US President Donald Trump visited India on 24th-25th February 2020.
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The visit showed the importance both the capitalist monopolies of India and the capitalist monopolies of the US place on strengthening the Indo US relationship.
The main thrust of the visit was on strengthening the military strategic alliance between the two countries.
US President Trump triumphantly announced that India was purchasing three billion dollars’ worth of sophisticated US made military helicopters. Trump emphasized that his country has the world’s most powerful armed forces by far, and India would do well to purchase all the military equipment it needed from the US.
President Trump and Prime Minister Modi pledged to deepen military cooperation in land, sea and space. The military industrial complex of the US and Indian capitalist monopolies would collaborate in production of advanced defence components and equipment. India agreed to push ahead with the finalizing of the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA). India has already signed the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) with the US and Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA). The COMCASA has ensured that the communication networks of the India’s armed forces are integrated with that of the US. The LEMOA allows the US armed forces to use Indian military facilities. Once the two countries sign BECA, they would share military intelligence. This would help the two countries to enhance accuracy of automated hardware systems and weapons like cruise and ballistic missiles and drones. The US is demanding that India sign BECA as the condition for it to obtain cutting-edge weapons and communications systems from the United States.
The US imperialists look at China as the principal block in their striving to establish their domination over Asia and the whole world. The Indian ruling class, striving to expand its markets and sphere of influence in Asia and the world, sees China as its main rival. Both the US imperialists and the Indian monopoly capitalists thus have a shared interest in encircling China and blocking its rise. This is an important factor which fuels the growing strategic alliance between the US and India.
In their joint declaration, the two countries resolved to strengthen trilateral relations with Japan and QUAD relations with Japan and Australia as part of their efforts to dominate the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean Regions.
The visit highlighted the fact that the US imperialists look at India as a reliable ally in their worldwide campaign against Muslims and Islamic countries. It is well known that US imperialism set up numerous terrorist groups in Pakistan and other countries, to advance its strategic interests. Under the banner of “war against Islamic terrorism”, the US imperialists have carried out wars of invasion and aggression against countries that have refused to succumb to US domination. They have organised the destruction of many countries. Trump repeated the lying propaganda about “radical Islamic terrorism” as the enemy of humanity.
The visit showed that while there are areas of differences between the bourgeoisies of the two countries, both of them are willing to put them aside for the time being, in order to strengthen their strategic convergence. Both US and India agreed to sort out their differences over import duties in order to work out a comprehensive trade deal in the coming days.
The state owned Indian Oil Corporation signed a deal with the US Company Exxon Mobil for purchase of Shale oil. India has stopped purchase of Iranian oil in the wake of US sanctions against countries buying oil from Iran. On the other hand, the US has allowed India to go ahead with building the Chabahar Port in Iran.
The growing military alliance between US and India is not in the interests of the people of our country, or other peoples of Asia. The US wants to use India and our people in unjust wars of conquest against other peoples. The US is inciting India against China, against Pakistan, and against all the Islamic countries. The Indian ruling class is enamored at the prospect of expanding its markets and spheres of influence through an alliance with the US. It is pursuing a dangerous course. The working class and people of our country, all those who want peace in the region, must oppose the Indo US strategic military alliance. It is not in India’s interest.