NEW DELHI: THE GEORGE W. BUSH years were good for India, and the civil
nuclear agreement is proof of it. This is why the US President who has
just demitted office — bitterly criticised across the globe for
American unilateralism in world affairs, for the invasion of Iraq on
false premises, and for much else — remained popular in this country
until the very end. He reversed an estrangement of a half century in
the course of which India had come to expect nothing but rebuffs and
disappointment at the hands of Washington. President Clinton, a
Democrat, too had opportunities to re-configure ties with India when
the Cold War (during which India was perceived by the West to be
pro-Soviet) ended. But this country figured in his scheme only as an
entity to be hectored, not a democracy to be shown friendship and
consideration. Is President Barack Obama, also a Democrat, going to be
different? What should we expect from him?
The truth is we don’t know. Mr Obama was a first-term senator when he
won the presidency. As such, his politics has not been tested over a
span of time, in varying conditions. But as a candidate he swept people
around the world off their feet — with his thoughtful charm, and his
uplifting rhetoric holding out vistas of change.
All we really know of the new President’s politics is that he had a
liberal voting record in his one term in the senate but appealed to
Republicans. A writer in the New Yorker thought this was because Mr
Obama has the ability to present liberal goals in conservative
language. But also on account of his view of history, his respect for
tradition, and his belief that change can only be very, slow in coming.
Is he the archetypal Democrat, then, or is he not? Will he show the
same (Western liberal) streak that the young British foreign secretary
David Miliband did on a visit to India recently, and proceed to suggest
that there was no point expecting Pakistan-based jihadis not to strike
so long as the Kashmir issue wasn’t resolved to the satisfaction of the
extremists. Even the external affairs minister, Pranab Mukherjee,
doesn’t have the answer to these questions.
nuclear agreement is proof of it. This is why the US President who has
just demitted office — bitterly criticised across the globe for
American unilateralism in world affairs, for the invasion of Iraq on
false premises, and for much else — remained popular in this country
until the very end. He reversed an estrangement of a half century in
the course of which India had come to expect nothing but rebuffs and
disappointment at the hands of Washington. President Clinton, a
Democrat, too had opportunities to re-configure ties with India when
the Cold War (during which India was perceived by the West to be
pro-Soviet) ended. But this country figured in his scheme only as an
entity to be hectored, not a democracy to be shown friendship and
consideration. Is President Barack Obama, also a Democrat, going to be
different? What should we expect from him?
The truth is we don’t know. Mr Obama was a first-term senator when he
won the presidency. As such, his politics has not been tested over a
span of time, in varying conditions. But as a candidate he swept people
around the world off their feet — with his thoughtful charm, and his
uplifting rhetoric holding out vistas of change.
All we really know of the new President’s politics is that he had a
liberal voting record in his one term in the senate but appealed to
Republicans. A writer in the New Yorker thought this was because Mr
Obama has the ability to present liberal goals in conservative
language. But also on account of his view of history, his respect for
tradition, and his belief that change can only be very, slow in coming.
Is he the archetypal Democrat, then, or is he not? Will he show the
same (Western liberal) streak that the young British foreign secretary
David Miliband did on a visit to India recently, and proceed to suggest
that there was no point expecting Pakistan-based jihadis not to strike
so long as the Kashmir issue wasn’t resolved to the satisfaction of the
extremists. Even the external affairs minister, Pranab Mukherjee,
doesn’t have the answer to these questions.
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