Dear Editor,
The US/Saudi/Pak support of the Taliban during the Cold War antagonized India. Delhi had little control over its backyard. Moreover, India’s effort to join the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was vetoed by Pakistan and supported by Saudi Arabia; however Syria, Iran and Algeria backed Delhi’s application. And today, India is seeking access to Central Asia and the Caucasus nations via Bandar -E-Abbas Port, Iran. Delhi is actively looking to build a rail link with Iran to these areas.
It is this geopolitical reality that has drawn India closer to Iran and India will be reluctant to succumb to Washington’s pressure to abandon historical ties with Iran and its national interest.
In response to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s comments that the US was engaging in “very intense and very blunt” conversations with India and others like China and Turkey to stop importing oil from Iran in order to pressure Tehran over its covert nuclear programme, officials in New Delhi said they would not be “coerced” by any country.”
Iran’s and India’s historical bond dates back to the Neolithic era. North India and Iran share similar ethnic, cultural and linguistic characteristics.
They are both people of Indo-Aryan stock. In ancient times, they shared similar gods.
For at least 400 years Persian was the official language of India and the Hindustani language is heavily Persianized to this day.
When India and Iran labeled the Taliban barbaric, neither the US nor the EU went that far.
There was no outcry when the Taliban bombed the Iranian embassy in Afghanistan and killed over 12 Iranian diplomats and personnel. Interestingly, the US today is back negotiating with the Taliban and is looking to draw them into an agreement before they pull out of Afghanistan. India and Iran aren’t happy at all at this development.
Let’s not forget that Iran and India have always backed Afghanistan’s Northern Alliance and are actively involved in the rebuilding of that country. Iran also backs India on the Kashmir issue.
India is now emerging as Iran’s main trade partner. Commerce between the two countries is expected to reach US$30 billion dollars by 2015. Sanctions against Iran mostly likely will not bring an end to the so-called Islamic Regime in Tehran.
These Mullahs in Iran are more moderate and rational than those in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Iran borders seven countries that are poised to make great profits by resisting Washington’s pressure to cut commercial ties with Tehran.
Interestingly, President Obama’s Administration conceded that Iran isn’t putting together a nuclear bomb nor has the design to commit terrorism in the United States; sadly, he has to satisfy the Prime Minister of Israel, Bibi Netanyahu, and the Pro-Israeli lobby, AIPAC that the US will commit to bomb Iran. Moreover, the US media is complicit in supporting the Israeli call to go to war with Iran. Obama knows well that oil prices at the pump are at an all time high and an attack on Iran will increase the average price at the pump to 5 dollars a gallon. President Obama either stands up to the warmongers or bows to their wishes.
Yours faithfully,
Ray Chickrie
