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Journalism of Courage
Days before the US presidential visit to India, the contrast between the approach of the two political leaderships to the bilateral relationship could not have been starker. A confident President George W. Bush is challenging the conventional American wisdom on India and laying out a broad vision for transforming bilateral relations. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, on the other hand, is desperately fending off ill-informed criticism of his foreign policy from motivated quarters with one phrase, 8220;national interest8221;. For the sake of his own credibility and the nation8217;s prestige as an emerging great power, the PM must at some point spell out his convictions on the importance of a stronger relationship with the US.
Both Bush and Singh understand that changing global balance of power demands a closer partnership between the two countries. In his speech Bush has explained to his own people why Washington should change its nuclear non-proliferation policy towards India and how cooperation with New Delhi would bring greater economic and political security to the US. Manmohan Singh has a similar opportunity when he addresses Parliament on Monday on India8217;s separation plan and the Bush visit. While the recent posturing by the scientists has muddied the debate in the last few weeks, the PM must return to the basics of the nuclear deal which meets India8217;s long-standing demands for being treated on a par with the other nuclear weapon states, and regaining access to advanced technology markets. Rather than focus on this central gain, the government has allowed the debate to be framed in terms of external pressure. More fundamentally, the PM must underline the reality that the nuclear issue is about managing the past differences between India and the US.
