By Shaveta Sharma
Every country has its own foreign policy on which the administration of the country is to be run. The realities of international politics time and again reaffirmed the axiom that ‘there are no permanent friends and no permanent enemies of a country, only one thing is permanent and that is her national interests.’ Like the national interests, the foreign policy of a country is also not static but changes as and when the time and circumstances demand.
In the cold war era, Indo- US relations were not so cozy and cordial as they are today. Many divergent issues were operating between them which hindered the process of the normalization of their relations like Kashmir, human rights violations in Kashmir and North-east, NPT, India’s non- aligned policy, military and moral patronization of Pakistan by US, India’s tilt in favor of USSR, so on and so forth. But with the disintegration of USSR and end of cold war, the ideological hangover was almost vanished between the two. The new world order provided both with newer opportunities to carve out their bilateral relations on a fresh note. In the post cold war era i.e. throughout the 1990s their relations went through mixed equations as their relations were improving steadily but with the tinge of divergence.
But in the present phase, i.e. post post- cold war era (after 9/11) their bilateral relations are reaching sky-rocketing heights. Both are engaging each other on many similar- convergent issues. Firstly, the interest of both the countries converges on the issue of promoting democracy in the world. Both India and US are the biggest democracies in the world and their mutual plank of foreign policy is to promote democracy in the non- democratic/ authoritarian countries as according to them, democratic credentials could resolve many problems around the world.
Secondly, to counter the rising menace of terrorism and Islamic fundamentalism in South-Asia, West Asia and elsewhere is another common concern for both. Many terrorist organizations like Al-Qaeda, Hizbul- Mujahedeen, Jiash-e- Mohammad, Indian Mujahideen and Taliban etc are posing a grave threat to the peace and security of the whole world including these two countries. As both the countries remained a victim of terrorist assaults, so they both are very much determined to uproot this menace from the world. Another common area of convergence between them is the nuclear collaboration under Indo-US Civil Nuclear Deal. But besides collaborating, their main cause of concern is the issue of non- proliferation of sensitive nuclear material and technology either to the maiden ‘rogue states’ or non- states actors (various terrorist states). For achieving this goal, both are deliberating on export control regime including the Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty.
Another vital area of convergence for them is to maintain the regional stability of the South- Asian region because if any part of Asia remains unstable and volatile, the whole continent remains unstable. Given the geo-strategic, political, economic and security stakes of both the countries in this region, they are very much fervent to find an early solution to the problems especially in Afghanistan and West Asia.
Yet another important plank in their foreign policy calculations is to counter and contain the rising ambitions and influence of China. Although China is the leading trading partner of India and one of the important trading partner for US yet neither India nor US is willing to accept the growing power- ambitions of China. India considers the Chinese ‘String of Pearls’ strategy the nothing but the strategy to encircle India whereas US see India as a potential counterpoise to China in Asia. Both India and US want to shrink the influence of China be it in the South-Asia, South-East Asia, Central Asia or in Indian Ocean.
The concerns of both the countries also converge in the whole Indian Ocean Region (IOR). US has been following the policy of greater involvement in the IOR to contain the Soviet influence in the cold war days. But, in the post cold war period, the priorities and stakes have been changed a lot for both India and US. At present, both these countries are following an assertive policy in the IOR given the security, geo-strategic and economic interests. Both are concerned in the uninterrupted supply of oil from the Gulf region, protecting the Sea-Lanes of Communications (SLOCs) from the unwarranted influence of any other country, preventing the illegal arms smuggling and drug- trafficking in and via Indian Ocean.
Yet another common area of convergence between them is the economic arena. During the cold war period, there were momentous kind of cooperation between them but with the end of cold war and ideological hangover, both realized the need of restructuring their respective foreign policy postures viz-a-viz each other. In the last two decades, the cooperation in the economic sphere has been tremendous. Their bilateral trade has increased manifold and still reaching the new skies with every coming year. India has proved to be a potential consumer market for US products and FDI. In return, India is getting benefitted by the latest dual-use technology from the US.
The above discussed are the prominent areas of convergence between the two. They bilateral relations are improving with every coming year and hope to reach the skyrocketing heights in the coming period. Both are engaging each other in every possible area as allowed by their respective national interests. This momentum has been achieved by both after many years of restless and strenuous efforts and neither of the two would now think of sabotaging this rapport.
(The writer is a PhD scholar in the Department of Political Science, University of Jammu)
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