India and the US are the two most important democratic courtiers in the world. The US is the oldest modern democratic country whereas India is the largest democratic country in the modern world and any sort of positive cooperation between the two great democracies is bound to create  a new world order and balance promising  peace and tranquility especially in all volatile South China Sea and Asia-pacific region. It will also contribute in maintaining peace throughout the world

Balwinder Singh

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[Singh *, Vol.5 (Iss.6): June, 2017]                                                          ISSN- 2350-0530(O), ISSN- 2394-3629(P) ICV (Index Copernicus Value) 2015: 71.21                                  IF: 4.321 (CosmosImpactFactor), 2.532 (I2OR) InfoBase Index IBI Factor 3.86 Http://www.granthaalayah.com  ©International Journal of Research - GRANTHAALAYAH [320]   Social   INDO-US RELATIONS:  PAST TO PRESENT  Balwinder Singh *1 *1 Research Scholar, Department of Political Science, P.U. Patiala, India  DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.821112  Abstract India and the US are the two most important democratic courtiers in the world. The US is the oldest modern democratic country whereas India is the largest democratic country in the modern world and any sort of positive cooperation between the two great democracies is bound to create  a new world order and balance promising  peace and tranquility especially in all volatile South China Sea and Asia-pacific region. It will also contribute in maintaining peace throughout the world.  Keywords: Indo-Us Relations; Democratic Courtiers; Cooperation.  Cite This Article: Balwinder Singh. (2017). “INDO-US RELATIONS:  PAST TO PRESENT.” International Journal of Research - Granthaalayah, 5(6), 320-323. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.821112.  1. Introduction  India had a peculiar hot and cold relationship with the US ever since India came into being. During the Cold-War era, the relations between India and the US witnessed many ups and downs. More often than not, the relationship between two countries was not so encouraging and there had also been an iota of mistrust between the two governments.  Throughout the Cold-War era, despite having many shared common values, both countries lacked conviction in their respective policies and couldn’t convince each other of their respective policies. The American policies vis-à-vis Pakistan had been myopic completely disregarding India’s interests for its safety and security. The US was not even ready to accept active involvements of Pakistan in terrorist-activities especially in Jammu and Kashmir, America always called it internal unrest completely shutting its eyes to Pakistan’s openly adding and abetting terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir as well as providing huge amount to Pakistan in the name of fighting terrorism was also one of the most important bone of contention between the relationship of two countries.   The Cold War era gave birth to two power blocs namely the US and the erstwhile Soviet Union. India refused to be a party of either bloc, India tried to create a new world order by keeping good-distance between the two power blocs. Nehru in the company of world leaders like Tito [Singh *, Vol.5 (Iss.6): June, 2017]                                                          ISSN- 2350-0530(O), ISSN- 2394-3629(P) ICV (Index Copernicus Value) 2015: 71.21                                  IF: 4.321 (CosmosImpactFactor), 2.532 (I2OR) InfoBase Index IBI Factor 3.86 Http://www.granthaalayah.com  ©International Journal of Research - GRANTHAALAYAH [321]  tried to create a type of new world order of such countries not belonging to the two power blocs called non-aligned nations. Despite being a non-align nation, India couldn’t build-up confidence and trust among American think-tanks.  Despite being one of the founding members of the Non-alignment Movement, India established a close strategic relationship with the Soviet Union since 1965. The myopic Pak centric American policies completely disregarding core Indian interests was the only cause of mistrust between the two nations. And the US, too, always alleged that India’s policies had been heavily tilted in favour of the erstwhile Soviet Union. The American Seal-commandos’ action in Abatabad and the killing of Osama-Bin-Laden in Pakistani territory proved to be an eye opener for American think-tanks and compelled them to review their foreign-policies and reset their priorities afresh.   2. Relations during Cold- War  The US always kept talking about India’s tilt towards the Soviet Union in international platform. The US was always skeptical of India’s credentials as a non-aligned nation. India took a different stand during the Korean crisis. India did not subscribe to American views completely and this act of India was interpreted as India’s tilt towards the Soviet Union and this situation continued till the end of the erstwhile Soviet Union. In the past the Soviet Union always used its veto power in the UNO[Security Council] to defend and support India’s national interests challenging the one sided myopic Indian sub-continent policies of America. The closer ties between India and the USSR always antagonized the USA as the USSR was a bête-noire of America.   The bone of contention between Indo-US relationships was the American scepticism about Soviet-communism as well as heavily- favouring America’s Pak-oriented Indian sub-continent and central-Asia policies.    Thus, the strain in their relations was primarily due to their conflicting perspective and divergent approach towards vital issues. The only exceptional period of cooperation between India and the US was during early 1960s. There was a very good rapport between the US President, Kennedy and the Indian Premier, Nehru a very popular leader of the time both in India and in international arena. As China happened to be a communist country, the US supported India during Indo-Sino war in 1962. The rift between the two nations started having roots in 1965, the year of Indo-Pak war and it went on increasing from then onwards. The Indo-US relation was at its worst during Bangladesh liberation in 1971. The US not only blindly supported but even threatened India by sending its nuclear capable seventh-fleet in the Bay of Bengal.    For the last four decades, the most irritant issue between the two countries has been India’s nuclear programmes as well as the tacit American support to Pakistan nuclear programmes, especially aimed against India. Having two unfriendly nuclear neighbours [i.e. China and Pakistan], has compelled India not to sign NPT and CTBT.  India strategic partnership with the US cannot presume identity of views on contentious global issues or adjustment of Indian policies to suit US interests alone. India Yet, when India speaks of strategic autonomy, the US votaries and Indian champions of a strong Indo-US friendship decry such thinking as mired in India’s defunct Non-aligned credo.     [Singh *, Vol.5 (Iss.6): June, 2017]                                                          ISSN- 2350-0530(O), ISSN- 2394-3629(P) ICV (Index Copernicus Value) 2015: 71.21                                  IF: 4.321 (CosmosImpactFactor), 2.532 (I2OR) InfoBase Index IBI Factor 3.86 Http://www.granthaalayah.com  ©International Journal of Research - GRANTHAALAYAH [322]  3. Relations after Cold- War                 The environment issue has always been a stumbling block in Indo-US relations. Keeping the eco-system healthy and beneficial to the world is the first and foremost issue before every nation. But the US-led developed countries, primarily responsible for the worst of existing eco-health. These developed countries has not ready to bear the economic burden to correct the current eco-system. They are not ready to spare dollars instead they are trying their level best to make poor countries pay for the mistakes and wrong-doings of their deeds.  Since India and Pakistan came into being, the US policies had always been Pak-centric. The US always keeping Pakistan at the forefront of India. The policy was continued till the disintegration of the Soviet-Union. But the phenomenal rise of religious fundamentalism in the Middle-East and Pakistan facilitated the way for greater Indo-US cooperation.   The American Seal-commandos’ action in Abatabad and the killing of Osama-Bin-Laden in Pakistani territory proved to be an eye opener for American think-tanks and compelled them to review their foreign-policies and reset their priorities afresh.  A shift in the US policies for the Indian sub-continent and the central-Asia was first visible since the Killing of Osama Bin Laden in Abattabad in 2011. The first drastic change in American policies for the Indian Sub-continent got started taking place since the killing of Al-Quada chief Osama Bin Laden in Abattabad military cantonment in  2011. And as a result of which Pakistan is presently able to get less than half American aid which it used to receive before 2011. As of now some senior American Senators have started making a demand for total ban on any sort of military and civilian aid to Pakistan.  Now the whole world is well aware of the realities and facts concerning Pakistan as well as America’s own experience in tackling terrorism in Afghanistan has made Pakistan naked before the international community. And this being the reason that Pakistan, despite being the only nuclear Islamic state in the world, couldn’t manage even five minutes time to address an Islamic conference in Riyadh in June, 2017. The Pakistan Prime Minister Mr. Sharif was vehemently criticized and rebuked in Pak media for not being able to manage even a few minutes time to speak-out his mind.  4. Conclusion  That is why, we can say that the entire Cold-War era, the relationship between the two countries witnessed up and down. The two countries had divergent views on paramount global questions. Furthermore, India and US approach on many regional problems of South Asia, Middle East and South–East Asia, in particular on fundamentally different. Indo-US relations have always been influenced by India’s security concerns and the US’s geo-strategic interests. The clash of strategic interest between the two countries that began from Second World War continued throughout more than of 40 years of Cold–War. Many steps were taken to get better the bilateral relationship between India and the US. Two ideologies i.e. Communist and Capitalist during the Cold-War era also left their shadow on the Indo-US bilateral relationship. The relationship between the two countries was seen through their relative supportive nations.  [Singh *, Vol.5 (Iss.6): June, 2017]                                                          ISSN- 2350-0530(O), ISSN- 2394-3629(P) ICV (Index Copernicus Value) 2015: 71.21                                  IF: 4.321 (CosmosImpactFactor), 2.532 (I2OR) InfoBase Index IBI Factor 3.86 Http://www.granthaalayah.com  ©International Journal of Research - GRANTHAALAYAH [323]  References  [1] V.P. Dutt, ‘India’s foreign Policy Since Independence’, National Book Trust,  New Delhi, 2007, p.193. [2] Kalim Bahadur, United States and the Anti-terrorist Strategies, World Focus,  Vol.31, No.361, January 2010, New Delhi, p.3. [3] M.R. Srinivasan[ed.], Ending nuclear dependency, The Hindu, Friday, May19,2017,p.8. [4] V.N.Mukundarajan, Make in India, The Hindu, Friday, May19,2017, p.8.   [5] K.C.Singh(ed.), The Bonding in Benaulim, The Hindu, Thursday,  October20,2016.p.10. [6] Suhasini Haidar & Varghese George, Modi may do a Madison Square in Houston, The Hindu, Wednesday, May17, 2017.p.11. [7] Parthasarathy Sen, Elections In Iran, The Hindu, Friday, May19,2017,p.8. [8] Harsh V. Pant[ed.], ‘Natural Partners: US and India Engaged, No Longer Estranged’, The Statesman, Monday, July 25, 2005, p.6. [9] Sridhar Krishnaswami, India-US Sign Framework for Defence Cooperation, The Hindu, Thursday, June30, 2015 .p.8.      *Corresponding author. E-mail address: bal15021988@gmail.com 

INDO-US RELATIONS:  PAST TO PRESENT

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INDO-US RELATIONS: PAST TO PRESENT

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