer will be a "pale shadow of the Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's recent work-visit to India."

Comparing the responses by Prime Minister Putin to India's requirements in the areas of space research, nuclear power generation and defense, Rao said Washington has kept more than 70 high-technology items sanctioned against India. For instance, she pointed out that while the Indian moon lander, Chandrayaan I, carried equipment on behalf of NASA and provided all the data for NASA's use, Indian Space Research Organization remains sanctioned against getting any technology considered by Washington as dual-technology. By contrast, Putin not only signed agreements allowing India to use its global positioning satellite (GLONASS) system for military use, he has signed a joint venture to produce the navigation equipment.

She also pointed out that when US Defense Secretary Robert Gates was in Delhi recently asking India to buy US arms, Indian Defense Minister A.K. Anthony had pointed out to him that India's government-run defense development and research organization, and two major Indian arms manufacturers, have remained under sanctions. In the area of nuclear agreements, Putin agreed to provide India with 16 nuclear power plants, and many other agreements which would ensure supply of nuclear fuel and joint manufacturing of fuel and other nuclear equipment. The Obama administration still likes to take India's "nuclear sector jump through the hoops."

On Afghanistan, she pointed out that Washington is looking at the situation through the Pakistani lens only at this critical juncture. Rao went on to warn the Obama administration, saying if this policy does not change, other countries such as India, Iran, China, and Russia, who have interests in Kabul, "will fight that trend with some degree of coordination."