India became the first among 21
countries to turn down Edward Snowden’s plea for asylum. India
thus effectively distanced itself from the controversy though it was among
those singed by the surveillance programme of the National Security Agency of
the United States
that was exposed by Mr. Snowden. Eight other countries said the application was
not valid as it had to be submitted on their soil.
Mr. Snowden withdrew a
request to Russia after Moscow said he would not be permitted to criticise the
U.S. India rejected the application, which was among a bunch of 21 submitted by
WikiLeaks legal adviser Sarah Harisson to the Russian consulate at Moscow’s
Sheremetyevo airport where Mr. Snowden is living in the transit zone.
Meanwhile, External Affairs
Minister Mr. Salman Khurshid played down reports of India
being the fifth largest target of the U.S. snooping programme. He repeated
virtually what U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said while defending the
Prism programme during his India
visit last month. He said that, this is not scrutiny and access to actual
messages. It is only computer analysis of patterns of calls and e-mails that
are being sent. It is not actually snooping on specifically on content of
anybody's message or conversation.
The high-speed Indian
response to Mr. Snowden’s request led to wry smiles and comments on the
Twitter. Strategic analyst Mr. Brahma Chellaney tweeted that,
ü “India has traditionally provided
political refuge to many a figure. Yet its otherwise slow-moving govt rejects
Snowden's plea in record time’’
ü “If the hallmark of Obama
presidency will be ‘Yes we scan,’ the legacy of the Indian government that
spurned Snowden's plea is ‘Yes we scam’”.
Mr. Khurshid’s comments are a
much toned-down version of what officials have said and felt about Mr.
Snowden’s revelations in which India
figures as the fifth most tracked country in a U.S. Internet data mining
project. Not only were American officials apprised of Indian annoyance,
officials had termed the targeting of India unacceptable.
Once Iran President called US as an
international bully. This incident proves that is true. This incident is also a
warning for all the governments of the world.
**********
Perhaps our so-called
'national leaders' in India
can learn as to how to grow a spine from the leaders of these smaller countries
(Latin American).
Political class, civil society, experts slam
Khurshid:-
The government, particularly
External Affairs Minister Mr. Salman Khurshid, has come
under fire for asserting that United
States’ surveillance activities did not
amount to “snooping” and it was “only computer analysis of patterns of calls
and e-mails sent.” From the left and the right of the political spectrum, from
supporters of a “special” India-U.S. relationship to its critics, there was an
almost unanimous view that the government had gone too far to “appease the U.S.”
Various Leaders slam Mr.
Khurshid’s remarks on U.S. Snooping
|
BJP
leader Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad
|
The
Government of India must “come clean” and share all available facts with the
rest of the political parties. “Any surveillance of Indian systems is
uncalled for. The BJP is for good relations with U.S., but our sovereignty and
self-respect is non-negotiable.” Mr. Prasad rejected the distinction between
surveillance and snooping as fiction, and pointed to the “palpable disconnect
between different ministers.”
|
CPM
Polit Bureau member Ms. Brinda Karat
|
U.S. actions are “cyber-driven invasion of
sovereignty”. This is a craven statement of a craven minister of a craven
government. Even the allies are objecting, but this government is justifying
what is a clearly illegal act, in violation of U.N. conventions
|
Mr.
D. P. Tripathi (NCP)
|
The
government should take this up at a diplomatic level. It must also create a
strategy against any possible cyber surveillance. This has not been done yet
|
Aam
Aadmi Party
|
Statement
showed the government’s “subservience to the U.S. and its contempt and
disregard for civil liberties and citizen’s rights to privacy.” It rejected
the contention that the surveillance had helped prevent terror attacks.
|
Commodore
(Retd) C. Uday Bhaskar {Strategic Affairs Expert & a strong supporter of
India-US ties}
|
Clear
disconnect b/w the Minister and the Ministry. This government is in dire need
of strategic communication within south block
|
Mr.
Pushpesh Pant (Retd) Prof of JNU, Delhi
|
Mr.
Khurshid is being much more economical than truth than is acceptable in a
democracy, and crawling when asked to bend.
|
