11-01-2005, 10:58 AM
<b>Each nation has its own Foreign Policy priorities. The Unites States may feel that it needs to cultivate India militarily, so that it can have a powerful associate in Asia. However, it cannot just break up with Pakistan as it has fostered and developed close military relationship with Pakistan since the early 1950s.It is true that with the end of the cold war, the US no longer needs Pakistan as a close ally as it needed it in the past to counter possible eastward expansion by USSR.
The recent actions on the part of the United States to engage India through military cooperation is part of its new policy in Asia, which is in keeping with the present day ground realities in the region. It does not mean that USA will abandon Pakistan overnight, as it still needs Pakistan not only to contain Islamic terrorists but also to act as a counter balance to India, Itâs possible tilt towards Pakistan , it feels may influence Indiaâs foreign policy in the future uni-poler world.
If we closely analyze the development of the US foreign policy in South Asia over the last fifty years, it will be seen that the USA has always tried to ensure the growth of India. It did not provide any direct military aid but provided various other types of assistance for the economic and infrastructural development of India. This assistance, although not much publicized is worth much higher and is much permanent in nature than what military aid it has given to Pakistan during the same period. It is true that this policy of the USA in providing massive military aid to Pakistan has resulted in many cool periods in Indo-US bilateral relations, at no point of time USA has pushed India to the wall. It has always ensured that the Indians are fed with sufficient quantity of Californian wheat that they survive. The same is the case in respect of human resource development. The setting up of the IITs and subsequent assistance that has been received from the United States is establishing the laboratories of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, the exchange of academics and other intellectual exchanges have very significantly contributed to where India stands today.
In the years to come it appears the United States may try to engage India in military co-operation in addition to the existing areas of co-operation. One of the immediate requirements of India is new sources of energy to meet the increasing demand from the Industry and other consumers. To counter the Indian move to have closer interaction with Iran particularly in matters relating to energy, the United States has made the current move to ensure the supply of advanced nuclear power generation technology to India.
As all of us know, it will not be an easy task for the US Administration to convince the Congress to change the rules for India. Let us see how it develops but in the interim we Indians should be ready to listen to the critical assessment of India by the US Congressmen., some of whom by tradition are hostile to India. In conclusion, I would like to mention that India also has quite a few friends in the US Congress and it is also a big market for US consumer and industrial goods. These factors will definitely play a role at the end.</b>
The recent actions on the part of the United States to engage India through military cooperation is part of its new policy in Asia, which is in keeping with the present day ground realities in the region. It does not mean that USA will abandon Pakistan overnight, as it still needs Pakistan not only to contain Islamic terrorists but also to act as a counter balance to India, Itâs possible tilt towards Pakistan , it feels may influence Indiaâs foreign policy in the future uni-poler world.
If we closely analyze the development of the US foreign policy in South Asia over the last fifty years, it will be seen that the USA has always tried to ensure the growth of India. It did not provide any direct military aid but provided various other types of assistance for the economic and infrastructural development of India. This assistance, although not much publicized is worth much higher and is much permanent in nature than what military aid it has given to Pakistan during the same period. It is true that this policy of the USA in providing massive military aid to Pakistan has resulted in many cool periods in Indo-US bilateral relations, at no point of time USA has pushed India to the wall. It has always ensured that the Indians are fed with sufficient quantity of Californian wheat that they survive. The same is the case in respect of human resource development. The setting up of the IITs and subsequent assistance that has been received from the United States is establishing the laboratories of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, the exchange of academics and other intellectual exchanges have very significantly contributed to where India stands today.
In the years to come it appears the United States may try to engage India in military co-operation in addition to the existing areas of co-operation. One of the immediate requirements of India is new sources of energy to meet the increasing demand from the Industry and other consumers. To counter the Indian move to have closer interaction with Iran particularly in matters relating to energy, the United States has made the current move to ensure the supply of advanced nuclear power generation technology to India.
As all of us know, it will not be an easy task for the US Administration to convince the Congress to change the rules for India. Let us see how it develops but in the interim we Indians should be ready to listen to the critical assessment of India by the US Congressmen., some of whom by tradition are hostile to India. In conclusion, I would like to mention that India also has quite a few friends in the US Congress and it is also a big market for US consumer and industrial goods. These factors will definitely play a role at the end.</b>