A lot has been written about India's military policy towards neighboring country of Pakistan. But in a recent article published in Open Democracy, Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia researcher for Human Rights Watch (and former Time South Asia correspondent for many years), says that doing the right thing in Burma, could be the beginning for India to take leadership role in global politics.

This is an opportunity for India to show leadership. Under pressure from the international community, India has suspended military assistance to Burma. India should insist to the generals that they show flexibility and begin serious negotiations for a return to civilian rule. The regime has allowed the United Nations special envoy Ibrahim Gambari and human-rights envoy Paulo Pinheiro to visit Burma. But these tightly controlled visits will mean little for a regime that is determined to consolidate its repressive rule.

India can no longer afford embarrassing friendships. It should say that without tangible progress on democracy, release of political prisoners and accountability for violations in recent crackdown, all business deals (and not just military sales) will be put on hold. Given the massive poverty in Burma - remember, the spark for the protests was a sharp rise in fuel prices that meant that many were paying more than half of their daily wage just to take the bus to work - and the plundering of the country's wealth by the country's leaders, it should be clear that doing business with Burma is not helping average Burmese. Instead, it is lining the pockets of the elite.

Ganguly writes that while little is expected of China and Thailand in terms of attempt to change military policy in Burma, it is unusual to see India continue to do business as usual.

(http://www.sajaforum.org/2008/01/india-military.html)