The Hindu : National : CPI(M) opposes Nimitz visit plan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jul 14, 2007
ePaper

National

National

CPI(M) opposes Nimitz visit plan

Sandeep Dikshit

“India being drawn into military cooperation among U.S., Japan & Australia”

A serious development
Harmful to India’s interests

NEW DELHI: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Friday opposed the proposed visit of the American nuclear-powered aircraft- carrier USS Nimitz to the Bay of Bengal in the first week of September to participate in multination exercises.

The Nimitz would be joined by another American aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk besides several other ships for what is billed as one of the biggest war games being hosted by the Indian Navy. However, the probability of its docking near any Indian port is “unlikely”, said Indian Navy sources.

The anchoring of Nimitz off Chennai in the beginning of this month had led to protests by the Left Parties, AIADMK and unions.

Third visit

“The significance of the visit of the USS Nimitz is that the UPA [United Progressive Alliance] government is step by step implementing the defence framework agreement with the United States which will convert India into a military ally of the United States,” the CPI (M) had observed at that time. This led the Government to disclose the supervision and radiation measuring measures that had been put in place. This would be the third visit near Indian shores by the carrier, which takes part in operations against Iraq.

Sources said this time not only would Nimitz stay away from Indian ports, the venue of the exercise is well north of Chennai, in the general area between Visakhapatnam and Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The U.S. is likely to bring submarines as well because the exercises involving at least 20 warships from five nations would be “complex and three dimensional in nature”. The other nations taking part in the exercise apart from India and the U.S. are Australia, Singapore and Japan.

In its statement on the proposed joint naval exercises, the Polit Bureau of the CPI (M) expressed serious concern and felt these moves were drawing India into the already existing trilateral military cooperation among the US, Japan and Australia.

“In the recent period, preparations have been going on for a quadrilateral framework for security cooperation involving India, United States, Japan and Australia. Coming in the wake of the recent visit of the USS Nimitz to Chennai, the announcement of the joint naval exercise is part of the implementation of the ‘New Framework for Defence Relationship’ signed by the UPA government in July 2005. Japan and Australia are close military allies of the United States. India is now moving to join their ranks. This is a serious development.”

Harmful to interests

The CPI(M) considered these steps as harmful to India’s strategic interests. The Left parties have time and again warned against such military cooperation with the United States. “The Polit Bureau calls upon all patriotic sections to come out in opposition against this growing military tie-up with the United States,” it added.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National