The world must be India specific



The Indian system went into another paroxysm of debate, largely uninformed, about introducing a national system of nuclear liability. The Left, opposed to nuclear power in the first place, merely sought to found ways to block the legislation. The Right, ie the Bharatiya Janata Party, was reluctant to block what is the fulfillment of the Indo-US nuclear deal (having been burnt by its supporters when the deal was being put together) but determined to leave its stamp on the legislation. So its leaders demanded that the legislation be “India specific.” I was not surprised.

When the Indian political leadership faces something that requires the country to engage and become part of an international system they rarely focus on trying to understand what the costs and benefits of doing so. They instead look for ways to make it “India specific.” In other words, whatever treaty or legislation that is being signed or put together it must have something unusual, something unique to India.

This is now so well recognized by other governments that when they try to inveigle New Delhi into signing up for something they look for some innocuous paragraph or line to sacrifice to India.

Is India just trying to be ornery? Actually this sort of thing is quite common among biggish countries. American exceptionalism, Gallic everything and the Middle Kingdom are all about the assertion of national identity in a globalised environment.

But Indian politicians are also being intelligent when it comes to the public’s pulse. Indians are particularly sensitive about the idea of sovereignty.

I always like to cite a study by Rollie Lal, called Understanding India and China, where she interviewed dozens of strategic thinkers in both countries. Strangely, more homogenous and politically centralized China was concerned the most about territorial integrity. Sovereignty was about national unity. Indians were much more concerned about being able to make independent decisions in the world’s economic and political. “India –specific” is a good way to absorb this.

Why are Indians so concerned about this sort of thing? Good question. It partly reflects the fact that Indians believe their democratic system is capable of handling any secessionist threats. It also reflects a broad scorn for the Indian state, seen as dysfunctional and incapable of not being hornswoggled by other governments. But it also reflects history. As economist Jeffrey Sachs once said, while explaining India’s suspicion of foreign investment, “This is the only emerging economy that was once colonized by a multinational.”

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  • aanchal

    A good read.

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  • http://rationalopinion.blogspot.com Vijay Bhatia

    Your thoughts are vague. You did not articulate any specific case or cases to justify your conclusion, which seem to be influenced by your resentment with Indian political system, rather than based on sold analysis of facts.
    I do agree with you on inobjectivity of our political system in dealing with International treaties etc., but I was disappointed at lack of data and solid facts in building your case.

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  • http://nuclearsupremacyforindiaoverus.blogspot.com Satish Chandra

    I am India’s expert in strategic defence and the father of India’s strategic program, including the Integrated Guided Missiles Development Program. I have shown in my blog titled ‘Nuclear Supremacy For India Over U.S.’, which can be found by a Google search with the title, that all terrorism and insurgencies in the Indian subcontinent and in much of the rest of the world is sponsored by the C.I.A. Both Pakistan’s ISI and India’s RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) function as branches of the C.I.A. and participate in terrorism and insurgencies throughout the Subcontinent, under direction of the C.I.A. Yes, the ISI secretly supports the Taliban but it does so under direction from the C.I.A. whose modus operandi is support for ALL sides of a conflict to control the course of the conflict in service of its own goals. The goal of the U.S. invasion and occupation of Afghanistan and partial occupation of Pakistan is eventual occupation and overt colonial rule over the Subcontinent as a whole. This will not be permitted and all those participating in this enterprise, including the U.K., will be duly punished; see my blog. The document leak currently in the news has been made in preparation for abandonment of this goal and withdrawal from Afghanistan because of steps I have already taken for the nuclear destruction of New Delhi and then the coast-to-coast destruction of the United States by India with 5,000 thermonuclear warheads and extermination of its population; see my blog. It also shows how India has been kept economically and technologically down by military means and how exterminating the United States’ population will solve that problem. Indians need to realize the determining role of force even in economic relations. When insects such as Pranab Mukherjee talk of closer economic relations between India and the United States, they mean making Indians into slave labor for the American consumer as the Chinese have become so that the Americans no longer produce things, the Chinese toil to produce things for them to consume and all the Americans have to do is keep the whip over the Chinese and get the cooperation of China’s ruling class by giving employment to their family members in the United States as they do to Indians. This master-slave relationship can be reversed or ended by bringing superior force to bear against the United States. Only I can provide such superior force to India and make India master, rather than slave, of the United States, exercising the power of life and death over the Americans and exterminate them to put an end to this scourge. See my article ‘How India’s Economy Can Grow 30% Per Year Or More’ in my blog. India must get rid of 90% of its conventional forces and replace them with nuclear forces. Conventional forces are worthless for destroying the United States. Taking care of the enemy United States will take care of all other enemies. It is not just the production of consumer goods that the United States has transferred to slaves abroad. It is doing so for its fighting and invading as it has transferred its fighting and invading to Pakistan and is on the way to doing so with India. It is not just that all insurgencies and terrorism in India is C.I.A.-sponsored; so is the sea piracy around Somalia etc. which has been used to draw the Indian Navy into serving under the United States and these buggers are only too happy to resume the role they used to play for the British in Mesopotamia and elsewhere in World War I and II, etc.
    RAW was split off from the Intelligence Bureau which had continued after 1947 to be loyal to the British. Later the Americans supplanted the British and RAW functions as a branch of the CIA against India. RAW’s grip over India is comparable to the old KGB’s grip over the Soviet Union, with the difference that whereas the KGB worked for the good of the Soviet Union, except toward the end, RAW has always worked for its imperialist paymasters. The role of politicians in governing India is insignificant compared to that of CIA-RAW but RAW has no place in the public’s consciousness or in discussions of public affairs in India. It is India’s real ‘government’ — just its joint secretaries number in the hundreds — and politicians and civil servants largely obey its dictates. Any one, even a prime minister, whom CIA-RAW considers inconvenient is eliminated, if necessary by death, as I have shown regarding the deaths of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and, later, Rajiv Gandhi in my blog. Examples of RAW’s multifarious activities are: sabotaging of indigenous research and development to keep India dependent on other countries for defence and other equipment; its spreading heroin addiction and AIDS first in India’s Northeast then elsewhere to provide the United States with a population to use as guinea pigs for AIDS vaccine development after the CIA was assigned the task of roping in a population for this purpose; and the nuclear deal in its various aspects — replacing indigenous production of uranium and reactors with imports, the capping, rollback and elimination of India’s nuclear weapons program, media control and buying up politicians, scientists, etc. for this purpose. The nuclear destruction of New Delhi will end C.I.A. rule over India; see my blog.

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    Vikram Reply:

    My God what are you smoking maaan

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  • Santokh Singh Sahi

    India was subjugated by the invaders and traders. Has it stopped? If yes then how come, even we are unable to supply pure drinking water. If yes then how come our homes; hotels; houses, I mean guest houses are full of foreign goods, i.e. TV; Computers; Mobile phones; all junk food and drinks.
    If yes then how comes our roads,garages if any and other parking places are over crowded with cars;jeeps;scooters;motor cycles manufactured and sold by the outside countries? If yes then why our local manufactures and sellers lost their business and are in the process of loosing further?If yes then why even the constuction work has been taken over by the outside companies? The craze to be in India has not stopped, as is the craze to be outside India has not stopped. Isn’t surprising that people in India want to get out and those outside are eager to get in? I leave the consequances that may ultimately be faced by India for the all the intellectuals who are concerned for the welfare of India. Leave aside very few honest, hard working leaders, all others are just enriching their pockets.

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  • KD

    Well, why not ? In the emerging global scenario only two countries can demand customization of global business offerings to their specific needs. One of those countries is India.

    No corporate would care to listen to any government requiring a deal to be ‘Canada-specific’ or for that matter, Pakistan-specific !

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  • Partha Sur

    The last nuclear power plant built in USA was in the early seventies. The US companies (e.g. GE, Westinghouse) wish to sell their outdated technology to India and make a lot of money – no one else will buy their technology. And after they make India dependent on US technology they will proceed to force India to sign on to wider nuclear inspections and finally sign the NPT (Pakistan must be salivating at the thought). India should try to get nuclear technology from France, Germany, Sweden and Japan – not USA and Russia. But then India is purchasing a 50 year old aircraft carrier from Russia ! As the proverb goes I suppose “beggars can’t be choosers”. But then a lot of people in the Indian government will get big kickbacks and foreign trips out of all this. Good luck ! Jai Hind!

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    Moreshwar Salpekar Reply:

    I want to know why is it thought to be “India specific”. The BJP and left and all are demanding one thing and that I think is correct:

    Liability of suppliers: The suppliers must be liable for their act of commission as well as omission. This is a well founded principle of responsibility. If a foriegn or domestic company puts up a Nuclear plant and the activities result in some mishap why should a tax payer be paying up for mistake of supplier or maintainer of plant unless it is a Indian govt company. somebody is forgetting here that some of tax payers may be mishap victims. you are telling these victims that you pay for somebody else’s activities for your own treatment or rehabilation because supplier has no liability. Surprising!!!
    It should ne noted here that liability arises irrespective of fact that mishap was result of unintended or intentional act. The company responsible for maintanence or supply must pay for their acts of ommision or commission if it is proved that their act of omssion or commision resulted in the mishap

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    Pramit Reply:

    Suppliers are liable under the existing law of tort in India and various specific Supreme Court judgments. These are fault based and exist irrespective of the Nuclear Liability Bill.
    This bill is an additional liability regime that is not based on fault. In other words, an operator must pay irrespective of whether he is to blame for the damage that is caused. That is an excepted norm post-Chernobyl.
    By seeming to extending this liability to suppliers, a practice carried out by no country in the world, India has effectively created a new form of liability for which no insurance exists and for which suppliers are likely to refuse to provide parts to the Indian market.
    Note that Indian nuclear components industry have also cried foul. They are now triply liable — fault based liability, liable under their operator contracts and now liable even if they have done nothing wrong. Indian officials have admitted that India may lose much of its own indigenous nuclear industry if it does not rework or reinterpret the present bill.

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    Pramit Reply:

    Actually both GE and Westinghouse use Japanese technology for the reactor core. Japan is probably the world’s most advanced nation in nuclear power, at least in certain types of reactors and definitely in components like forgings.
    Westinghouse has landed so many contracts in China that it has, in fact, never bothered to lobby for the India market. GE is having a harder time because its boiling water technology is less familiar to most countries.
    There is in fact no country in the world which makes an entire reactor. They also outsource parts from other countries. Just like automobile, a reactor is part of a global supply chain — even Russian and French ones.

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  • manoj

    This is how democracy works. This is how it gets the best deal for itself!
    You have the intellect of a Sudi Arabian or a Pakistani.
    Idiot.

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  • Capt.A.S.Sehmi

    It is just a way of getting things done in a more tactical & diplomatic way when members enmass oppose a bill or resolution. The leaders of the major parties organise & arrange a meeting for collective decision with the understanding & strategy to be followed in public or parliament, and the needfull is done in clearing the hurdles possed on frivulous & flimpsy grounds like CPM who dug their heels on the floor of the house not to pass the Indo-US nuclear treaty which has already shacken their very foundation & image in the masses affecting the whole party. These MPs are public servants now with heftty pay must give some constructive output to the electorates & the nations as well work towards national development & not block it or delay to gain for thye political motives. Today the people of India have awakened & are well educated enough to find their real motives interior or ulterior which ultimately expressed at the appropriate time by keeping the politicians guessing with sweet & smiling talk like politician themselves.If politician can cheat, people can cheat more & effectively with devastating blow.

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  • Capt.A.S.Sehmi

    I remenber I had a senior army officer who would always invariable reject the drafts of letters or proposals with a lot of cuttings & over writings. Once I requested him to draft the outline sketch of his ideas so that I can fill in the blanks & draft to refined & final form. He made a draft with mistakes more than the words in the letter & it was really a great job to filter through & frame into a coherent paragraph to prose what was needed. Then one day I saw a one paragraph letter with 17 lines but with 22 line cut & scored out which made me conclude how irrational & shallow thoughts & faculty this fellow had. This was a case of CPM & BJP incase of Indo-US nuclear deal. To discourage the mushroom tenders the terms & conditions of suppliers/vendors are so made so that poor suppliers get automatically screened out which has been done in Nuclear Liability Bill as India is aiming at procuring from USA which has perfected its technology & functioning nuclear reactors to generate electricity unlike other countries of repute.

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  • Rajesh

    This is a good way of explaining BJP’s bad tempered behaviour. I so hope that both parties would give up their suspicion of each other and pass legislations which actually help the country, e.g. Judicial Accountability Bill, Direct Tax Code, VAT etc.

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  • Ramesh Talwani

    A NATION WHO HAS PERSON LIKE KAPIL SIBAL AS EDUCATION MINISTER,WHO CAN LIE ON 2G SCAM -ZERO LOSS THEORY OR HANDLING BABA RAMDEV ,WHO HAS SUCH A LOW CREDIBILITY – COULDNOT GETOUT OF HIS CAR IN CHANDNI CHOWK SHOULD BETTER QUIT EDUCATION.
    WE NEED A SELF RESPECTING INDIAN WITH PRIDE IN INDIAN ETHOS.
    HE SHOULD BETTER GET BACK TO HIS LEGAL PRACTICE RATHER THAN PLAYING WITH FATE OF BILLION INDIAN CHILDERN.

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  • http://www.blurbpoint.com/link-building-services.php Link Building Services

    Only spending lots of money and to build the colleges and universities is not the enough thing and to make education globally is not required. Instead of this , people of India need to get the such education by which they can get the own growth and not the money growth. And the leader like kapil sibbal can see the education only with the money benefits point of view and not interested to update the current education system.

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  • Dave

    Excellent article Mayank. Let me tell you something very interesting. My father & I discovered this tomb in 1981, when it was in shambles. My father being an IAS officer, used his influence to request the Archaeological Survey of India, to at least have a board at this place.

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  • Neeta

    “His followers and other militants spread a trail of terror all over
    Punjab, specifically targeting Hindus. Buses would be stopped. Hindus
    would be separated from Sikhs and shot dead in cold blood. Prominent
    Hindus were assassinated. Funds were raised through robberies and
    extortion. Women were kidnapped and kept prisoner for the sexual
    gratification of militants. Bombs were placed in public places to kill
    innocent civilians. Moderate Sikhs were threatened and murdered.” – Hindus were separated from Sikhs and murdered?! There is literally no evidence of that! Sikh extremists did not target civilians, they targetted politicians some of whom were even Sikh like Beant Singh

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    Impi Reply:

    LIAR! I grew up in those times and I remember clearly. So do most moderate Hindus and Sikhs. It was in the news everyday. The period from 1982 to 1984 is dark in my memory. How did you miss it?

    Sikhs act like the government lost its mind and attacked the Golden Temple.

    It is only when KPS Gill and Beant Singh came in that Sikh militants were killed in encounters, that’s when collateral damage happened and innocent Sikhs were also killed alongside.

    This is a well written piece Mr. Sanghvi and I know you extend the same logic to Delhi and Gujarat riots.

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