India is
learning a lot from US
American
President Barack Obama is optimistic about his
country’s bilateral engagement with India. He admits that there is indeed steady
economic and strategic convergence that has occurred between Washington and New
Delhi.
He has dealt
with two Indian Prime Ministers, first Manmohan Singh and now Narendra Modi, and
hence he understands best Indo-US relations as it stands today.
It is clear
that India and US are expanding trade and investment, regional and multilateral
cooperation, counterterrorism coordination, military joint exercises, and most
recently, policies to fight climate change. What needs to be tackled are terrorist
attacks in India, the paralysed
civil nuclear agreement, and
economic brawls.
What also concerns
India is the U.S. administration having leverage over
Pakistan in the form of $13 billion in military aid. So long as America does
not stop military aid on such a large scale, Pakistan's defense leadership will
not stop its covert and overt attacks on India through ISI and other terrorist
gangs. India should call spade a spade and tell US to stop double talk but act
on Pakistan.
Other issues
that concern India are breaking out over intellectual property rights
protection and compulsory licences in India, over visa restrictions in the U.S.
and a host of trade disputes.
There is no
denying the fact that Indo-US bilateral relationship has to reach its full
potential. US is a Superpower with worldly interests and global
responsibilities. Dealing with US gives India a
chance to understand better geo-political realities and deepen and widen
international relationships and friendships.
Just as US
initiated dialogue with Modi even before Parliamentary elections, India should
keep her eyes and ears wide open and initiate steps without antagonizing any
party but gain advantage over the next prospective US President.
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