Dissent for sake of dissent, a way of life for Congress, Left

US-headquartered Micron Technology is planning to set up its semiconductor facility in Gujarat in collaboration with the Indian government. The first made-in-India semiconductor chip from the plant will be produced in 18 months. It will be a state-of-the-art plant and will contribute to the expansion of the semiconductor ecosystem in India.

Micron is the fifth largest company in the realm of manufacturing semiconductors used by mobiles, laptops, servers, defence equipment, cameras, electric vehicles, trains, cars, and telecom equipment across the world. India has been planning to develop semiconductor technology over the last four decades. This will lead to creation of 5,000 direct jobs and 500 new high-end engineering jobs. The CPM as usual has a problem with this development and it claims that India is investing more than Micron and hence it amounted to sops being given to the American industry to please the US.

Why was India not able to establish the same in the last few decades despite trying to woo hard manufacturers? Does the CPM have an answer for this? A new industry does not come to any country that easily. One has to offer it a partnership, if need be, and also other incentives. But, going by the statement of the CPM on this issue, it becomes clear that its objection to the deal is more out of its apprehension that India-US bonding ‘is becoming stronger’. In its latest editorial in its media organ, the CPM said, “the outcome of the Modi visit to the United States has made one thing clear – India has become more cemented to the United States in a strategic and military relationship. Whatever the rhetoric of the partnership between two democracies and shared values, the compulsions for a deeper and comprehensive relationship is motivated by the need of the United States to enlist India as a firm partner in its ongoing endeavours to economically and militarily contain China”.

Let us, for a moment, agree that it is all an American ploy to woo India against China. But, is China a friend of India? Why does it blatantly strengthen Pakistan militarily and oppose India’s moves to blacklist terrorists internationally? Why does China keep intruding into our borders often? What is wrong if India tries to use America to strengthen itself against China and Pakistan? Yet another ally of China in India, the Congress party, too, has problems with the proposed Predator drone deal. The government maintains that the cost would be 27 per cent less than what other countries are paying for it; still, the Congress insists that some countries are buying it for a lesser cost. The same argument was put forth during the Rafale deal, too. A clean chit was given to the government with the Supreme Court finding no irregularities. As of now the Predator deal is just at the proposal stage and several procedures and layers are there for even price negotiations to be completed. Above all, the Predator too, like Rafael, is going to be country-specific. You don’t buy the cheapest version to save money in defence deals. Anyway, this attitude is one of the reasons that these parties have been repeatedly rejected by the electorate, yet, sense does not dawn on them.