AMU Homeland Security Intelligence Opinion

India Becomes Top Three Economy: Time for US-India Strategic Relationship

By Brett Daniel Shehadey
Special Contributor for In Homeland Security

As India becomes the third largest economy (by PPP), booting out Japan’s previous slot, U.S.-India relations need massive revitalization. Recent diplomatic wrangling between the two countries as well as the U.S.-Pakistan special partnership, over the last 12 years, have severed what should in all respects be a no-brainer. The arrest of Indian diplomat Dr. Devyani Khobragade on the charges of visa fraud was the most highly contentious issue by both sides. Those charges were dropped.

The U.S. could have been much more tactful and smoother in their handling with the Khobragade affair from the start of the arrest until the aftermath of the trial which was thrown out by a U.S. federal judge. The Indian Foreign Service could have responded with less reciprocity; without removing host security from the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi and placing U.S. Foreign Service Officers and staff in jeopardy; anti-American protests and rally-calls; and the revoking of diplomatic IDs.

It seems that India, somewhat like China and Russia, for example, are expanding not only in wealth and regional power, but also in national and cultural pride. This must first be recognize in U.S. foreign affairs as it translates to “sticking it to the man;” especially when their status as a state has increased so rapidly, monumentally, or in some cases overinflated their egos. The “man” here has unfortunately become the U.S. The US, by some accounts, will be surpassed this year by the People’s Republic of China and lose its slot as the number one economy in the world.

India no longer feels like a child but the US often comes across as treating it like something it has outgrown. The diplomatic spat between Italy and India is another good example of how India is not willing to be disrespected by Western diplomacy. Two Italian Marines, Salvatore Girone and Massimiliano Latorre, were charged and held in India for murdering two fishermen off the coast of Kerala; and they have awaited trial since February 2012, against hard Italian pressure for their release and one in which India has not budged.

China may be out of the race with massive social problems and shadow banking and black skies may be falling. But even if this is not the case, India’s economy has moved from 10th place to third place in six years. They did this with proven growth despite massive perturbations in the global market.

As the U.S. played good-cop/bad cop international counterterrorist superpower, it did not make India a priority and relations have now soured over something as pathetic as visa fraud and some low level diplomat stationed in the USA. But that was just the trigger. US-India bilateral relations have been at their lowest for some time and must be restored for the benefit of them both, strategically.

Both China and Japan recognized India’s partnership potential as well as its economic and security importance. Naturally, India has leaned in both directions for its own advantage. India remains a key gatekeeper of China’s South Asian influence. Diplomatically, India could become, for the U.S., another portal into China and even make a play the good cop while Japan is busy playing bad cop. India is another angle to be worked for the mutual benefit of both states and potentially for the region as well—a potential bridge or segue into the region’s three hegemons (China, Japan and India).

As the US loses footing in Afghanistan and Pakistan, India is the natural higher ground and should be a major US foreign policy initiative on from economic and security angles.

In fact, just recently, New Delhi turned to the Russians to ship arms to Afghanistan. How ironic is that? Why not cut out the Russians out from India too? Why should they even be there? More defense contracts, security arrangements and military base leasing could become a reality, even if done covertly or through intermediaries as to not upset US-Pakistani relations (in the short term). Yet a transition of focus must be placed on such a rising giant. New Delhi must also be given new security assurances in the light of NATO withdrawal from Kabul, as they are affected too.

A renewed and improved U.S.-India strategic relationship would fit well with the U.S. policy of slowing an aggressive Chinese advance into the Pacific or into South Asia. It tightens a “security diamond” principle with the help of Japan. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was the first to really embrace this principle strongly, while India has less to fear from China marching South on its borders, even with their disputed territories to the North.

The U.S. must learn to become the best political angel in investor into the future of rising states and not push its weight around because to prove that it still can. States like India, China and a few others are all charged up and too ready for a fight, whereas the American people are not upset enough for another one. Washington must learn to play smarter. Picking our battles will become tantamount a novice strategy but not getting into them in the first place and still manipulating the global environment into your favor and the world’s benefit will become the mainstay for the survival of liberalism.

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