Obama In India

Obama in India: Latest News Updates About President Obama will arrive in India in the wake of painful losses in the midterm elections. Prime Minister Singh will receive him in the aftermath of disastrous global publicity around the Commonwealth Games preparations.

Both leaders need a successful visit to refurbish tarnished reputations. But, if they are to rise above the charges of escaping domestic problems and go beyond the usual platitudes of friendship between the world’s oldest and largest democracies, Mr. Obama and Dr. Singh will need to focus on reframing this relationship.

They have a unique opportunity to take U.S.-India relations to a whole new level, possibly transforming it into a key 21st-century relationship.

This will not be an easy task. Expectations are high on both sides, but not totally congruent. Indians want to be assured that President Obama is personally committed to this relationship as was President George W. Bush, and is willing to make bold moves reminiscent of the historic 2005 U.S.-India civil nuclear energy deal. Indian policymakers also want to be certain that the U.S. will take their interests into account as the president implements plans for military withdrawal from Afghanistan. Most important, they want India to be treated respectfully as a major global player.

The Obama administration has its own expectations and questions. There is a strong desire among key U.S. officials that India will make a serious commitment to solving the Kashmir issue with Pakistan as it is inextricably related to the long-term stability of the entire South Asia region, including Afghanistan. They wonder if India is serious about taking a leading role in global affairs, even if that would mean breaking away from its three-decade long attachment to the agenda of the developing nations, often known as the “Non-Aligned Movement.”

(For example, some U.S. officials have questioned why Indian leaders have not taken a stand against China’s currency manipulations.) And, given the weak state of the U.S. economy, President Obama will want to promote major contracts for American companies, especially in the area of civil nuclear facilities.

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