The Hindu : Opinion / Letters to the Editor : Commendable

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 28, 2005

Opinion

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Commendable

The strongly worded editorial, `India's shameful vote against Iran' (Sept. 26), is commendable. It is a shame that a government led by the Congress that once evolved the policy of non-alignment and spearheaded the movement in the past has delivered a slap to a friendly neighbour.

India ought to have abstained from voting. We will lose a lot if we embark on a partnership with the U.S., a country that cannot be trusted for a moment.

V.P. Ramesan,
Tripunithura, Kerala

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I was shocked that India succumbed to U.S. pressure and failed to take a principled stand in support of the Iranian programme for generating nuclear energy for civilian use. I feel ashamed of my country or rather those who represent my country and are in a position to compromise its standing among the peace-loving peoples of the world.

Radha Surya,
Bloomington, Indiana

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Jawaharlal Nehru once declared: "I have often said that we do not propose to join any camp or alliance. That is our basic policy." It is an irony that the Congress-led UPA Government has flouted Nehru's non-alignment policy by voting against Iran.

S. Nallasivan,
Tirunelveli, T.N.

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It is very unfortunate that India had to vote for the U.S.-backed resolution — a blatant violation of international ethics.

S. Sudhir Kumar,
Athens, Ohio

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Apparently, the fact that it is a member of the IAEA Board of Governors along with the recently bolstered ties with the U.S. compelled India to vote against Iran. Nevertheless, after having vociferously opposed the Iraq war, India should have refrained from being a party to this sordid nuclear crisis perpetuated by the U.S.

Nalini Vijayaraghavan,
Thiruvananthapuram

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Now that we have voted against Iran, does it imply among other things that we are morally obliged to send troops to Iran if America and the EU-3 decide to invade that country?

Ritwik Chauhan,
Ahmedabad

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The sudden shift in the country's foreign policy begs the question: how can our leaders take important decisions without consulting other political parties and experts in the field?

M.S.R.A. Srihari,
Khammam, A.P.

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India's vote has given a new dimension to the ongoing feud that till now was limited to the U.S., the EU3 and Iran.

Abhishek Gairola,
New Delhi

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