• Investment World
• eWorld
• Brand Line
• Mentor
• Life
• Canvas
• Praxis
• Urban Pulse
• Brand Quest
• The New Manager

Stocks

• Quotes
• SE Diary
• Scoreboard
• Open-End Mutual Fund

Shipping

• Ports
  
  

Archives

• Yesterday
• Datewise
• Resources

Group Sites

• The Hindu
• Business Line
• Sportstar
• Frontline
• The Hindu eBooks
• The Hindu Images

It cannot be gainsaid that the current state of warm relations between India and the US reflects the sentiments of the public, including the educated middle class. When the charismatic US President, John F. Kennedy, was assassinated, students of a Chennai college requested their Principal to fly the flag at half-mast. The death of no other world leader would have inspired such a spontaneous reaction.

It was not only because Kennedy refreshingly represented the spirit and success of youth but also because youngsters dreamt of crossing the Atlantic to see the rich and powerful country for themselves. In India while governments were routinely striking an ambivalently hostile posture, its top civil servants were seeking training at Harvard and other prestigious institutions, and postings at the World Bank/IMF. Scions of business houses were attending Wharton and Kellog B-schools. Save technical specialists, those who reached the top rarely boasted about their training in the Soviet Union while they never failed to highlight participation in a US seminar .

For decades people even in Rural India automatically linked any progress in technology to America, no matter where the discovery/development was made. As for Urban India, whatever the stance of the government, it has always looked to the West for inspiration. Yet, it has taken decades for the officials on the two sides to recognise that India and the US are `natural allies'.

It was heart-warming to hear, the other day, Philip Talbot, a distinguished 91-year-old American, a true believer in Gandhian ideals, former US Ambassador and president emeritus of the Asia Society, say: "I am pleased with the strength of Indo-US relations. The countries have had difficult and problematic times. I am very happy that there is greater stability in their relationship."

R. Sundaram

More Stories on : Foreign Relations | Impressions

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
America by choice

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu Business Line. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu Business Line