Editorial
Daily Excelsior
Jul 22, 1999
Title: INDO-AMERICAN RELATIONS Author: Editorial Publication: Daily Excelsior Date: Jul 22, 1999 US State Department top functionary has announced that henceforth American relations with India and Pakistan would be on individual pedastal. This is reversal of the American policy because it invariably equated Pakistan with India. In fact, tilt was always in favour of Pakistan because she has been the American protege during cold war period when Pakistan provided bases to American forces for countering spread of communism. Now America while not totally dumping Pakistan is prone to treat India on its own relative merit vis-a-vis global strategy and economy concerns. This is a very positive development because America is the only super power and be it UN Security Council or NATO or IMF/World Bank, it is the American diktat that runs. The policy of maintaining parity between India and Pakistan with visible twist towards the latter is over. It is to be recorded that America while pursuing the above agenda has already arm-twisted Pakistan on Kargil and virtually ordered Nawaz Sharif to withdraw its forces to Pak side of LoC. Clinton has all along been in telephonic touch with Vajpayee even while he talked to Nawaz Sharif. The latest 20 minute discussion on telephone is proof enough that America not only recognises India's supremacy in the sub-continent but also India fits better in economic and military strategy. Clinton reaffirms that Pakistan must stop transborder terrorism promoted by it in J&K and then only Lahore declaration can be pursued more meaningfully. This is further confirmed by American Secretary of State Ms Albright who holds the view that only cessation of terrorism and total respect for LoC by Pakistan can help resolve Kashmir issue. With transborder terrorism on, the issue tends to become more and more complex. She intends pursuing this agenda during one to one meet with her Indian counterpart Jaswant Singh during Asean discussions in Singapore later this month. No such meeting is fixed with Pak Foreign Minister. Earlier Jaswant Singh had all the discussions with Strobe Talbot who is a junior functionary in US State Department. This time round level of talks is directly with Secretary of State. Clinton during his 20 minute talks with Vajpayee has also expressed his desire to visit India in the near future and latter has assured him red carpet welcome whenever he decides to visit New Delhi. It will be quite relevant to discuss asto why such transformation has occured in American policy towards India. There are three visible aspects that prompts this change. First one relates to global terrorism whose breeding ground is Pakistan. This terrorism tends to threaten American interests everywhere. America knows for certain that Osama bin Laden survive because of not as much support from Talibans in Afghanistan as ISI from Pakistan. But for their support, Osama bin Laden would have been marginalised by now. Here Nawaz Sharif faces Catch-22 situation and America is in no mood to bail him out. Terrorism is the creation of Pakistan and it is upto Pak rulers to contain, eliminate or do anything that would stop posing any danger to American interests worldwide. Pakistan can neither handover Osama bin Laden to America no dare challenge Talibans who now control almost entire Afghanistan. It is here that America finds India as the best bet that can help curb the menace of global terrorism whose fulcrum is Pakistan. To that extent America hates to see any terrorist cross Pak territory not only in Kargil or other parts of J&K but also for any other destination. Here both India and America have common denominator. The second point relates to China's rising power which has begun to pose threat to American interests. China has already announced perfection of neutron bomb and miniaturisation techniques for small atomic warheads. It has already in place Inter Continental Ballistic missiles. China says that it needs to test latest technologies. To that extent she may be no more interested in signing CTBT. Identical reasons prevail in American strategic think-tank which is now busy developing counter to the threat of ICBMs reaching its cities. Already 50 billion dollars are allocated in gross violation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty signed with Russia. That explains why America is now cool as far as nuclearisation of India is concerned. It provides balancing act vis-a-vis China. Not so with Pakistan because its size, depth, economy and all other related aspects depend on others crutches. The third aspect is economic. America now has begun to view India as the safe destination for investment because of its resilient economy that has withstood the sanctions as also the costly Kargil war very well. India has also liberalised economy and opened its markets to multinationals. It is only a matter of days when India starts getting Most Favoured Nation treatment from America. It has been the experience that liberalisation begun during Congress rule in 1991-96 were continued by the United Front Government led by Deve Gowda and I K Gujral. Incidentally, Vajpayee government has gone in for further corrections. To that extent economic stability is assured irrespective of who comes to power in the next election. That is why Clinton continues to talk personally on telephone to Vajpayee because Indian democracy provides enough of cushion for overall American global interests. Indo-American relations are thus going to be put on even keel in the coming days while America is going to pressurise Pakistan to cease breeding and promotion of terrorism in its entirety.
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