Obama in India–Part 2 : There is no re course to good strategy and honesty

 

Continuing from my last post: Here’s how I felt writing this  http://750words.com/entries/share/365045

 

India and United States have always been more of unnatural enemies than natural allies. We have always been distrustful of each other. Though their a very sizable population of India who has always been in awe of the United States. Some times for these people this country is their life's destination and destiny. Even with this for the fist fifty years or some thing of Indian independence, America has always been wary of India and Indians. Despite many times acting against India’s interests, Indians have always been pro US. This is in stark contrast with the rest of the world.

Very few times we see eye to eye. Whenever there is a chance of having the same point, the prevalent situation has always been such that we could not be on the same side. Latest example being Afganistan. (Read India's Afghanistan dilemma)   However India wants to involve in Afganistan more actively, the domestic politics does not allow India to do so.

In case of Burma, I think Indian intelligence has some under handed and shady dealing with the military Junta OR has failed miserably in the policy of intervention and wants to keep its hands off the east. It again can be a tactical necessity. Similarly in Bangla Desh war and India - china war, United states has been very actively on the other side  OR a silent spectator respectively. We definitely would have liked to do more. India by leading the non Aligned Movement and being inclined to the Russians has always sowed seeds of doubt in US's mind. So successive presidents have been wary / ignorant of India or did not care much for it. where as Pakistan has always been the blue eyed boys.

 

But things have changed quite drastically in last fifteen to twenty years. India's emergence in the world economy has been slow and steady .

Indian economy does not have the explosive growth of a Japanese OR a Chinese economy. Though it is strong in its own. By not growing too fast we have avoided going bust the Japanese way. (see chart)

India has the biggest middle class who are getting away from the normal spend thrift ways of Indians and is ready to splurge its income in the way it fits good. In parallel, United States has been losing its grip and lead as an economic power house. A unipolar world economy where Us is the only strong leader and director has numbered days . US needs to sell things to countries of it has to continue being the caller of the stakes, and which country if not India with its ready made set of middle class buyers. As indian economy is growing, India's other needs in infrastructure and industries is also growing. This is where U.S. can earn its next share of pie. With the emergence of the Indian middle class, we are going to be world's consumers. US is going to do any thing to ensure that it has favorable access to this group. This can involve giving in to some long term strategic demands like Security Seat and talking down Pak.

The danger there is that most of the late presidents (from Clinton to Obama) who have had an eye on Indian middle class do not still consider India as a trusted ally. India's centrist politics is one of the reasons for it. Indian leaders' non strategic ideas and moves can be another reason for it. We rarely do any thing for long term at least when foreign policy is concerned. We are too enamored with our two enemies China and Pakistan. We could influence the world more but we get embroiled in only these two countries. Manmohan two successive terms have been trying to change that but it always comes back. We are not planned enough to ensure that we progress despite these oppositions. We have always allowed other countries to gang up against us and then we have played the martyr. The benefits given by last three presidents, Clinton-Bush-Obama have been pretty substantial. But to me , the things offered by Obama look the most superficial of them all. We can not do any thing more with a permenant seat in the security council than we can do now. Similarly, the indemnity given to US companies is a cause for concern. So most of the times there is a thought that we are getting trivial pursuits OR empty promises and we are giving away more than we are getting in the bargain. So, the qeustion is The Obama gifts, are they  Trojen Horses? to me it looks more like the right of the Lord of The Rings. It has immense power but it comes with its own problems. We would want it as dearly as we can. But the problem is that it is going to tie us and make us a slave to its power. Hope fully our leader ship will pay heed to the state of Pakistan who has latched on to the US tit for last fifty years and majorly because of this is turned into a Mandalik state of it. It can not have any strategic position in the world as it has to pay US back the favors that the US did.
Though in short term, Pak can milk the Al Queda and US presence in Afgan and earn billions of free dollars, it is always a different case when you earn your dues through long term strategy and hard work rather than being at the right place for your master.