On balance, the India-US Strategic Dialogue marks a significant step forward in the relationship between the two countries. The structured conversation was conceived last July to bring the two largest democracies together in a long-term partnership after the two began to settle into a reasonably comfortable dynamics following more
than a decade and a half of exploration at the end of the Cold War period. In India’s view, the elephant in the room is Pakistan with which America has had amazingly enduring ties over half a century even as Islamabad’s policies have sought to frustrate Indian development efforts through the deniable use of terrorism against it. For a variety of reasons, US policy toward militarised Pakistan is still one of solicitousness and is likely to remain so. And yet, both secretary of state Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama sought to reassure external affairs minister S.M. Krishna, who led the dialogue for India, that the US did not see ties with India only in the Pakistan and Afghanistan context, and indeed it was made clear that the Indian and US perspective on Afghanistan had moved a lot closer and included helping build a democratic and sovereign Afghanistan “without outside interference”. The countries have also agreed to engage in a counter-terrorism partnership toed to the philosophy that an attack on Mumbai and an attack on Manhattan have both to be equally resisted. India has reasons to be pleased but much will depend on how these perspectives translate on the ground.
The India-US strategic dialogue turned out to be a broad spectrum discussion rather than being narrowly focused on matters of security. In this respect it stands on an entirely different footing from the recent Pakistan-US strategic dialogue and Washington’s conversations with Kabul. The Indian side discussed cooperation in education, health, agriculture, food security, climate and the environment, science and technology, nuclear and space cooperation, besides defence and counter-terrorism. New Delhi’s talks with Washington about their relationship in the future also differ from Washington and Beijing dialogues. The latter are aimed at engaging Beijing so that the rise of China remains peaceful and becomes a factor for stability. In respect of India, these concerns are not pertinent for the US which has come to view India as a “responsible” power, besides being the second fastest growing economy. This first became evident under former President George W. Bush when the US and India signed a civil nuclear agreement. Under President Obama, this thought process is being sought to be deepened with promises of seriously considering India for permanent membership of the UN Security Council. This has been indicated for the first time at the highest political level by the US. The proof of the pudding will be in the eating. As Ms Clinton noted, the US expects India to “embrace its role in regional and global affairs” and to make economic reforms “to foster additional progress”. The former could be a hint at aligning Indian positions with Washington’s. Not all of this will be impossible, but New Delhi will be required to back its own stand on issues like Iran. All the same, such a detailed dialogue between the two sides was long overdue.