Partner from the Potomac

Sense and sensitivity marked President Bill Clinton's address to the joint session of Parliament. For a large part of his narrative, indep...

Sense and sensitivity marked President Bill Clinton8217;s address to the joint session of Parliament. For a large part of his narrative, independent of ornamental poetry and excessive platitudes, it was the leader from the most prosperous democracy talking to the most populous democracy that is aspiring to be prosperous. And it made immense sense when he highlighted new images of prosperity, also its social adjectives.

Clinton, an accomplished master in the art of partnership, was remarkably positive in defining the perceived Indo-US partnership in terms of economy market is the motivation. So trade and information technology the shrinking distance between Seattle and Bangalore were identified as areas of a wider engagement. But Clinton, the incorrigible society-junkie, was quick to add a dash of community to what is so impersonally described as globalisation. It is unacceptable for him the world may have reached the information age, but there is another world that has not even reached the clean drinkingwater age. You just can8217;t disagree with the visiting president. Well, it is always easy to agree on subjects like sociology and economics. Will India agree with Clintion on his concepts of security and strategy in the suddenly nuclear subcontinent?

India should, considering Clinton had taken special care not to hurt Indian sensitivity on the so-called sensitive issues: Pakistan, Kashmir, nuclear proliferation and CTBT. Perhaps there is no point India being so sensitive on issues which are not purely regional, for in this age no issue is local.

So accept it: Clinton was talking about internationally relevant issues. As he said, it is a challenge for any democracy to co-exist with a dictatorship. But, you don8217;t make peace with friends. The quote belongs to the late Rabin of Israel. It is a democratic challenge, and only confident democracies can make grand gestures, for their own as well as the world8217;s well-being, for a place in the front row of history. Prime Minister Vajpayee8217;s historic journey to Lahore was a defining beginning. Clinton acknowledges that. But the US President is in South Asia not to mediate on Kashmir. Still, Clinton8217;s question is relevant here: are you ready, or do you have the determination, to resolve it yourself? The sacred K-word, and we shudder at its mention: who8217;s the third man talking on Kashmir? This mindset has to change. For it is remote from the new reality of global crisis management. All right, nobody is pushing us towards a chroreographed Rose Garden handshake with Pakistan. But Kashmir, such a war-worthy valleyin Asia, cannot forever remain an autonomous problem. Don8217;t be paranoid about potential facilitators.

Today, there is a context to America8217;s willingness to be a facilitator. On terrorism frighteningly personalised for the visitor by the latest massacre in Kashmir and the sanctity of the line of control, the American perception, as articulated by Clinton in his address, is not distant from Indian fears. But one subject on which India is confusingly determined to maintain a distance from Washington8217;s wisdom is the nuclear subject. So Clinton8217;s sensible words on CTBT and nuclear non-proliferation are likely to be read by professional third worldists as the arrogance of a nuclear power.

Sorry, it was not arrogance but common sense when Clinton said the consequences of proliferation are not confined along the border alone. Ideally, India doesn8217;t require a Clinton to realise the futility of its misplaced fears about CTBT. Certainly, it is not a bad thing to have a Clinton talking some sense to the General next door. And he said he is going to do some talking in Islamabad. What matters, for the moment, is his superbly presidential talking in the Central Hall of Parliament. India and the United States, the natural allies8217;, to go by Clinton8217;s musical metaphor, have a long way to go before they can create a globally pleasing, mutually beneficial, symphony. We suggest make it jazzy.