Obama's India tour

Obama attaches more importance to India than other Asian nations!
India has the reason to catch the Obama fever as she is now entertaining the world’s most powerful leader. Obama’s three day stop in India is the longest amount of time he spent in a foreign country since taking office. It also shows the longer time of his 10-day Aisa tour. Hence time and starting the visit with India attaches importance to global and bilateral relations between these two democracies. The main significance of the trip is to demonstrate and show the importance the United States and particularly president Obama, attaches to India. He is visiting key Asian democracies. It is India, Japan, and Indonesia—there’s a subtle signing that values matter in foreign policy and that democracies are especially important to the United States. . It is also a signal to China of the importance the US places on democracies.
Foreign relation expert Geroge Perkovich pointed out that US-India relations are important in several ways. First it’s important that they aren’t negative and that there is a sense that these two countries are on a positive trajectory-this is very important in the positive direction, the trend is most important. He explained that ‘it’s not a question of war and peace as it is impossible to imagine the United States and India going to war. And the two of them are not going to solve the global economic crisis together. So, there isn’t; any particular problem that they are going to solve together or particular crisis that they could create together. We want to see the general upward trend of the relationship.
On the India US relations, foreign relation expert Perkovinch said, “ US-India relations were on a positive trajectory from the middle part of the Clinton administration onward and this was very good thing.” The success of American Presidents such as Bill Clinton, Geroge Bush and Obama and Indian Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, AB Vajapyee and Dr. Manomohan Singh basically helped the two countries on a positive trajectory. The expert says that the two countries in the short term have a lot of divergent interests. In the long term, both countries want the same kind of world and they both want each other to succeed. But in democracies especially politics is all about the short term. On trade issues India wants its workers to have more access to the US, especially its educated workers including accountants, IT professionals, and lawyers and so on. The US is worried about unemployment and protecting jobs. So it frustrates India by not changing the terms under which Indian workers can come to the US. The United States would like greater access to the Indian market for American farmed goods and other goods but India has 400 million small farmers and is worried about employment in India so it doesn’t accommodate the US position.
Obama pledged to work more closely with India to combat global terrorism and offered long-standing dispute over Kashir without intervening directly. Speaking at a news conference alongside Indian prime Minister Manomohan Sing, Obama said that while both India and Pakistan have an interest in reducing tensions in the region., the U.S cannot impose a solution to these problems. We are happy to play any role the parties think is appropriate. Kashmir is a long standing issue which the world considers more as a human rights violation than the political games between India and Pakistan. Both the neighbours are politically concerned about Kashmir issue but the unarmed and youths are tortured continuously in their own homeland. Since in 1947 the issue has been standing as a time bomb but no such peaceful solution is offered by any party. Both India and Pakistan are equally responsible for this issue. India, the desiring member of Security Council must resolve the security problem of its own people and the people around her.
The president praised the relationship between the US an India as one of e defining partnerships of the 21st century. He and Singh said they would co-host an international education summit next year and said the Department of Homeland Security and India’s Ministry Of Home Affairs would collaborate to combat terrorism by improving security at airports and seaports. Obama also said the US will continue to share intelligence with India and Singh said his country would establish new center to focus more attention on the issues of nuclear proliferation and disease. The leaders also reaffirmed their pledges of new fund of economic cooperation. Obama speaks on counterterrorism, regional security, clean energy, climate change and economic growth. He has announced that America will support India’s inclusion in the Security Council as its permanent member. The present scenario of world politics and the time also demand another permanent member of UNSC. India qualifies for the position in many respects such as its size, population, scientific development and its growing economy. On the contrary, the bitter bilateral relations with its neighbours and big brotherly attitude still makes the neighurs feel insecure. Its gaining atomic power in no way makes south Asian countries sleep soundly. It only increases tensions between its arch rival Pakistan.
Chinas’ emergence and rise is the focus of attention not only of the United States but among all countries in the region; none of them wants to have hostile or adversarial relations with China. At the same time none wants to be dominated by China. It is natural. India’s hegemony is also not expected by her neighbours. Border dispute, water sharing issues and imbalanced trade have made unequal relations between India and with South Asian nations. Washington’s trying to develop close relation with India is sure to irk China who wishes to gain more international influence and regional leadership which Obama cannot ignore.
Md. Masum Billah
Program Manager: BRAC Education Program. He regularly writes on various national and international issues
( Former professor of English at Ghatail Cantonment College, Sylhet Cadet College, Comilla Cadet College and Mirzapur Cadet College, Rajuk Uttara Model College and Tutor BELT Program, BOU)