US President Barack Obama’s visit to India was marked by a grand reception, uninterrupted media coverage and extremely tight security. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government left no stone unturned to make Obama feel happy and pleased. On his part, Obama tried to reciprocate by repeatedly hugging Modi and smiling all through. However. all these shows and handshakes are external and do not reflect the expectations, schemes and plans that they have in mind. It is well known that the relation between any two countries in the world are always guided by self interest and the compulsion of circumstances. Certainly, the basis of the relationship between India and US cannot be any different.
Relations between a strong country and less strong country cannot be on equal terms, and similarily, the US has always looked at India as a junior friend, rather than an equal. In the past, US has gone out of its way to be friendly with India when it would suit its own interests and has not hesitated to view India in a disapproving and critical manner if the circumstance and the interest would warrant such a stand. Those who know the recent history cannot forget the fact that US governments, including the Obama administration, refused to give a visa to Modi until recently when he was voted in to power, which is when the US changed its stand and extended its friendship to him. Obama went out of his way to praise Modi during his recent visit and obviously his memory of denying him a visa is conveniently short. All said and done, there has been no occasion when the foreign policy of US governments was based on any principles or ethical values.
The US needs India as it wants to increase their business opportunities, as India is a potential market for them, especially as Modi is focussing on economic development. It remains to see how Modi’s government will respond to the expectations and demands of the US government. Certainly, India would like to maintain a good relationship with Russia, although this might not please the US. In addition, India also needs to maintain a cordial relationship with China and so India cannot afford to build a relationship with the US at the cost of the relationship with China.
The outcome of Obama’s visit to India is unlikely to bring any fundamental change in US attitude to India in the long term and perhaps, India will find that it has to yield to the US much more than what the US yields to India.
— The reader is an Indian founder trustee of an NGO based in Chennai, India
