Indo-US Partnership - new media

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pick strategic reform targets; his reputation for integrity
will allow him to sustain unpopular decisions. According
to Schaffer, the reason these policies weigh so heavily on
U.S.-India relations is that the economic relationship is
overwhelmingly private. Making trade and investment
more dynamic depends chiefly on India's economic policy.
This will be especially important if the new government
decides that it wants to give greater emphasis to the
economic side of the relationship.
Schaffer has listed a few important steps that should be
taken by both India and the US.
• Cultivate common interests. Asian
security is an area where the US has a lot to
talk about. The two governments will also
need to talk seriously about how best to
pursuing a peace process in South Asia, but
this will be more productive after the new
government in Delhi has had a chance to
calibrate its basic approach to Pakistan.
• Disagree without being disagreeable. The
Bush Administration and the previous
government of the BJP-led alliance
disagreed on Iraq, and this divergence will
probably become sharper. Both
governments will need to find ways of
expressing their differences without
cutting off dialogue.
• Get personal. There is no substitute for
personal relationships at the top. An early
visit by the Secretary of State to New Delhi
should be followed soon after by the Indian
Prime Minister coming to Washington.
India's election was a ringing affirmation,
once again, of India's commitment to free
and fair elections. Perhaps its most important message,
however, was that no government lasts forever. Fully half of
the outgoing parliamentarians in both the BJP and the
Congress were defeated. Social and economic changes
taking place in India are continually reshaping the
electorate, and with it the government. India's expanding
footprint on the global scene and its importance as a rising
Asian power led the United States to seek a strategic
understanding with it. Both are likely to continue. The US
needs to be willing and able to work with leaders who are
as diverse as the country itself.
Most leaders of India Inc. are optimistic about the Indo-US
strategic partnership in areas of mutual economic interest.
Mukesh Ambani, Charirman & Managing Director of
Reliance Industries Ltd, India's largest private sector
company, wants to see Indo-US bilateral relations grow
from strength to strength. As the recipient of Asia
Society's Leadership Award in the US, Ambani dispelled
the fears of the US investors over the changes in the Indian
government.
According to Ambani, India has no doubt experienced an
electoral hurricane during the last elections. “But the roots
of Indian democracy are very strong. The transition from
one coalition government to another merely signifies
orderly transition. The Indian voter has delivered a simple,
but profound message. Do not take me for granted. I am the
sovereign. They have humbled pollsters and political
pundits. Let me assure you, that it is not a rejection of the
policy of economic reforms.”
Ambani referred to the crucial support that the Indian
communists provide to the Congress-led coalition
government and said: “My American friends need not
panic because of it. You have dealt with Chinese
communists successfully. Their Indian counterparts are
equally pragmatic. I see continuity of policy on two issues:
The government led by Manmohan Singh will not reverse
the process of economic reforms. Of course, some
adjustments will be made to reassure the poor. That the
reforms are designed to improve the quality of their lives.
Not merely to serve the interests of the rich. On Foreign
Policy, there is a national consensus in our country. I am
convinced that India US relations will continue to deepen.
And, the initiatives for establishing peace with Pakistan
will continue to receive support from across the political
divide. Friends, India is undergoing a transformation of
unprecedented proportions. A whole new generation of
young Indians are breaking new grounds. They are
undaunted by the baggage of the past. They are reaching
out, to explore and engage with the world: in education,
exports, enterprise, and even entertainment. Because of
them, today's India bears all the hallmarks of a resurgent
nation. I speak to you on behalf of that India. America has
begun to recognise this dynamic, vibrant India.”
INDO-US BUSINESS December 2004
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