China remains the stumbling block once again
India has failed to enter the prestigious 48-member Nuclear Supplier's Group (NSG) last week despite making hectic diplomatic parleys at the top political level. The efforts initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi especially after receiving a green signal to be a member of the Missile Technology Control Regime recently for pushing India's bid for NSG membership is praiseworthy. Though China's mood was more or less known both at home and abroad for opposing India's membership for NSG, the way Modi reached out to the Chinese President Xi Jinping and the rest of the world leaders shows the country's concern and determination to claim the same. China, without saying no to India's membership, has finally raised technical issues of the latter being non signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) for stalling the entry to the NSG.
Besides, China does no way want to disappoint its old ally Pakistan and hence Pakistan should equally be blamed along with China for India's failure to enter the NSG. In fact, it is Pakistan's persistent demand and pressure that has largely set the tone for China's objection to India's membership in the nuclear group. Though India has lashed out at China immediately after the conclusion of the plenary sessions of the NSG on new membership, it must be noted here that many of the members of the group have expressed concerns over the entry of members who are not signatories of the NPT. Interestingly, as China made an attempt to block any discussion on India's membership, around the same time, two groups of nations — one comprising Brazil and Turkey urged for a criteria based process to be tabled first and others like New Zealand, Austria, Ireland, and Switzerland etc. seriously raised the NPT question.
These two groups of nations have finally scuttled India's hope for the membership. But what needs to brought home is that India's pro-active diplomatic efforts have managed to receive the positive interventions of at least 32 members of the NSG who stood behind the country's behalf at this crucial meet. Also it was India's case which was all up for discussion at these special sessions and Pakistan's membership did not even qualify to the final level. As there has been a tradition that the NSG actions are governed by consensus, not by majority, so despite India having won 32 members backing, the membership case could not move further this time.
However, the stalled dialogue at Seoul for India's membership for NSG should not raise tension between India and China, particularly on the border which has been kept under control since the Modi Government has come to power at the centre. Further this should no way provide any chance for enhancing the morale of the terror groups to fuel tensions for disturbing the tactical stability of South Asia at large. It is time now for India to move ahead and shed the other hesitations of history for a continued engagement of China. With Modi, who had a long experience of working with Chinese companies when he was Chief Minister of Gujarat and a man who does not carry the defensive baggage of the past India-China relations, obviously the setback at NSG plenary would not deter India's further diplomatic moves to enter the nuclear club.
