Managing the Differences
Four more years of Bush administration should consolidate the Indo-US
strategic partnership
by Lalit Mansingh, former Foreign Secretary and Ambassador to the
US
India Today (November 15, 2004)
A nation bitterly divided and split down the middle. A high-voltage campaign
that often descended into slanderous attacks on the candidates as the
rest of the world watched, stakeholders in a race whose outcome impacts
their future. These are the images of one of the most contentious US elections.
As the dust settles and the confetti is cleared, the most audible reaction
is a collective sigh of relief.
How will India be affected by four more years of George W. Bush in the
White House? The short answer is: India should be pleased on the bilateral
front but troubled about the multinational scene. Bush was the first US
president to designate India a strategic partner. His administration saw
a global role for India and stressed on common goals. In four years, the
two governments have engaged in a political dialogue unprecedented in
its scope, level and frequency. The biggest achievement has been the progress
in areas that were taboo in the Cold War years: cooperation in space,
nuclear energy, high technology and missile defence. These are the "quartet
issues" that now define the Indo-US strategic partnership.
The Bush Administration succeeded in establishing a level of harmony
which was absent in the first five decades of Indo-US relations. Gone
are the cantankerous exchanges, the strident criticism of each other's
policies and the conflicting worldviews. There is recognition that while
differences would undoubtedly surface from time to time between the two
sides, what is needed is better management of these differences.
In the recent past, the two countries have not seen eye to eye on terrorism
in our neighbourhood and on international trade issues. India's refusal
to send troops to Iraq was a major disappointment to Washington. The declaration
of Pakistan as a Major Non-NATO Ally of the US angered India. However,
both sides have refused to let differences derail the progress of their
bilateral relations.
The UPA Government has wisely ensured a seamless transition from the
previous government's foreign policy. Since May this year, there has been
a flurry of Indo-US exchanges, including a visit by the prime minister.
Four more years of Bush will further consolidate the strategic partnership.
There will be a growing acceptance of India's nuclear status, even its
possible accommodation as a Nuclear Weapon State without its formally
signing the NPT. There will be a progressive relaxation of the residual
restriction on US export of sensitive technology. The Indo-US strategic
partnership will move into Phase II and beyond, based on rising levels
of mutual trust. On the political side, the dialogue will continue at
the highest levels. Bush has conveyed his eagerness to visit India.
With a smooth transition ensured for Indo-US relations in a second Bush
administration, the effort should be to widen the dialogue to include
economic cooperation. American business has been politely skeptical of
claims by India that it is one of the most attractive destinations for
the US interests. They perceive a vast gap between policy and practice.
A robust bilateral economic dialogue has never taken off. At different
times, the Prime Minister's Office, the ministries of external affairs,
finance and commerce have claimed to be the prime agencies for conducting
the process. There has been similar confusion on the American side. This
is too important an area for turf battles to come in the way of national
interests. The window of opportunity is still there. And who better to
swing it open than Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Finally, a second Bush administration will have to address the discomfort
most countries feel about recent aberrations in the US foreign policy-the
emphasis on unilateralism, the doctrine of preemptive strike and the weakening
of the role of the UN. A recalibration of the US foreign policy should
be the foremost priority of Bush. India would be supportive in the shaping
of a new world order. After four years of the closest-ever relations,
Indo-US strategic partnership is, to borrow Manmohan Singh's expression,
"an idea whose time has come".
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