WASHINGTON: India's political leadership will have its first engagement with US President-elect Barack Obama only ten days from now when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visits Washington for the G-20 economic summit convened by President Bush.
Bush has said he will take the new president-elect into confidence over any initiatives his lame-duck administration may make of the financial crisis roiling the world. Obama's victory means the Republican administration will have to factor in Democratic views on the matter.
Singh and Obama could not meet when the Indian prime minister visited US in September at the height of the presidential campaign. But Obama wrote Singh a letter expressing regret at not being able to meet him and offered condolences on the terrorist attack in Delhi and on the Indian Embassy in Kabul.
More strikingly, Obama said in his letter that the nuclear agreement was "only as a beginning of a much closer relationship between our two great countries," and he would like to see US-India relations "grow across the board to reflect our shared interests, shared values, shared sense of threats, and ever burgeoning ties between our two economies and societies."
Obama -- more likely his campaign managers acting in his name -- has shown a keen eye and appreciation of events in India, issuing statements on such developments as Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw's death and the launch of Chandrayaan.
In lighter moments, he has joked about his ability to make 'daal' and of feeling like a 'desi' who carries a Hanuman figurine as a good luck charm.
But in the serious business of geo-politics, Obama has shown a sure touch, not crossing any red lines that might offend New Delhi's notoriously thin-skinned establishment. He supported the Bush-Rice conceived US-India Civilian Nuclear Agreement despite initial reservations planted by the non-proliferation lobby and reiterated his support in his letter to Singh in September.
A more recent remark on resolving the Kashmir issue caused a kerfuffle in New Delhi among political parties ever ready to score points, but it caused greater consternation in Islamabad, which believes the solution he has in mind is based on freezing the current status quo.
In any case, there is little likelihood of any dramatic moves in bilateral ties between Washington and New Delhi in the next six months given that when Obama takes office on January 20, India will be entering the election mode.
One idea germinating in political and diplomatic circles is to have Rahul Gandhi attend Obama's Inauguration event to familiarize the new administration with India's young leadership, which is frequently overshadowed by its geriatrics.
India's ministers and mandarins are weighing the implications of the Obama win after the unexpected warmth between Washington and New Delhi during the final years of the Bush presidency culminating in the nuclear deal. Diplomats broadly say they don't expect any sea change in ties with a shift in administration or government in either country.
"So much also depends on the cabinet-level appointments he makes," one diplomat tasked with monitoring the developments in Washington told ToI. "Within the two Bush terms there was a world of difference in ties when Condi Rice became Secretary of State compared to when Colin Powell was in office."
The Indian-American community too -- largely Democrat-oriented despite the recent dalliance of the wealthier ones with Republicans -- is ecstatic. Although older desi Democrats initially backed Hillary Clinton, plenty of younger Indian-American Democrats were smitten by the Obamania and worked on his campaign, including some gearheads who handled the technology aspects of his campaign.
Even Indian-American Republican supporters celebrated Obama's win although they had invested time, energy and money on behalf of McCain.
"This is a joyous occasion not only for African Americans but for all minorities," said Dallas realtor Ashok Mago, a Republican activist from Bush's home state. "Under Obama administration relations between USA and India should continue to strengthen because these are based on mutual values and interests."
Mike Ghouse, an Indian-American who runs a inter-faith initiative out of Texas, said he had tears in his eyes as he saw Obama ride to victory. "A sense of safety permeated through my body," he said. "I know everything is going to be alright."
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
Bush has said he will take the new president-elect into confidence over any initiatives his lame-duck administration may make of the financial crisis roiling the world. Obama's victory means the Republican administration will have to factor in Democratic views on the matter.
Singh and Obama could not meet when the Indian prime minister visited US in September at the height of the presidential campaign. But Obama wrote Singh a letter expressing regret at not being able to meet him and offered condolences on the terrorist attack in Delhi and on the Indian Embassy in Kabul.
More strikingly, Obama said in his letter that the nuclear agreement was "only as a beginning of a much closer relationship between our two great countries," and he would like to see US-India relations "grow across the board to reflect our shared interests, shared values, shared sense of threats, and ever burgeoning ties between our two economies and societies."
Obama -- more likely his campaign managers acting in his name -- has shown a keen eye and appreciation of events in India, issuing statements on such developments as Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw's death and the launch of Chandrayaan.
In lighter moments, he has joked about his ability to make 'daal' and of feeling like a 'desi' who carries a Hanuman figurine as a good luck charm.
But in the serious business of geo-politics, Obama has shown a sure touch, not crossing any red lines that might offend New Delhi's notoriously thin-skinned establishment. He supported the Bush-Rice conceived US-India Civilian Nuclear Agreement despite initial reservations planted by the non-proliferation lobby and reiterated his support in his letter to Singh in September.
A more recent remark on resolving the Kashmir issue caused a kerfuffle in New Delhi among political parties ever ready to score points, but it caused greater consternation in Islamabad, which believes the solution he has in mind is based on freezing the current status quo.
In any case, there is little likelihood of any dramatic moves in bilateral ties between Washington and New Delhi in the next six months given that when Obama takes office on January 20, India will be entering the election mode.
One idea germinating in political and diplomatic circles is to have Rahul Gandhi attend Obama's Inauguration event to familiarize the new administration with India's young leadership, which is frequently overshadowed by its geriatrics.
India's ministers and mandarins are weighing the implications of the Obama win after the unexpected warmth between Washington and New Delhi during the final years of the Bush presidency culminating in the nuclear deal. Diplomats broadly say they don't expect any sea change in ties with a shift in administration or government in either country.
"So much also depends on the cabinet-level appointments he makes," one diplomat tasked with monitoring the developments in Washington told ToI. "Within the two Bush terms there was a world of difference in ties when Condi Rice became Secretary of State compared to when Colin Powell was in office."
The Indian-American community too -- largely Democrat-oriented despite the recent dalliance of the wealthier ones with Republicans -- is ecstatic. Although older desi Democrats initially backed Hillary Clinton, plenty of younger Indian-American Democrats were smitten by the Obamania and worked on his campaign, including some gearheads who handled the technology aspects of his campaign.
Even Indian-American Republican supporters celebrated Obama's win although they had invested time, energy and money on behalf of McCain.
"This is a joyous occasion not only for African Americans but for all minorities," said Dallas realtor Ashok Mago, a Republican activist from Bush's home state. "Under Obama administration relations between USA and India should continue to strengthen because these are based on mutual values and interests."
Mike Ghouse, an Indian-American who runs a inter-faith initiative out of Texas, said he had tears in his eyes as he saw Obama ride to victory. "A sense of safety permeated through my body," he said. "I know everything is going to be alright."
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
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