Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ)

Even as the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christina Rocca held talks in New Delhi last week with senior Indian officials over cooperation in hi-tech areas as part of the U.S.-India Next Step of Strategic Partnership (NSSP) initiative, Washington continued to club India with countries like Pakistan and China, when it came to visa clearances for students wanting to study in sensitive areas of technology.

Rep. Pallone (D-NJ) who is co-founder of the Caucus of India and Indian Americans, complained to Secretary of State Colin Powell in a letter on Oct. 20 that India was being treated like a “rogue” nation with respect to visas for Indian scholars and science students applying to visit the United States.

“I understand the need to apply a strict standard of review, known as the Visa Mantis procedure, when assessing visa applications of individuals from Pakistan, China, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Iraq and Sudan,” Pallone said about countries that have been listed as part of President Bush’s “axis of evil” and as “rogue” nations at one time or another.

“These countries do not operate on democracy, and although there are scholars and scientists from these nations who will not harm U.S. security, the Visa Mantis procedure is necessary to ensure that the U.S. remains safe and that sensitive military information remains secure,” Rep. Pallone conceded.

“My request is for the State Department to remove India from this list of terrorist states,” because it is a functioning democracy and has a civilian nuclear program and is in the process of implementing the NSSP plan with Washington.

“It is simply unfair for scholars, scientists and students from India who work in sensitive technology and military fields to be subject to the Visa Mantis procedures,” which delay visa applications by 60 days or more, and are “a major hindrance to the United States engaging in intellectual exchange and progress in important scientific and military areas,” he emphasized.