South Asia on cusp of strategic realignment?

http://blogs.rediff.com/mkbhadrakumar/2014/06/02/south-asia-on-cusp-of-strategic-realignment/

South Asia on cusp of strategic realignment?

The South Asian region seems ripe for a strategic realignment, although no one cares to talk about it openly. The Russian report to the effect that Moscow is ending its self-imposed arms embargo on Pakistan amounts to a signal that the tectonic plates of the geopolitics of the region are shifting.

If the report is true — RIA Novosti is an official news agency — this is further confirmation that India and Russia are drifting apart. From a stance of benign neglect of the relationship in the post-cold war era, the two countries are careering away from each other.

The Manmohan Singh government consciously atrophied India’s ties with Russia and in the haste to build mil-to-mil relations with the US, Russia’s preeminence as India’s number 1 arms supplier was steadily whittled down. Simply put, Uncle Sam has replaced Ivan in the Delhi darbar and that’s precisely what the doctor in Washington prescribed.

The proverbial last nail on the coffin could have been the impasse over Kudankulam 3 and 4 due to American pressure. It should be no surprise if the Russians feel thoroughly disillusioned.