The time has perhaps come for the UPA government to seriously ponder if it will not end up effectively diluting its avowed commitment to pursue an independent foreign policy and promote multi-polarity in global affairs. Four years are long enough to undertake such introspection. On Tuesday, it rolled out the red carpet to visiting US Defence Secretary Robert Gates. He was in Delhi for a review with the Indian leadership on the progress made over the last three years to quickly transform the evolving bilateral defence cooperation and raise it to the level of a regional as well as global strategic and security partnership. The terms of reference for this project is the June, 2005 Framework Indo-US Defence Agreement.

Obviously, Gates was keen to expedite conclusion of the contentious Logistics Support Agreement (LSA) and other such agreements to quickly facilitate the transformation in defence ties. The LSA will be the framework that would eventually allow the US armed forces access to Indian military  facilities , though on a reciprocal basis. The objective is to build a capacity for joint operations in crisis situations. It involves, among others, cooperative military exchanges, and harmonisation of military hardware and weapon systems. Washington has also been suggesting that India shift to American- weapon systems to promote “inter-operability” between their armed forces.

Delhi may not have immediately given much in concrete terms during the Gates’ visit. But that may not necessarily be an indication of its reluctance to walk together. What is significant is the government’s statement that the visit by US Defence Secretary will give “further impetus to the (bilateral) defence cooperation.” The trouble with this enthusiasm is that Russia, India’s oldest and trusted partner in defence cooperation, is growing deeply anxious and our neighbour, China, with which an unresolved boundary dispute exists, is growing suspicious. It is hardly a prudent policy to lay all our eggs in one basket. The UPA government would do well not to lose sight of the need for striking a balance. That is the best way to retain strategic independence and, thus, also promote multi-polarity in international affairs.