India, US have reasons to trust each other, say experts

NEW DELHI: US President George W. Bush has in 48 hours in India won over many a hardened sceptic by pulling off a historic new deal that experts hail for giving India a strategic weight and potential and removing two 'Ps' from the relationship.

Mansingh, who was foreign secretary when the India-US rapprochement started and bilateral ties took a turn for the better during Bill Clinton's visit six years ago, said the Bush visit has removed what he called the two 'Ps'- proliferation and Pakistan - from the India-US relationship.

"With the nuclear deal, proliferation is out of the way. And for a change, the US is playing fair in its dealings with both India and Pakistan," said Mansingh, while alluding to a perceived pro-Pakistan tilt of the US till now.

The Bush visit is also a trailblazer in another crucial respect in so far as it has de-hyphenated the US' ties with India and Pakistan and pitched India in the centre-stage for promoting South Asian stability.

"Americans are accepting objective realities on the ground. The message has gone to Islamabad loud and clear: stop behaving like a spoilt child," G. Parthasarathy, a former envoy to Pakistan, said.

K. Subrahmanyam, a consistent supporter of an India-US entente, was ready to give the civilian nuclear cooperation pact "nine out of 10" and said that despite all kinds of doubts India got a deal in which all its demands were met.

"It's a deal which we wanted. Each of our demands made by our nuclear scientists has been met. There is no cause for complaint," said Subrahmanyam.

Pointing to the launch of the $100 million agricultural knowledge initiative that would bind Indian and American research networks in a closer embrace, Subrahmanyam said the move aimed at starting "a second green revolution" in the country was huge in its scope but did not get adequate play in the media.

Said Bharat Karnad, strategic thinker and author of numerous books on India's nuclear theory and who was all along extremely sceptical of American intentions on the deal, said: "It was a very successful visit. The US negotiators conceded most of India's demands on the nuclear deal."

"The US is beginning to recognize the strategic weight and potential of having India on its side," said Karnad, pointing to the larger American global agenda of the war against terror, balance of power in Asia and making the world safe from any proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

"The partnership between our two nations has the power to transform the world," Bush stressed.

"It was a watershed for Indian diplomacy and showed the maturity and confidence with which we negotiated with the world's only superpower," Mansingh said.

"It will mark the transition from India being a regional power to a global leader," said Mansingh, while lauding Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the "finesse" with which he handled difficult nuclear negotiations.

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Thank Gore for the internet. This is the only way we get to read the truth about the President's big trip. We will not read this in our MSM.

3 posted on 03/04/2006 11:52:21 PM PST by CarrotAndStick (The articles posted by me needn't necessarily reflect my opinion.)

Yeah, the US and India are both under seige from the violent, bloodthirsty peaceniks who follow the religion of Islam.

4 posted on 03/05/2006 12:39:22 AM PST by Tzimisce (How Would Mohammed Vote? Hillary for President! www.dndorks.com)

The American president has charmed India with his praise for the country.but sadly This has not impressed tens of thousands of Muslims and leftwing activists and arundathi roys who again took to the streets chanting anti-Bush slogans.

5 posted on 03/05/2006 6:25:40 AM PST by voice of india (Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall i fear ?)

"There is now no reason for the US and India not to trust each other," Lalit Mansingh, a former ambassador to the US, said, capturing the new comfort level between the hitherto 'estranged democracies'.

India may not agree with America's relationship with Pakistan, while America may not agree with India's relationship with Burma. There are some issues that both don't agree on. However, there are important common goals that both sides have, which bonds both together, leaving the difference aside.

6 posted on 03/05/2006 7:15:08 AM PST by Wiz (News hyaena providing you news with spice of acid)

Three reasons
1. The China Threat
2. Much more reliable seller of weapons than Russia is, the US won't backstab India like Russia could (and would if war between India and China broke out)
3. They are both democracies.

This has not impressed tens of thousands of Muslims

Dude -- wasn't Pakistan created as the land for Indian muslimes? Ok, so how come India has 130 million Muzzies still??? Shouldn't they be sent across to Pakiland or Bangladesh -- their home/pure lands?

8 posted on 03/05/2006 5:38:11 PM PST by Cronos (Remember 9/11. Restore Hagia Sophia! Ultra-Catholic: Sola Scriptura leads to solo scriptura.)

Much more reliable seller of weapons than Russia is, the US won't backstab India like Russia could (and would if war between India and China broke out)

Well..... the Indians would have to forget the past then, because during the '63 war with China, BOTH the USSR and the USA came to India's aid while in the '71 war, Nixon asked the chinese to attack India, and sent a US aircraft carrier fleet into the bay of bengal while the USSR came out strongly on India's side....

9 posted on 03/05/2006 5:39:55 PM PST by Cronos (Remember 9/11. Restore Hagia Sophia! Ultra-Catholic: Sola Scriptura leads to solo scriptura.)

India is a much better long term ally to have. Pakistan is simply an ally of convenience while Musharif is still at the helm. After that all bets are off.

10 posted on 03/05/2006 8:37:01 PM PST by Sam Gamgee (May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't. - Patton)

Mistakes can be forgiven. India knows that we are a much stabler source of weapons. The problem is that there are some Indians who want really close relations with Russia and peace treaties and alliances with the Chinese govt.

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