Mouthing slogans of ‘nationalism’ the Modi Govt. has taken one more step to tie India to the chariot wheels of US imperialism. India has decided to sign an agreement to share military logistics with US imperialism. The Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement was reached during the recent visit of US Secretary of Defence Ashton Carter to India. Two more agreements, again long demanded by US imperialism, one on communications security and interoperability and the other on geospatial cooperation, are in the pipeline.
The agreement signed will give visiting US aircrafts and warships access to resources like fuel and water at India’s military bases. Modi Govt.’s step reverses India’s longstanding position not to sign such agreements. Though Indian Govt. has since some time been conducting joint military exercises with US military it had been hesitating to sign the aforesaid agreement pressed by US since 2004. Though the agreement as usual mentions bilateral use, it is obvious that US imperialism in its hegemonic pursuit will be using Indian military facilities. Indian Govt. has long cooperated with imperialist powers including US imperialism but Modi Govt. is openly entering into such an agreement which is in the direction of forging military alliance.
This agreement is not only a surrender of Indian sovereign interests by the Modi Govt., it is also a body blow to whatever ‘independence’ has been in the foreign policy. Modi Govt. has intensified the drive to align India ever more closely with US imperialism, particularly in its confrontation with China. Indian Govt. is rushing to help US interests the world over even as the declining superpower is trying to marshal allies to confront other powers in the world. Modi’s recent foreign visits are also in that direction. Modi Govt.’s steps are bringing the inter-imperialist contradictions closer to our neighbourhood. These steps are not in the interests of the country and of the peace in India’s neighbourhood.
Moreover, Indian people have long detested aligning with western imperialist powers. They had struggled against British colonial rulers for freedom to have our own security and foreign policy. But RSS which had never shared the ideals of the freedom movement, has never stood by them, has no use for them. They wish to become a ‘superpower’ under the umbrella of US imperialism. They are deepening the stranglehold of imperialist capital in all spheres of the economic life of the country. Their subservience to US imperialism should not be seen in isolation from their aggressive designs against the people of the country. Their closer alignment with the imperialist superpower should also not be seen in isolation from their attempts to trample on the democratic rights of the people or in isolation from their fascist drive. This Agreement exposes the real nature of their so-called nationalism.
Stand up against this agreement and closer strategic tie-up with US imperialism. Expose and oppose Modi Govt.’s attempts to drive India into military alliance with US imperialism.