India is inclined to accede to the US request for a troop deployment in Iraq assuming that the move would serve its immediate and long-term national interests. The issue has offered an opportunity to India to play a major global role and, given the region’s strategic importance, India is tempted to utilise this opportunity. US President George W Bush is already under fire at home for having launched what many believe was an unnecessary war. The failure of coalition forces to find any weapons of mass destruction (WMD) has compounded his difficulties. Therefore, such a bold move by India would be seen as bailing him out and would boost to the Indo-US to an altogether different plane. In a world of give-and-take, India can look forward to sympathy and understanding from the US on the issue of terrorism. Given the extent of Washington’s clout in Islamabad, even a slight shift by the US in favour of India would make a big difference on the ground. Though neither would admit it, the India-Pakistan peace process has become linked to the Iraq issue. Irrespective of the justification or otherwise of the war, the fall of Saddam Hussein and the subsequent occupation of Iraq by the US is hard reality. Therefore, it would be benaive on India’s part to continue carrying the Saddam Hussein baggage. It has to look up to the future and work according to the diktats of its own interests. Bush’s main ally, Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain, is already on the defensive at home over Iraq. New Delhi, by stepping in now, can fill this vacuum. The Atal Behari Vajapyee Government, free from the predilections of outdated Nehruvian foreign policy, is keen on exploring fresh ground to root its external planning. However, there is no denying that government perceptions and popular sentiments on certain issues may not match. In this case, though, there is no basis for a conclusion that a troop deployment in Iraq would become a burning mass issue at all. After all, Indian troops have been drafted for policing many a time before. The US is also doing its bit to satisfy Indian sensibilities. Its Ambassador to India Robert Blackwill has already made it clear that, Indian troops will not be used for combat. He has also maintained that they would operate under the Indian flag, which would appease sentiments in India. Nevertheless, Vajpayee has initiated a move for discussions with leaders of all parties on the issue before giving any commitment to the US. Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, himself a hardliner, has also resisted the US pressure to send troops. He said: ‘‘The Cabinet committee on security (CCS), which has met twice to discuss the issue, has sought certain clarifications. The CCS would meet again and take an appropriate decision once those answers come.’’ The issue has landed the Congress in a difficult position. Having taken a tough stand once, the party may find it difficult to give it up. However, perceiving itself as a natural outfit for governance, the Congress can neither ignore major global currents and undercurrents, nor work against vital national interests.
