The two major Left parties have slammed the agreements which the Centre has signed with the United States this week, saying they will bind the armed forces with the U.S. military and its strategic designs in the long term.
Also read: India, U.S. ink strategic defence pact
“The interlocking of the communications and electronic systems are going to adversely affect the integrity and independent decision making of the Indian defence structure. These agreements will make us dependent on U.S. weaponry whose technology and systems are going to be controlled by the United States,” said a joint statement issued on Wednesday by CPI general secretary D. Raja and CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury.
They dismissed the justification that the emerging alliance with the U.S. is needed in the light of the recent tensions with China at the Ladakh border, pointing out that the agreements were in the pipeline even before the stand-off.
“The emerging military alliance with the U.S. will have long term consequences for independent foreign policy and strategic autonomy. It is not in conformity with national interests,” said the statement. “The Central government should continue to negotiate with China at the highest political and diplomatic levels to resolve the border issue; this does not require India becoming subordinate to America’s geo-political strategy in Asia.”
