See ya, George

It is possible, indeed necessary, to say that India8217;s democracy has rarely been held up so forthrightly and with so much gusto as both ...

It is possible, indeed necessary, to say that India8217;s democracy has rarely been held up so forthrightly and with so much gusto as both an exemplar and a potential engine for transformation. George Bush concluded his India visit with a speech so ringing in its endorsement of India8217;s past, present and, most crucially, future that fantasists in this country may well start dreaming. Wake up, guys. This is not about India having arrived, with nothing left to do. This is about our discovering, after a very long time, what we can do, if we allow ourselves the chance. As long as we keep that in mind, we should have no hesitation in assessing Bush8217;s visit as perhaps the most important in recent times. We should have even less hesitation in accepting what he said 8212; that he came here as a friend. He sounded like a friend, he dealt with us like a friend, even his reminders on practicing economic liberalism more vigorously were delivered in the friendliest of fashions.

Recognising that is crucial, given a national psyche that still sometimes tends to get wounded a little too quickly. The Bush administration is clearly trying to be very careful in not appearing to lecture India. Yes, he did mention Iran in the manner he always does: a country run by a minority of clerics, who suppress the people. But no, he didn8217;t at all indicate that he wants India8217;s foreign policy to see Iran in exactly the same way. He didn8217;t say he wanted India to be with him on all issues. He said India and America were already together on the most important issue: in how they value freedom.

So, say whatever you want about Bush; don8217;t say, if you value logic and evidence, that he came to India to smother our sense of independence with his favours. Bush thinks a rising India is good for America, for the world 8212; and even for Pakistan. In Pakistan today, Bush will have, bluntly speaking, a somewhat different agenda. If Indians gloat over that they would be worse than silly 8212; they would not recognise that a quieter, more prosperous neighbourhood would release a huge amount of policy energy that can be used for many other things. Things that differentiate between a country that is changing and a country that has arrived.