By IANS
New Delhi : With the Leftist allies blocking the nuclear deal and a vigorous argument raging in the country on this issue, the US has turned real and is bracing itself for a “healthy but sometimes argumentative friendship with India”.
“First, it is critical that that Americans consider their future with India realistically, guarding itself against undue optimism and excessive expectations,” says US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns in an article in Foreign Affairs, the influential magazine which is a must-read for Washington’s political and strategic elite.
“Differing histories, cultures and geographies will make for a healthy but sometimes argumentative friendship,” writes Burns, while acknowledging that despite the enormous promise “considerable obstacles” remain in the way of India and the US forging “a truly effective global partnership”.
“For its part, the US must adjust to a friendship with India that will feature a wider margin of disagreement than we are accustomed to – but a friendship in which the extra effort will be made up for by rich long-term rewards,” he said while alluding to differences between India and the US on Myanmar and Iran.
In the article entitled “America’s Strategic Opportunity with India”, Burns provides a historic overview of bilateral ties from the time of missed opportunities during the Cold War era to a radically changed global landscape in the 21st century “when the basic interests of India and the US – the world’s largest democracy and the world’s oldest – increasingly converged”.
Burns, the US chief interlocutor on the path-breaking nuclear deal that promises to reopen doors of global nuclear commerce for India, makes an eloquent case for “a democratically and increasingly power India” shaping the world order, along with the US, based on shared interests and values.
“As we Americans consider our future role in the world, the rise of a democratic and increasingly powerful India represents a singularly positive opportunity to advance our global interests,” writes Burns.
“There is a tremendous strategic upside to our growing engagement with India. That is why building a close US-India partnership should be one of the US’ highest priorities for the future. It is a unique opportunity with real promise for the global balance of power,” say Burns.
“Our relationship with India is now our fastest developing friendship with any major country in the world,” he says.
“And in an age of anti-Americanism, according to the most recent Pew Global Attitudes survey, nearly six in 10 Indians view the US favourably,” he stressed.
“Today there is more of a strategic upside to our relationship with India than with any other major power,” he stressed.
Burns’ enthusiastic remarks about the strategic upside to India-US relations, and more cooperation between the two countries on promoting stable and balanced democracies in the world, however, may end up giving fodder to the Left parties in India who have suspected this growing engagement may reduce New Delhi to being a subordinate ally of the US.
Saying that starting a new chapter in the US’ relations with India, “a large and vibrant democracy in global politics,” was the top priority of US President George Bush when he came to power in 2001, Burns writes about the US’ decision to break with the long-standing non-proliferation orthodoxy to establish full civil nuclear cooperation with energy-starved India.
“This civil agreement will deepen strategic partnership, create new opportunities, enhances global energy security and reduce India’s carbon emissions.
“It will send a powerful message to nuclear outlaws such as Iran: if you play by the rules, as India has, you will be rewarded; if you don’t, you will face sanctions and isolation.”
In his eloquent praise to a rising India, Burns, however, tends to get prescriptive at times that gives the impression of the US dictating terms to India on its foreign policy.
His acerbic comments on India’s ties with some non-aligned countries like Iran and Myanamar may not go down well with the foreign policy establishment here and may give a handle to the Left that has accused the government of compromising its independent foreign policy.
“Some of India’s fellow non-aligned countries are among the world’s most oppressive and anti-democratic regimes. India’s defence of those countries in resolutions at the UN and its political and military cooperation with some of them – most notably Burma – is anachronistic,” writes Burns.
The Left is likely to seize on his remarks on India’s ties with Iran as another evidence of the US hegemony telling India what to do and not to do.
“India will also need to be careful about its long-term relationship with Iran. Indians will need to ask themselves if their civilizational link with the Iranian people shall be confused with support for the interests of the irresponsible theocratic regime in Tehran.”