US Friend to India but Britain Inimical to India

[Guest guest]

America finds a new friend in India but Britain maintains age old tradition of

treating India

as a subject nation

Sonia Joshi

Jul. 22, 2005

 

"As far as Britain and its universities are concerned, India remains on an

eleven-year-old

''red-flag'' list of countries which British government regard as proliferators

or potential

proliferators of WMD.India's place on the list, alongside Pakistan, Syria,

Egypt, Cuba, North

Korea, Iran, Iraq, Libya and Israel means Indians were among 2,000 scientists

security

vetted in the last four years after they applied to British universities to do

postgraduate or

post-doctoral work in chemistry, microbiology and biotechnology."

 

 

 

America finds India as a political, strategic and business ally that can be a

truly loyal friend

of America. Britain on the other hand cannot get out of its aristocratic

attitude of treating

India as a subject nation.

 

"India is the most populous democratic country in the world and historically a

steadfast

ally and a loyal friend of the US," Congressman Rahm Damnuel, a Democrat, said

on

Thursday introducing a resolution in the House of Representatives.

 

"We have benefited from our close and mutual friendship with India through trade

and

technological advancements and cooperation in security. I am pleased to

recognise the

growing friendship between the two nations," he said.

 

The Democrat from Illinois said "this historic ties are exemplified by the visit

of Prime

Minister Manmohan Singh to the United States."

 

"This important resolution recognises the benefits of our two nations working

together

towards our common goals of promoting peace, prosperity and freedom among all

nations

of the world," he said.

 

"Indian-Americans have proved that America has been made stronger by their

contributions to our cultural richness and diversity," the lawmaker said.

 

As Finance Minister Singh had helped shape India's economic policies to permit

the growth

of free market leading to economic prosperity for many and creation of a large

middle

class.

 

"With this resolution, we recognise that we will be more successful with India

as a partner

in achieving our objectives to promote democracy, combat terror, pursue nuclear

non-

proliferation and strengthen the global economy."

 

However, things in Britain are different.

 

According to media sources, despite US government's decision to civilian nuclear

technology with India, Britain on Friday said that its restrictions on transfer

of such

technology to New Delhi would continue till it signed the Nuclear

Non-Proliferation Treaty.

 

"The UK policy on the issue remains till India signs the NPT. We want all

nuclear countries

to adhere to the Treaty," an official spokesman said.

 

As far as Britain and its universities are concerned, India remains on an

eleven-year-old

''red-flag'' list of countries which British government regard as proliferators

or potential

proliferators of WMD.

 

India's place on the list, alongside Pakistan, Syria, Egypt, Cuba, North Korea,

Iran, Iraq,

Libya and Israel means Indians were among 2,000 scientists security vetted in

the last four

years after they applied to British universities to do postgraduate or

post-doctoral work in

chemistry, microbiology and biotechnology.

 

238 of those applications were rejected, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

said.

 

According to the UK's counter-proliferation department, the rationale is to

prevent foreign

scientists of suspect countries from taking courses which would help them

acquire the

knowledge necessary to assist with the production or manufacture (proliferation)

of WMD

within their home country and which might one day threaten the UK's security.

 

Under the joint statement issued by India and the US on Monday, New Delhi has

agreed to

fully separate its civil and military nuclear facilities and to place all the

civil nuclear

facilities under full IAEA safeguards.

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