The Australian
8 February, 1999

Australia has attracted serious hostility in India - from the bureaucracy, but also from the media, politicians and the general public.

The appalling murder last month of an Australian missionary and his children has led to a wave of sympathy for Australia. But underlying that is long-term hostility which will cripple our relations with India for at least five to 10 years. This is ironic, given that the Howard Government came to office with a wish to upgrade relations with India.

New Delhi believes Australia kept India out of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum and intrigued against it over the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. But most of all, New Delhi believes we grossly overreacted to the nuclear tests last March. The expulsion of an innocent Indian soldier from the Australian Defence Force Academy has achieved mythic status within the Indian bureaucracy.

Says Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee: "We were rather surprised by the tune, content and vehemence of the reaction to our nuclear test by the Government of Australia. We have, however, noted that public opinion in Australia has taken a more balanced view".

Vajpayee is generally so soft-spoken and avuncular that those words constitute harsh cricisism. Former prime minister Inder Kumar Gujral is blunter, accusing Canberra of hypocrisy: "I said to Australia, you get out from under the American nuclear umbrella, then talk to us."

BJP national president Kushabhau Thakre is even more blunt: "Australia allowed British nuclear tests in your own country but later deplored us. Australia's attitude is not acceptable."

Washington will likely ultimately come to some accommodation with New Delhi but Australia will suffer the adverse consequences of taking a gratuitously vigorous position for years to come, and for no advantage.