WASHINGTON, Aug 26: Acknowledging India’s importance to the US, the Republican Party at its national convention in Tampa next week is all set to declare the country as its “geopolitical ally” and “a strategic trading partner”.
Approved by Foreign Policy and Defence Sub-committee of the Republican Party Platform Committee this week, the draft of the platform welcomes a stronger relationship with the world’s largest democracy, India, both economic and cultural, as well as in terms of national security.
“We… Affirm and declare that India is our geopolitical ally and a strategic trading partner. We encourage India to permit greater foreign investment and trade,” says the South Asia section of the Republican Party Programme, adopted by the Committee this week and would be formally ratified by its Convention next week.
“We urge protection for all adherents of all India’s religions. Both as Republicans and as Americans, we note with pride the contributions to this country that are being made by our fellow citizens of Indian ancestry,” the approved draft platform says.
The draft of the party platform to be adopted at the Republican National Convention next week also expects to ask Pakistan to “sever any connection” between its security and intelligence agencies and terrorist outfits; which remains a major cause of concern for the US for past several years, that has only aggravated in recent years.
The four-day convention would formally declare Romney as its nominee for the November 6 US presidential elections.
“This is the first time that a National Republican Platform declared that “India is our geopolitical ally and a strategic trading partner”, urged “protection for adherents of all India’s religions” and acknowledged “contributions to this country that are being made by our fellow citizens of Indian ancestry”,” Gopal T K Krishna, a member of the foreign policy sub-committee, a Republican party delegate from Iowa, told PTI in an interview.
Krishna said he worked among Republican members of the foreign policy sub-committee to make necessary changes in the original draft – at least two times – to have a language that reflects the true-relationship between India and the US.
The original draft had sought an “enduring partnership” between India and the US based on a shared commitment to human rights and representatives government.”
“It took more energy to overcome the reluctance of the Chair and Co-Chair of Subcommittee and their professional writing staff than to convince my fellow delegates. The RNC staff that created the first draft in conjunction with the Mitt Romney campaign staff was very protective of every word in the first draft. However, they had no choice but to incorporate the changes desired by the delegates,” Krishna said.
“All that they could do is to guide and frame the changes desired by the delegates in such a manner as to not to cause too much damage to the language and image desired by Mitt Romney,” said Krishna.
Krishna said US President Barack Obama’ policies are liable to be against outsourcing of jobs, especially to India.
“With his campaign rhetoric about outsourcing, he has damaged the image of India in the eyes of US citizens. If re-elected, his policies are liable to be against outsourcing of jobs, especially to India, because he accused Mitt Romney doing the same,” Krishna said.
The draft platform notes that the decade long American war in Afghanistan and Iraq has put enormous pressure on the political and military infrastructure of Pakistan, which faces both internal terrorism and external dangers.
“The working relationship between our two countries is necessary, though sometimes difficult, benefit to both, and we look toward the renewal of historic ties that have frayed under the weight of international conflict,” the platform says.
The platform urges the Afghan Government to crackdown on corruption and respect free elections.
“We must likewise expect Pakistan government to sever any connection between its security and intelligence forces and the insurgents. No Pakistani citizen should be punished for helping the United States against the terrorists,” the platform says.
The draft is also expected to call for a “firm response” to the Chinese power and Russian provocation; “unequivocal support” for Israel, reaffirm historic ties with Europe, and reiterate the US as a Pacific nation.
“We will welcome the emergence of a peaceful and prosperous China, and we will welcome even more the development of a democratic China. Its rulers have discovered that economic freedom leads to national wealth. The next lesson is that political and religious freedom leads to national greatness,” the draft said.
“The exposure of the Chinese people to our way of life can be the greatest force for change in their country. We should make it easier for the people of China to experience our vibrant democracy and to see for themselves how freedom works.
“We welcome the increase in trade and education alliances with the US, and the opening of Chinese markets to American companies,” it says.
“The Chinese government has engaged in a number of activities that we condemn: China’s pursuit of advanced military capabilities without any apparent need; suppression of human rights in Tibet, Xinjiang, and other areas; religious persecution; a barbaric one-child policy involving forced abortion; the erosion of democracy in Hong Kong; and its destabilising claims in the South China Sea,” the China section of the draft Platform says. (PTI)
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