Glimpses of Indo-Us Relations
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Journal of Interdisciplinary Cycle Research ISSN NO: 0022-1945 GLIMPSES OF INDO-US RELATIONS Ruby Kumari [email protected] Department of political Science B R Ambedkar Bihar University, Muzaffarpur-842001, Bihar (INDIA) ABSTRACT The Indo – US relations evolved more after India became independent. These two are the best strategic partner and had made many conditions favorable for each other which also creates a mutual understanding between them. This paper signifies the relationship between both countries from Independence till now. It consists of Indo-US relations glimpses at a glance. India and USA are two most prominent powers of the world scenario. USA is known as a super power of world and another side India is a developing and emerging superpower of Asian continent. Indo-US relations were friendly after the independence from the United Kingdom in 1947. The relationships between India and United States were thin in colonial days of British era. At the time of independence movement United States gave very strong support to the Indians in defense of British Empire [1]. After Independence Mrs. Vijya Lakshmi Pandit became Indian ambassador to United States. The United States under the Truman administration leaned towards favoring India in the late 1940s as a consequence of the most U.S. planners seeing India more valuable diplomatically than the neighboring Pakistan [2]. Nehru‟s 1949 tour of the United States was “an undiplomatic disaster” that left bad feelings on both sides. Nehru‟s vision was India should align with United States „somewhat‟ and build up our economic and military strength [3]. The Truman administration was quite favorable and indicated it would give Nehru anything he asked for, and thereby forfeited the chance for a gift of one million tons of wheat. The American secretary of state‟s Dean Acheson recognized Nehru‟s potential world role but added that he was- “the most difficult man with whom I have ever had to deal”. Volume XII, Issue VIII, August/2020 Page No:1737 Journal of Interdisciplinary Cycle Research ISSN NO: 0022-1945 During the visit of America, Prime Minister Nehru had gained some benefits and understood the American outlook in much deeper. In 1959 Dwight D. Eisenhower became the first US President to visit India to strengthen India and staggering ties between the two nations. President Eisenhower was very supportive. The New York Times remarked, “it did not seem to matter much whether Nehru had actually requested or been given to a guarantee that the US would help India to meet further Chinese Communist aggregation. What matured was the obvious strengthening of Indian- American friendship to a point where no such guarantee was necessary.” After Eisenhower period John F. Kennedy became the President of America. In his presidency India was considered as a strategic partner and counterweight to the rise of Communist China. The Kennedy administration openly supported India during the 1962 Sino- Indian war. The United States Air Force flew in arms, giving ammunition and clothing supplies to the Indian troops while the Navy of the country even sent USS Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier from the Pacific Ocean to protect India, only to recall it back before it reached the Bay of Bengal. [4] In May 1963, during the National Security Council meeting, the United States discussed the contingency planning that could be implemented in the event of another Chinese attack on India. In such conditions President John F. Kennedy said “we should defend India, and therefore we will defend India.” Kennedy‟s ambassador to India was the noted economist John Kenneth Galbraith, who was considered close to India, he helped India to establish one of the first Indian Computer Science departments at Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh). He also presided over the largest US foreign aid program to India at that time to any country. In 1963 after the unfortunate assassination of President Kennedy, the Indo-US relations deforested gradually. While the successor of President Kennedys President Lyndon Johnson saw through to maintain the relations between India and US to counter communist China. In 1970s India was now in the leadership of Mrs. Indira Gandhi. Now in 1970s Richard Nixon was the President of USA. In the regime of President Nixon early time the Indo US relations then hit an all time low in 1970. The frosty relationship between Nixon and Indira Gandhi further contributed to the poor relationship between the two nations during Indo-Pak war in 1971. Volume XII, Issue VIII, August/2020 Page No:1738 Journal of Interdisciplinary Cycle Research ISSN NO: 0022-1945 In the late 1970s Morarji Desai became the Prime Minister of India. He was the leader of Janta Party. He tried to improve the relations with the United States now led by Jimmy Carter .In 1974 India conducted its first nuclear test, Smiling Buddha which was opposed by the United States. However, it is also concluded that the test did not violate any agreement and proceeded with a June 1974 shipment of enriched uranium for the Tarapur Reactor [5]. After the return of Indira Gandhi to power in 1980 the relations between the two countries continued to improve gradually. Although India did not support the United States in its role in the Soviet invasion and occupation of Afghanistan. The Regan administration provided limited assistance to India. In 1984 Washington approved the supply of selected technology, including the engagement of a US company; continental Electronics to design and build a new VLF communication station at Tiruneveli in Tamilnadu, which was commissioned in the late 1980s. However, it was not until the late 1990s that there was a significant effort by both sides of countries to improve relation to each other. After this decade in 1990s Atal Bihari Vajpayee became the Prime Minister of India. In his regime India conducted the authorized nuclear weapons testing at Pokhran. The United States strongly condemned this testing and promised sanctions and voted in the favor of a United Nation Security Council Resolution commending the tests. President Bill Clinton imposed economic sanctions on India, including cutting of all military and economic aid freezing loans by American Banks to state owned Indian companies prohibitory loans to the Indian government for all except food purchases, prohibiting using American aerospace technology and uranium exports to India. However these sanctions proved ineffective. India was experiencing a strong economic rise and its trades with the US only constituted a small portion of its G.D.P. While most other nations continued to trade with India. The sanctions were soon lifted. Afterward, Clinton administered and Prime Minister Vajpayee exchanged representatives to help rebuild relations from both sides. In March 2000, US President Bill Clinton visited India, undertaking bilateral and economic discussion with Prime Minister Vajpayee. During the visit the Indo-US Science and Technology Forum was established [6]. During the tenure of George W. Bush, relations between India and US were seen to have blossomed, primarily on common concerns regarding growing Islamic extremist, energy security and climate chance. Bush commented “India is a great example of democracy. It is very devout, has diverse religions heads, but everyone is comfortable about their religion. The world needs Volume XII, Issue VIII, August/2020 Page No:1739 Journal of Interdisciplinary Cycle Research ISSN NO: 0022-1945 India.” [7]. U.P.A government has seen a transformation in bilateral ties with the US.” As a result of which the relations now covers a wide range of issues, including high technology, space, education, agriculture trade clean energy and counter terrorism etc. There was a change in government of India in 2004. The United Progressive Alliance government headed by Dr. Manmohan Singh, assumed office in May 2004. After the change in government there as some apprehended in the western circles in general and the USA in particular that there may be some change in foreign policy of India, but Dr. Singh the Prime Minister of India on his way to New York to attend the General Assembly annual session made it clear that there would be particularly no change or any major shift in UPA‟s foreign policies properties. He also made it clear that improving relations with the United States was among for most priorities of his government. Similarly the US Ambassador to India David C. Mulford said that Indo- US relations were “all time high”. He also hoped that during the next three to four years time relation between these two countries would “brighten up”. He also made it clear that Bush administration counts improvements in relation with India as an achievement of its foreign policy. In 2004, after the tsunami, USA and Indian navies cooperated in search and rescue operations and the reconstructions of affected areas. In 2005 the United States also signed a ten years defense framework agreement with India. With the goal of expanding bilateral security cooperation, the two countries engaged in numerous an unprecedented combined military exercises, also the US arms sales to India were concluded. An open skies agreement was also signed in April 2005 enhancing trade, tourism and business via increased member of flights and AIR INDIA purchased 68 US Boeing aircraft at cost of $8 billion [8]. The United States and India also signed a bilateral agreement on science and technology cooperation in 2005. After this, the President Bush made another diplomatic visit to further expand the relations between India and United States. The influence of a large Indian American community is reflected in the largest country specific causes in the United States congress, while in between 2009-2010 more than 10,000 Indian students have attended American Colleges and Universities. In November 2010 American President Barak Obama visited India.