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Pallone takes on India baiters in US Congress

Aziz Haniffa in Washington

Congressman Frank Pallone, India's staunchest ally in the Congress, has taken on the small but vociferous coterie of India baiters who have alleged on the House floor that it was India's contempt for democracy that was the reason for the failure of the Agra summit.

Pallone, who took to the House floor before the Congress adjourned for summer recess, said: "My colleagues suggest that Muslims in Kashmir and Sikhs in Punjab, among other religious and ethnic groups in India, have the right to separate states from the Indian nation. They seek the United States' support for secession. But, their theory is not based on the American experience."

The Democratic lawmaker from New Jersey said, "These critics deemed the recent landmark summit between India and Pakistan a failure because it did not produce any substantive agreement over Kashmir. They argued that Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's refusal to speak extensively on Kashmir was a testament to India's contempt for democracy."

In rebutting their arguments, Pallone recalled America's own Civil War and drew a parallel between India and the US.

"We cannot forget the principles on which this nation was founded, and the war we fought to maintain those principles."

"For it was in the Civil War that the Union fought to keep the south from seceding. It was South Carolina's Act of Secession that was fiercely battled on American soil to keep the United States together at any cost," he noted.

Pallone said the anti-India brigade in the Congress "condemn India for trying to keep the nation together, when India is a model for democracy in South Asia".

"India is supporting the same ideals that shaped the history and success of the US. We should support India in its opposition to secession," he said.

Pallone said, "India is fighting a battle that America fought in the 19th century, and all for the same outcome -- a united country."

"My colleagues have made claims that India is not one nation, but rather a multinational state put together by the British for administrative convenience. Their claims ignore India's history, its independence movement, and the principles on which the country was founded."

"India was founded as a secular state based on an equality of religions. Secularism is the thread that holds together the fabric of diversity that characterises India," he said.

"Muslims and Sikhs do not need to secede from such a nation. Secession based on religion or any other ideology goes against the secularism that India stands for," Pallone said.

"A divided India is a recipe for chaos. With a diverse array of regions, 18 official languages, and 17 freedom movements, the breakdown of India would be disruptive for its people and the international community," he warned.

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