Under US pressure, India will have to take a big risk to reduce or stop importing oil from Iran. Diplomatic and business success achieved from Chabahar port will slip from hands. Iran has stepped forward on making strong relationships with India. When the European countries such as Canada, France, Britain and Germany, nevertheless their differences, still remains with America, why India is compelled? India has earlier witnessed a non-helping mode of US on the issue of Pakistan and terrorism. Is it favorable for India to maintain relations with America and bear the loss of business from Iran? If Chabahar also had to shut down then 40years of business and hard work would collapse. Putting pause on attempts to increase business with Afghanistan, Iran, Russia and Middle East countries means a blow to our economic and foreign policy.
In fact, apart from Iran, from whom India takes 2.10 million tons in a year, India also takes crude oil from Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Due to sanctions prior to the treaty, India had significantly reduced imports. After the Non-Proliferation Treaty, import was increased three times; which resulted in Chabahar port between the two countries. The US Ban resulted in the increase of the price of crude oil in the international market. If this situation continues, it will be a difficult time for India. The level of trust that Iran – India have is nowhere same between Saudi Arabia and Iraq. India’s international image can be tattered by this pause in oil imports to please America.
After the war with Pakistan in 1971, India was under a pressure to do business with Afghanistan, Middle East and Europe on which Pakistan started interrupting. So, estimating the difficulties, Indira Gandhi proposed Chabahar in 1973. The proposal couldn’t move ahead as Iran faced coup. After signing of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 2015 with Iran, the Chabahar agreement was done in 2016. Indian companies have invested 1Lakh Crores in Chabahar as now good freight costs half to India.
India has set up a road, from Chabahar to Iran’s border in Afghanistan at a cost of 600 crores. Taliban and Pakistan-backed terrorist groups in road construction caused major obstructions that killed 130 Indian workers. Apart from this, India is also working on laying an internal rail network in Iran. In the current tensed-circumstances, America shall understand India’s interests as well. Pakistan has given China the lease of Gwadar port for 43 years. India was very worried about it but Chabahar has balanced Gwadar’s problem. Chabahar is only 850 nautical miles from Mumbai and Gwadar is only 72 kms from Chabahar.
The bottom line is that India and Iran need each other in every situation. Before partition, Iran has been our good neighbor. India must understand, America’s being a clever trader, has nothing to do with India’s interests after a limit. They have to understand that India’s situation is extremely screwy and there will be many untimely results of the reduction in oil imports from Iran.
Written By :- Rajesh Badal, Senior Journalist