North Korea Frm d Eyes of Indian "Armchair" Foreign Affairs Specialist

Just Came To Know About North Koran Firing On South Koran Island... This Made Me To Write About What I Feel About North Korea, Which I Kept On Thinking From Few Days.. Everyone Knows About Korean War And How The Present Scenario of North & South Korea Formed.. A Big Difference Between Them Is North One Is Communist And South One Is Capitalist.. North Korea Out of Its Staunch Communism Is Facing Various Problems Inside It, Which Often Not Get Space In Newspapers Due To Its "Closed" Nature Of Not Allowing Anyone To Find Out What's Actually Happening.. South Korea, On The Contrary, Is Coming To Known As One Of The Developed Nation Out Of Its Capitalist Economy.. It Has So Many MNCs Working In Various Sectors And Mainly People Getting So Many Benefits Out Of This Prosperity...

North Korea, I Often Wonder How's Life Within Its Boundaries.. How People Live In Such Atmosphere Where You're Not Allowed To Speak Your Mind, You're Not Allowed To Raise Questions Over National Governance, You're Not Allowed To Know What's Happening Around You And In The World Due To Strong Media Censor, You've Only Government Run Media Sources Which Are Highly Biased.. All These Factors May Attribute To Typical Communism System.. But In Today's "Too Much Information" World, How Do North Koreans Feel..?

Obviously By Some Illegal And "Underground" Sources, North Koreans Must Have Known About South Koreans' Prosperities..? North Koreans Must Be Getting Brainwashed By Its "Government" So That They Can't Protest Or Raise Their View. Fact!

I Remember One Documentary Regarding North Koreans, I Watched On TV.. There Was One Doctor Got Rare Opportunity To Have Eye Camp At North Korea.. After The Operations Done, Those Who Got Benefit From It, Rather Saying One Or Two Words Of Gratitude To Doctor, Kept On Thanking Their "Head Of Government" For "Giving" Them This "Benefit" And Were Saying In Return They Will Work More And Efficiently At Their Respective Work Places To "Contribute" More In "Developing North Korea"... And Also Some "Responsible" Government's Officers Were There To "Observe" Whole Camp And Its Working.. So Obviously, Why Those Poor North Koreans Would Get Themselves Into Troubles By Not "Properly" Acknowledging Their "Favorite" Leader For This "Help'..

North Korean's Top Leaders Get Support From China And China- USA Differences Also Cover Korean Issue!! South Korea Is Especially Interested In North-South Unification.. But What Will Be The Consequences.. As Per My Observations, It'll Be Highly Against Of China's Interests. China, Who Wants To Have Its Communist Ally's Position Intact, Would Get "Alone" If This Unification Happens.. Though North Korean "Autocratic Government" May Not Want This Unification, As Why Would They Give Up Such A Autocratic Grip Over Country So Easily.. But They May Allow Some Freedom From Restrictions Of North-South Koreans Mingling.. But Any Such Steps Can Lead To Further Things Which Can "Someday" Result Into Unification. Its Possible.. But If This Happens, Obviously South Part Of Peninsula Will Get Leverage Over North Due To Its Economic And Political Strongness And Automatically U.S. Will Come In The Picture.. Why Would China Risk It By Already Having Some U.S. Allies In That Areas Like South Korea And Japan.. So Definitely It'll Try To Jeopardize The Process, If It Takes Place.

For Now, We Can Expect Status Quo With Mild Tensions Between Them And No Drastic Changes In North Korea's Perception!

Hindi - Ameriki Bhai Bhai!!

Now Mr Obama Visited India... I Guess This Must Be Sort Of Relief For Delhi Elite, Who Were Earlier Disappointed By Obama's Not Calling Them Immediately Coming To Power..(Jokes Apart)!!

Obama's Tour To India Has Or Has't "Created" The History.. But It Surely Relieved US For Having All Those Deals Which Will Generate Jobs Over There... This Time, By My Point Of View, India Didn't Behave Like Desperate By Having US Prez On Its Land, Rather It Was US, Who Wanted So Many Assurances From India, And Gave Some Expected (And Unexpected) Promises And Declarations In Return.. I Think, Its One Of The Unspoken Practices In International Relations That When You Visit Other Country, Say Only Those World Which Are Music To The Ear Of That Particular Country. (Even That Includes, Saying Random Words In Main Language Of That Country).

Obama's Indian Parliament Speech, Was Full Of Such "Music" Like Considering India A Risen Power, Its Cultural And Social Role and Esp Supporting Its UNSC Permanent Seat Cause, Even Though It'll Take Time... Everyone Knows His India Trip Was Purely Economical But That's What Everyone Eying India For.. But US Should Also Consider India A Strategic Partner Like Bush Times..

As I Found One Point Of Leader Of Opposition In Lower House Of Parliment, Ms Sushma Swaraj's Talk To Obama, Appropriate:

"Swaraj said she told Obama that there were "loud whispers" that India was being seen as a market and Pakistan as An Ally."

Obama's Visit Is Also Significant This Time, As it Doesn't Include Pakistan, Even For Few Minutes... Otherwise It Was Common For All Previous US Presidents To Visit India And Pakistan Altogether To Have Balance In Their South Asian Visits.. But Obama's Visit Broken This Convention And It Created A Uproar In Pakistan's Elites.. As They Are Saying Now That Washington Doesn't Consider New Delhi And Islamabad On Same Platform.. But Again I'd Include Few Lines Of One Views Of Person From Pakistan Itself, Mr Mosharraf Zaidi,

Why US Skipped Pakistan:

"Pakistan is a country that the United States is paying $3.5 billion in total, because without this money Pakistan threatens to go Talibankrupt. That $3.5 billion is going to come from the American taxpayers’ paycheck. Its money they’re forced to pay because of the gullibility and guilt of centrist American politicians.In contrast, India is a country that is going to spend more than $10 billion to buy American goods and services, and in that process, will help create 50,000 jobs, and the paychecks that go with them.Now ask yourself which country is going to get special treatment?

Indian Newspapers Esp Vernacular Ones After Obama's India Trip, Are Concerns About Indo-US Business Deals Which They Are Saying "Quick Yield Profit" For US But For India, Mostly Are Taking Long Time To Get Desired Results... But Overall It Shows That US Needs India.. But Same It Needs China Too That's Why Obama Didn't Mention China Anywhere In His Speech. Most Probably India Must Have Mentioned Its Concerns About China, May Have Needed Some Assurances From US Side.. But In Closed Rooms Discussion, Whatever US Assured, Who Knows, But It Was Too Careful To Say Anything Related To China On Media..

At Last, In Some Points, I'll Conclude, How Obama's Trip To India Is Positive:

1) US Will Endorse/Consider India's Permanent Seat In UNSC In Coming Future.

2) US Skipped Pakistan In Its India Trip

3) US Considers India As A "Emerged" Country.. (But Obama's Little Early In Saying This, Read This Article. http://the-diplomat.com/indian-decade/2010/11/09/has-india-emerged/)

4) US Finds India's Role In Developing Afghanistan Important.

5) US Rejects To Play Role In Negotiating Kashmir Problem Between India And Pakistan.

6) US Removed Some Bans On Some High Duel Use Technologies.

7) US Used Some "Cliche" Lines Of Urging Pakistan To Control All Terrorist Activities On Its Land And Giving Punishment To 26/11 Culprits..

But US Wants JOBS, JOBS And JOBS................

I'm Going To Follow Indian & World Newspapers For The Development Of The Events After US Declarations In India.

India: Time to Be Regionally Active

With The current scenario going on in International Arena and related aspects, I suggest India should be more regionally active in International Diplomatic Scene.. Being a Sovereign country, Its has all rights to make decisions in the sake of its national interest rather then depending on 'others' interests.. I feel one can be world important country if It become influential in its own region first and it applies on India too.. It may have potential to hold leverage in World level but what's its importance when it can't have good terms with regional neighbors.

The term of Bush Presidency is over and with that the Indo-US great cooperation.. With new Obama Presidency, India is now kind of out of US diplomatic radar. With This earlier Indo-US new found 'friendship' India had nearly lost its some of all weathered friends and created apprehension in some neighbouring countries.. Its very clear that US has tendency of using other countries for its own motives and then leave it after on its own. It was time of illusion of accomplishment when we were in US's 'good book'. But it hardly benefited us, excluding Indo-US nuclear deal, which is beneficial in some other way to India (though basically for US only).

Some current events shows India have started renewing its relations with its old allies and making some good progress in diplomatic field. First I would mention Indo-Bangladesh relation. With new government of Sheikh Hasina and her India visit, We have come across to greater understanding and spirit of Mutual cooperation, Bangladesh, with its recent election proved the fact that common people always want Peace and Progress and that's why all those parties preaching religious fundamentalism have suffered defeat. India has also made good progress in rebuilding its relation with Bangladesh and Now out of all neighboring countries, It seems, that After Bhutan, India's having good friendship spirit with Bangladesh.

Russian Prime Minister Putin state visit, India & Russia have seemed to regain its old and positively cordial relation. Many matters were discussed and Russia's declaration of not selling Arms and Weapons to Pakistan is significant. With Russia's support India can have some ground in regional scene. India and Russia have been great friends and It was only Russia which have helped India unconditionally.

India must work hard to have good relation with Iran, which has faced few setbacks after India's voting in IAEA and further prejudices created with India becoming pro US. India must go after IPI project. India and Iran mutual cooperation can be helpful in making India's role further significant in Afghanistan and undermining Pakistan role. India's decision of attending meeting "Nuclear Energy for all- Nuclear Weapon for None" (despite US objection) is positive step in having good relation with Iran.

With China, India needs rather different point of view for building proper relation. After 1962 war, we have adopted more defensive policy for China. Being the two oldest civilizations in the world, Indians and Chinese still don't have proper understanding and exposure of each other. Still these two nations hold so many misconceptions between them. China side stills trying to calculate India's various policies including on Tibetan issue and India side still intimidated of another China attack. We need massive confidence building program with basic level. We have to find out basic points on which we can have good relation and with new found amicability, we can sort out other issues esp border demarcation.

India must not be some other country's 'Concubine' but must have its own strong holding in World affairs with good understanding in Its regional area and players.