Following intensifying media and lobby-group pressure here on India’s relationship with Iran, the Indian embassy in Washington has hit back with sharply-worded and rare retort to allegations “which have presented a distorted picture by basing their conclusions on speculation and inaccurate information.”
Arguing that such reports had generated concerns among some members of the U.S. Congress, the embassy clarified through its spokesman Virander Paul that India’s relationship with Iran was neither inconsistent with non-proliferation objectives, nor contradictory to the relationship India had with its friends in West Asia or with the U.S. and Europe.
In addition to media reports recent weeks have seen a lobby group directly petition Ambassador Nirupama Rao and suggest to her that New Delhi was “attempting to take advantage of sanctions adopted by like-minded nations.”
In a letter to Ambassador Rao the group drew attention to alleged comments by Indian Commerce Secretary Rahul Khullar that “a huge delegation” of Indian business representatives would soon travel to Iran to capitalise on opportunities created by European withdrawal from the Iranian market. It hinted that India could seek to source its energy needs from other West Asian nations but not Iran.
Mr. Paul’s statement stoutly refuted the allegations, pointing out that “Allusions in the media that India’s overall oil imports from Iran are increasing just because its monthly uptake of Iranian oil reportedly increased in January this year are based on selective use of information, misrepresenting the fact that in aggregate terms, crude imports from Iran constitute a declining share of India’s oil imports.”
At the macro level, India has scrupulously adhered to the multilateral sanctions against Iran as mandated by the United Nations, and remains fully engaged with the U.S. administration and Congress on this issue, the embassy added.
However dispelling any notion that India could be pressured into forsaking an important “civilisational” relationship with Iran, the embassy’s statement noted that not only were there six million Indians in the Gulf region, but Iran was also India’s only corridor for land access to Afghanistan, and it was through Iran that most of India’s development and reconstruction assistance to Afghanistan was routed.
On the core question of Iran’s importance in helping India meet its energy needs, the Indian embassy argued that with more than 400 million Indians lacking access to commercial energy at home “an automatic replacement of all Iranian oil imports, is not a simple matter of selection, or a realistic option.”
Even as the crescendo of war drums intensifies with growing concern over the possibility of an Israeli strike again Iran’s nuclear facilities, the embassy cautioned that India “firmly believes that the situation concerning Iran should not be allowed to escalate into a conflict, the disastrous consequences of which will be in nobody’s interest.”
Keywords: Iran oil, Iranian imports, Iran oil imports, India Iran relations
Wow! I only see such rabid Nationalism on the Right Wing blogs of American Political sites. Is this the way all of India is?
If so, you need to start realizing that India's Strength is not in it's ability, current or future, to force any country to do anything. India's Strength lies in it's population, the potential consumers that the World's Masters want to sell to and use for furthering their profits.
You want India to have more say in what goes on in the world? Then concentrate on these five things:
1. Stop the corruption that bleeds the poor.
2. Invest Heavily in Infrastructure to give the poor and rural communities a chance to participate in the economy.
3. Educate your poor.
4. Drop the cast system, as well as all the other racial/discrimination divisions. Let everyone into the system.
5. Don't get dragged into the Political conflicts.
India has a chance to build itself into a Power that has a loud voice in world affairs, but Nationalistic Machoism is not the way.
My friends please don't forget that most of politicians and businesses have ill-gotten monies stashed in those countries or at least they all share this knowledge to scare our Leaders of Public consequences. Congress and its men are largest holders of such monies. Therefore Neerupama Madam is no exception in that booty bank deposits. India has taken stand but again the reason is they have blessed Indians for the past 67yrs with Poverty and in the name of Poverty we are running our National interest. Shame on all of you Diplomats and Politicians. Hide yourself within us poor Indians. What is wrong in defending Iran and ensuring that they are given fare chance to prove their innocence.
US has supported the rise of China for the past 60yrs and now wants India to fight against and nuetralise each other. Every technology was provided to Chian by US/Europe yet they make fools of rest. China and India have to keep in mind.
The USA wants to invade and occupy Iran just like it did illegally in
Iraq and Afghanistan. It (the USA) wants control of all the oil rich
countries in the middle east (Libya was a recent victim). The reason
being that India and China are fast developing economies and will
require oil for their industrial machines. Therefore whoever controls
the oil supply can choke and eventually curb the growth and
development of India and China(increasing oil prices). Besides this
India and Iran are countries which have ancient civilization links. A
US invasion of Iran will bring about a new era of imperialism and make
our neighborhood(Asia) very unstable.
The problem with India is that it always 'sits on the fence' when it comes to world issues. It seems India is too scared to 'offend' anyone. Hence countries target India with terror activities, namely pakistan and Iran's actions against Israel. What is the point in having such a large army if states like Pakistan target India with terror. Now Iran is getting in on the act.
The new happenings are dynamic part of the big steady play. America's interest is to control the energy lacking countries like China and India by pressuring the energy rich. They have been doing their home work for quite some time, they have taken Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, in short 360 degrees around. Political warfare have started long back. Its only a question of time for full scale. India and China is the only obstacle. Since there are trillions of dollars profit to American Corporates, the only outcome is a prolonged political warfare. The inevitable could be stopped if India alone could take a daring stance. Its long time that India should have spoken Loud. Initially India's US ambassador is the first to be fired from her post.
Finally, a robust response from the Indian ambassador in Washington. The Europeans and the US should be made to realize that they do not represent the rest of the world – what is good for the West is not necessarily good for the rest of the world. Like the West, India should put its own interests and priorities first. The Europeans and the US are not going to spare a moments thought for the energy starved poor of India. If the US, the British and Israel are concerned about possible Iranian nuclear weapons then they should set a good example by dismantling their own nuclear arsenals.
Welldone India. Your message is loud and clear. Many thanks!
India is a major sovereign nation. Indian foreign policy has carried the torch for nonaligned nations.
India and Iran have a linked culture much older than many nations entire history. It would be a great mistake for any nation to assume that India could be bargained or threatened for a short term political advantage.
The US in particular has never lent a listening ear to any other country regarding its foreign policy. It has established and broken relationships with different lands for its requirements only and has never been engaged with anyone on humanitarian basis. At least they do not deserve to utter words of advice at us. This is a very crucial time when Indian intentions must be clearly conveyed to all such i-am-the-police-chief nations.
Well Done India, at last something sensible has come out of Washington. We Indians must do what's best for our country, and not get tangled up in wars that are driven by sectional interests such as AIPAC in the US. We have a 2,000 years history of relationship with Persia and we should not disband that on the US and Israels' say so. Furtehr, India has secured an exceptional trade deal with Iran where it can pay in ruppees, which can only be spent in India creating millions of additional new jobs. Further, Iran is an important long term partner in meeting our energy needs, and we should preserve that.
India should not yield to US and western power. Every country has right to safe guard its interest. These warmongering republican party does not learn lesson that wars bring country to bankrupt. Great Britton went bankrupt in WW-2, America is bankrupt fighting two wars one in Afghanistan and second in Iraq. They were buying Iran's oil till 2008 even though US did not have any dilplomatic relations. Same thing was true for Libiya. They were buying oil fromLibiya, They say do what we say but do not do what we do. India should not break relations or stop buying oil from Iran.
Iran has god given right to persue nuclear technology, to the contrary US should appreciate technology domestically achieved by Iran.
This is a rare but welcome gesture by India.The point that "with more
than 400 million Indians lacking access to commercial energy at home
an automatic replacement of all Iranian oil imports, is not a simple
matter of selection, or a realistic option”states the Indian stand in
this issue in the clearest way possible.
US should seriously rethink about their strategies in the Western
Asia, since they will fall into one pit after another, which
ultimately causes widespread turmoil and increase in violence.
Negotiations, People to People contact and Parliamentary delegations
are some of the channels which will provide the right strategy.
Moreover the stand of India on the Iran issue is a welcome approach,
keeping in mind the strategic location of Iran, their energy source,
the close historical & cultural linkages and the considerable Shia Muslims in the country. Time has come for India to take clear and bold
steps to march towards becoming a Global Power...
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