The unfriendly eavesdropper

US snooping and Indian response both shocking

Shocking details have been revealed of how the United States, through its National Security Agency (NSA), has been engaged in the most extensive electronic espionage at three of the most important Indian diplomatic locations in the country. The Indian embassy in Washington, including its annex, and the office of India's permanent representative at the United Nations headquarters in New York have been targeted. It had earlier been reported, when Edward Snowden's revelations first emerged, that India was one of the countries chosen for intensive snooping; but the actual extent of what has been happening, as has now been revealed, takes one's breath away. If bugs capable of copying entire hard discs can be planted in the communications systems, nothing is left to the imagination, as an Indian diplomat has observed.

What is as shocking as the revelations is the response so far by the Indian authorities. When the first revelations came, Indian spokespersons described them as "disconcerting" and affirmed the matter would be taken up with the US authorities. As has now happened, even as the latest details of US spying on India became available, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh set out on an extended visit to the US during which he will meet US President Barack Obama at the White House. The timing of the visit could not be more unfortunate, particularly when seen in contrast to the decision by the Brazilian president, Dilma Rousseff, to postpone her visit to the US in protest against such snooping. This cannot but reflect poorly on Dr Singh and his team, and the Indian government will have a long way to go to convince its citizens that a sufficient sense of outrage has been conveyed to the US.

What seems particularly distressing is that currently India-US relations are at the friendliest possible level and India can on no account be considered by the US to be a hostile power on whom a close watch needs to be kept. It also does not help that the US has sought to explain its snooping by claiming that its aim is to counter terrorism. India is neither a home nor an origin of global terrorism; it has itself been a victim. The US has also said in self-defence that it has done no more than what all nations do. This will be hardly acceptable, all the more so when the extent of violation inflicted on official secrecy and individual privacy seems to be so pervasive. The damage done to bilateral relations will take long to evaluate, since only time will tell how far India's negotiating positions have been compromised. The Brazilian president's reaction has been explained by observers in part by the fact that the country is headed for elections. Since India is in the same boat, it is incumbent on Dr Singh to explain why India's reaction so far has been so inexplicably muted.