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He also wanted it to condemn the military regime in neighbouring Myanmar, without even
partially recognizing that India needed to have some form of bilateral relations to counter
China's growing role and to deal with cross-border problems. 'If I can be frank, in interna-
tional fora, India has often avoided these issues,' said Obama. 'But speaking up for those
who cannot do so for themselves is not interfering in the affairs of other countries. It's not
violating the rights of sovereign nations. It's staying true to our democratic principles. It's
giving meaning to the human rights that we say are universal. And it sustains the progress
that in Asia and around the world has helped turn dictatorships into democracies and ulti-
mately increased our security in the world.'
The basic differences were paraded in Delhi two years later at a joint India-US dialogue
run by FICCI, a business federation, and America's Brookings Institution. Menon said
that the two countries shared the same goals in the Middle East (West Asia) of stopping
Iran gaining nuclear weapons and helping the development of a moderate and democratic
Syria, but that they differed on the method. He teased the West about its interventions and
regime-change tactics for seeming to 'empower extremist, fundamentalist and even terror-
be helpful if India would focus a little more on Iran's dangerous side', adding provocat-
ively that the country 'is in your neighbourhood'.
On Syria, Talbott said inaction had 'its own consequences' and that 'letting that situation
burn itself out or play itself out' was not a good option. India had voted in favour of sanc-
tions against Syria, but abstained from a vote at the United Nations General Assembly de-
nouncing the government because the resolution was ultimately aiming at regime change,
more involved in international moves to find a peaceful Syrian solution. This may turn out
to be one of the first signs that it is prepared to play a more active role in world affairs,
while opposing intervention in other countries' internal policies.
'Please remember that a people cannot be forced to be free or to practise democracy.
They have to come to these values themselves if they are to be lasting. Such a crusade for
one's values is often mistaken by others as the pursuit of self-interest couched in high tone
words', said Menon in his 2011 lecture. officials such as Menon argue that India did not
create the mess and muddle caused by the West's involvement in places like Syria. Reflect-
don't supply weapons there. We are not involved and we don't have the right to be. We
have watched their [US, UK and others] game in Libya and Syria, turning the clock back in
the region'. When I asked why India did not make its voice heard widely and publicly with
such a potentially popular line, I was told, with a smile: 'We have a view but our friends
are happy we keep quiet about it publicly'.
