Welcome Obama

Welcome Obama

By Dr Arvind Kumar

US President Obama’s current visit to India is welcome in terms of reinforcing mutual desire to further consolidate the friendly relations between New Delhi and Washington. Under the present global situation, US needs India as much as India needs the United States. In other words, it is a relationship based on mutual interests and between the two equal powers. Washington needs to shed its old perception of India as a developing country and reckon the ground reality of India as a giant nation. The bunch of agreements that have been signed between the two countries in the wake of US President’s visit is continuation of the earlier commitments and requirements of both sides.

What is needed at this juncture is sincerity and commitment on the part of Washington to treat India as an equal partner in the comity of nations and not as rival of Pakistan or countervailing force to China. Our foreign office should also chart an independence course in international affairs as was done during the 1970s and should call spade a spade. Growing American interest in India is dictated by Washington’s internal compulsions and strategic requirements. No miracle is going to happen in Indo-US relations in the aftermath of Obama’s visit. What we expect from Washington is to honour the commitments and treat India as equal partner in world peace and stability.