Keeping the faith across the border and overseas, Gujral style

When Gujral took over as Prime Minister, it was strongly rumoured that he wanted a summit with Clinton. He got a 45-minute meeting instead, where he is said to have set the record straight on issues ranging from the economy to non-proliferation. He, however, did not seek Washington’s support for India’s “natural” claim to becoming a member of an expanded Security Council.

On the return journey of that highly-publicised September trip to the US, Gujral also did not strongly raise New Delhi’s Security Council membership with the Italians.

While on the sub-continental front, the talks with Pakistan, to which Gujral agreed with such alacrity earlier in the year, are probably petering out, though not for want of his trying.

Nevertheless, as the nation’s chief articulator abroad, Gujral helped shed what one strategic analyst calls India’s “permanent dissident image” abroad. There were puri-aloo breakfasts with Nawaz Sharif, tea with Clinton and dinner with Queen Elizabeth of England. Meanwhile, he proposed that he call Blair `Tony’ and Tony call him `Inder’. Reestablishing ties with the US have been long overdue, especially if New Delhi wants Washington to push its private businesses to invest in this country. Gujral intelligently projected Finance minister P Chidambaram as India’s best face in all his high-powered meetings with the US recently.

And while he continued to insist that New Delhi would never sign Washington-led treaties like the CTBT, the country in fact continues to quietly and faithfully observe everything the CTBT prohibits.

Gujral must also be credited with systematically smoothening the nation’s backyard. Relations with the smaller sub-continental states, like Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, are on the mend through a generous attitude that doesn’t demand reciprocity from these states.

So, even though the Indo-Bangla accord on water-sharing hasn’t meant that Dhaka can return the gesture by allowing transit and trade routes through Bangladesh to the North-East, New Delhi is willing to wait till Sheikh Hasina sees the light.

The Prime Minister lent foreign policy an exciting edge. Even third-rate powers, decided to sit up and take notice of sundry ancient civilisations.

Highlights

* Re-establishing ties with the US, but refusal to sign CTBT.

* Restarting political dialogue with Pakistan.

* Water-sharing accord.

* Extradition treaty with UAE, meaning we can now get Abu Salem and Dawood Ibrahim.

* Agreement with Russia.

Lowlights

* Status quo on the nuclear option after 22 years.

* Pakistan refuses to stop terrorism in Kashmir.

* No clear strategy for India’s membership in Security Council.

* No trade and transit rights through Bangladesh.

* No trade.