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Will Italy decide India's defence policy?

"It's going to be a battle between piyaaz (onion) and Pokhran," a Congress worker from Rajasthan chuckled. I have a couple of points on this quip.

First, why is it that Congressmen seem incapable of fighting on a positive programme? Whether it is the soaring price of onions or India's decision to put its nuclear doctrine on a slightly more rational footing, these are the achievements or lapses of the Vajpayee ministry. Doesn't the Congress have anything original to say, some new ideas of its own?

Second, that Congressman seemed to be suggesting that while onions feature on the debit side of the Vajpayee ministry's ledger, the explosions at Pokhran are to the government's credit. But that is most emphatically not what this Italian-born leader is saying! Or was she perhaps doing no more than echo her new-found friends in the Communist Party of India-Marxist?

The consultative committee to the external affairs ministry, a body of parliamentarians, met in Delhi recently. The Marxists began with their usual parrot chant! "Why did we go in for Pokhran II?" The refrain was taken up, somewhat more mildly, by some Congress representatives. To date, the prime minister has taken a low-key approach to the issue, but this proved to be the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.

"In 1964," he began, "China exploded a nuclear device. I recall very clearly that there were certain political parties in India which did not raise any such questions at that time."

He paused for effect as the Communists squirmed. "Let me ask them today! Does this mean that those parties sincerely believe that a nuclear bomb in Chinese hands is better than such a weapon in 'native' hands? Do they believe that we are any less responsible or reliable than the regime in China?" It is on record that the Marxists were stunned into silence.

(By the way, a Bahujan Samaj Party member went to the other extreme at the same meeting, demanding an ultimatum served on Pakistan! The prime minister immediately crushed the suggestion, saying Indo-Pakistan problems could be sorted out by talking to each other. Given that both the CPI-M and the Bahujan Samaj Party are potential allies, it should be interesting to see which way the Congress blows.)

In all honesty, however, we should note that the CPI-M and the Congress are seemingly adopting a stance that is closer to the United States than to China. It is the Americans, not the Chinese, who have been most virulent on the subject of India exercising the nuclear option.

The issue came to the fore at the United Nations General Assembly that was meeting in New York at about the same time as that meeting in Delhi referred to above. The Americans wanted the General Assembly to adopt a resolution openly condemning India and Pakistan. This spurred India into writing an alternative draft, condemning all nuclear weapons and calling for general nuclear disarmament.

Lest anyone miss the point, the wording specifically called upon "the five nuclear weapon states to undertake measures to reduce nuclear danger". To the astonishment of many, the Indian resolution carried the day by 68 votes in favour to 44 against, with 12 nations abstaining.

Most of Asia and Africa and parts of Latin America opted for the Indian draft. The nay-sayers, predictably, included members of NATO and the European Community (there is a great deal of overlap in the membership of both), applicants to join those organisations, and Russia. The real surprises were found in the list of those who abstained -- including Japan and, the biggest shock of the vote, China.

I hate to use the language of apartheid, but the vote was on almost classically racist lines. The whites tried to retain a monopoly on nuclear weapons, a position unacceptable to the rest. In all honesty, however, it should be noted that there is a body of opinion even in India, which is closer to the Western school of thought. I refer, of course, to Sonia Gandhi and the Marxists.

Of course, given the past history of the Communists it is not particularly surprising to find them adopting an anti-national stance. In 1942, they opposed the Quit India Movement because their master Stalin was then allied with Britain against Hitler. And to this day, you won't find a politburo member who condemns China's occupation of Indian territory.

But what of the Congress? Is it really swallowing the Marxist line? Has it really accepted that India's defence policy must follow lines laid down by NATO (which includes Italy)? So many questions, so few answers!

T V R Shenoy