New Delhi: The war of words between the UPA Government and the Left parties over a perceived shift in the country's foreign policy heated up on Thursday.
The Left parties asked the Congress led coalition to check "the drift and restore national consensus on issues related to foreign policy."
The Left leaders wanted to know whether India's stand on Iran, Indo-US nuclear deal, NAM and the WTO trade negotiations were not enough to prove that the UPA Government "surrendered" the country's interests at the dictates of the US and the international financial institutions.
The Left leaders refused to buy Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's assertion that his Government had not deviated from the basic features of the foreign policy and that it was seeking only larger space in international relations.
Manmohan Singh said in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday that the nation could not be tied down to the past. It needed flexibility of tactics, depending on the changes the world over.
He also denied that his Government was deviating from the foreign policy laid down by Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.
The CPI, CPI-M, Forward Bloc and RSP maintain that it was rather expected that the UPA Government would reappraise the foreign and security policies so that a proper direction could be given during the remaining period of its tenure.
CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan said, "The PM should understand that flexibility does not mean surrendering to the foreign dictates as India has done in relations with Iran and the Government almost gave up our independent position. During the past one and half years there has definitely been a drift in the foreign policy of the country.”
“The Nuclear deal and the Defence pact with the US and our 'compromising' position during the trade negotiations with the WTO could not be termed adhering to the parameters laid down by Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi," Bardhan added.
CPI National Secretary Shamim Faizi emphasised that Nehru was founder of NAM, Indira Gandhi built national consensus on an independent foreign policy and Rajiv Gandhi proposed total nuclear disarmament. "Now the PM should assess himself whether he is adhering to those parameters of our foreign policy?"
Faizi said the national consensus on foreign policy was disturbed during the NDA regime and unfortunately the UPA Government had also not take any measures to restore this consensus.
CPI-M Polit bureau member M K Pandhe observed that changes brought out by the Manmohan Singh Government in the sphere of external affairs was not for the better at all. "These are for the worse only."
Pandhe reminded how Nehru built the PSUs and made the country self sufficient in production of steel and coal and other such sectors.
The CPI-M questioned the Manmohan Singh Government's wisdom for its cooperation with the US in the name of building democracy in Iraq, Palestine and Latin America.
RSP leader Abani Roy and Forward Bloc leader G Devrajan, while asking the UPA Government to uphold India's independent foreign policy, asked it to improve ties with Russia, China and NAM countries.
The Left leaders also asked the Manmohan Singh Government to refrain from selling off “national interests in the fields of trade, commerce and agriculture at the dictates of the World Bank and IMF."
Comments
0 comment