“US can’t build a meaningful strategic partnership if it stays blind to India’s core concerns over the Khalistan issue”, First Post, December 20, 2023:
“American exceptionalism dies hard. A messianic belief in own superiority, virtuousness and indispensability — that has remained constant for the last two centuries — shapes its foreign policy outlook and governs its gaze towards other sovereigns. This is and has been a common trait of all great powers. It looks great during unipolar moments, but as middle powers become more influential, power is diffused, balance shifts and unilateralism slowly erodes, the sense of entitlement seems out of place.
Consider the fact that the United States is trying to develop a meaningful strategic partnership with India, a rising middle power with great power aspirations with whom Washington has dramatically transformed its relationship across a range domains, and yet it insists on extracting taxes and paeans from its purported strategic partner while appearing blissfully unaware of issues that are central to India’s security concerns, such as terrorism and separatism.
American insularity, even when unintentional, can be disconcerting. US ambassador to India Eric Garcetti had let slip in September that India has invited Joe Biden as the chief guest for Republic Day, that would have made Biden the second US president to attend the celebration after Barack Obama. After a period of suspense, Washington told New Delhi last week that Biden won’t be able to make it due to “scheduling demands”…….”
Read the full article at Firstpost.com
