Relationship on equal footing
India will withdraw the retaliatory tariffs on American products and on the other hand, America will withdraw its disputes against India in the World Trade Organization. This agreement is being considered as a new chapter of equal treatment in the relations between India and America, where no decision is one-sided. — Dr. Ashwani Mahajan
Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to America was in limelight. Although all the visits of Indian Prime Ministers had been a matter of great curiosity and attraction for the news media of that time, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s latest visit to America, and decisions between India and America, regarding economic and trade relations, strategic purchases, technology collaborations and a warm welcome to the Prime Minister at the White House, all have sent a pleasant feeling back home in India.
Relationship between these two great democracies had not been very cool in the history. And even today, there are some elements in United States, who keep on raising fingers on India on the fake narratives of freedom of expression, freedom of press, protection of ethnic minorities, democracy etc. And in the past these elements had been successful in casting shadows on the official statements, utterances and public postures in official proceedings. The success of PM Modi’s visit is seen in the fact that it was perhaps pre-decided diplomatically that no such utterances will be made during PM Modi’s state visit. This is clear manifestation of equality in relationships between two nations.
Joint statement of two leaders says that two nations will “facilitate greater technology sharing, co-development, and co-production opportunities between U.S. and Indian industry, government, and academic institutions.” It’s notable that India has made marked progress in the field of upcoming technologies like artificial intelligence, quantum computing, space and telecommunications among others. India and US have decided to work together in these fields. This depicts stronger relationship between two great economic and technology superpowers.
PM Modi’s US visit assumes greater significance also due to the fact that today US is facing huge challenges- economic, diplomatic and strategic. World sees India to be an important player, which has a role to play in present world economy. There was a time in the history when US Dollar (USD) was dominating the world, with USD occupying 70 percent of global reserve currency; today it has come down to nearly 54 percent. US is amidst worst inflation of the century at present. Status of world’s ‘Dada’ has been significantly eroded after its abrupt withdrawal from Afghanistan, and rise of fundamentalist government there. Utter failure in Russia-Ukraine conflict, and constant losses of Ukraine and resulting energy and general inflation and disruption of supply chain impacting the production world over has exposed hollowness of US posture as a superpower.
Under these conditions, it’s imperative for US to find partners who are capable and trustworthy. Partners, whose leaders have influence on other world leaders. Democracy has always been the main plank of US and the country which US thinks to be a main adversary, namely China, also has autocratic rule. India being the neighbour of China and a super democracy, can help US in establishing a balance. Technology collaborations along with Quad are the natural outcomes of that thinking. Recent statement of a US diplomat that India can play the role of a mediator in the ongoing Russia Ukraine war is an indication of increasing clout of Indian leadership in resolving even the complex conflicts.
In the past, US had been living with the hangover of being great and mighty nation. Therefore, Indo-US relations could not come out of that hangover. In international trade negotiations, we have also seen the haughty attitude of the United States Trade Representatives (USTRs), of a status just equivalent to the Commerce Minister of India. But recently, before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to US, coming and going of USTR in India was not much noticed.
We should not see Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to America from the point of view of his reception at the White House or the pomp of the celebrations. We have to analyze the meaning and consequences of this visit, only then we will be able to better understand the new chapter in India-US relations.
Significantly, in the past, the relations between India and America have generally been unequal. Not only this, strategically, America has mostly been a supporter of Pakistan. Overall, if there was no bitterness in the relations between India and America since the time of Cold War, there was no harmony either. But with the collapse of Soviet Russia, the economic emergence of China and the steady progress in the Indian economy, new chapters were added in the relations between India and America. In the year 2000, the then US President Bill Clinton visited India and also signed a historic agreement on civil nuclear cooperation, which opened a new chapter in trade and investment between India and US; and started a strategic partnership between the two countries. During Modi’s visit this time, a historic technology transfer in fighter jet’s engine by GE is being seen as a big departure from earlier policy of the US.
On the other hand, due to the growing clout of China and its challenge to America as a superpower, India emerged as a natural strategic partner of America. India, America, Japan and Australia’s Quad was its natural outcome.
At present, if we talk about Indo-American relations, then these relations are economic, strategic, technology cooperation and also of growing relations between the people of the two countries. It is believed that these relations between India and America will become more intense in the coming years and it is also important in the context of global challenges for both the countries to move forward together.
In the last almost a decade, a new warmth is being seen in the relations between India and America. Although there has been bitterness between India and America on many issues. India has emerged as its important partner country. It has to be understood that India has emerged more powerful than before. In the last few years, first under ‘Make in India’ and later ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ scheme, India is moving towards self-reliance in strategic equipment. Due to this, not only India’s imports of defence goods from Russia as well as the west including US is decreasing, India has also started exporting defense goods to different parts of the world. India’s remarkable progress is being seen in the field of various types of technologies, including space, software, computing and payments.
Relations in the field of trade were somewhat strained due to the US raising tariffs on many products imported from India in response to their own self-reliance efforts, and India retaliating by increasing import duties on many American products. Both India and America have decided to end their trade disputes in view of their economic interests. During the current US visit of the Prime Minister, it has been decided that India will withdraw the retaliatory tariffs on American products and on the other hand, America will withdraw its disputes against India in the World Trade Organization. This agreement is being considered as a new chapter of equal treatment in the relations between India and America, where no decision is one-sided.
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