The Defining Partnership of the Twenty-First Century: US-India Relations

As the world’s oldest and largest democracies, respectively, the United States and India constitute key anchor points of the democratic world, and the two nations have significantly deepened their partnership over the past three decades. Shared values and strong people-to-people connections remain the core of US-India ties.

But the relationship is also based on a mutual commitment to economic engagement, marked by deepening trade relations worth over $190 billion. Additionally, US-India defense relations have evolved in recent years, reflecting shared security interests and a commitment to a free, open, inclusive, and rules-based international order.

Please join Hudson Institute for a discussion on the big picture of US-India relations with Hudson fellows Walter Russell Mead and Aparna Pande.

[AbcXyz-ddyo]

This guy is very wise on India.
And a keen observer.

One is not really an expert on India untill he knows that he is not an expert in India.

If one replies that the answer is very complex, only then he is truly studing India.

[madhukarmurthi]

I've never heard a non-Indian actually "get" what is going on with India and the Bharatiya consciousness until this discussion with Mr. Walter Russell Mead. He was humble to say he's a beginner on India.

[jovianjollity]

As a self-confessed “ beginner” on India, Mead seems to have a nuanced understanding of India’s ancient religious and cultural influences on modernity and development. In fact, Hindu philosophy describes the 4 goals/pursuits of human life ( “purushartha”) in which “artha”-the creation of wealth, is as important as dharma, or the upholding of ethics. So Mead is right in observing that many Hindu texts mention the creation of wealth as part of society and statecraft, which is as relevant today as it was in Indian antiquity.

In response to a question, Mead also correctly parsed the restrictions on NGOs and foreign funds in India as a reaction to a record of such entities at “tilting the field” and that the Indian government’s policies on NGOs have been shaped by the "bitter" legacy of colonialism and the latter’s role in creating social fractures and economic problems. For instance, the majority of states and tribal societies in India’s northeast were manipulated by church-based NGOs labeled as “charities” that held conversions as their real objective, since the colonial era. Even the recent violence ( a few months ago) in the northeastern state of Manipur was triggered by churches and their influence on a certain tribal group vs. the indigenous population, mixed in with narco-trafficking by foreign groups. So Mead’s assessment about NGO restrictions was spot-on.

So were Mead's observations on communal issues in India, in the context of which he cited marriages between ( Hindu) Indian-Americans and mainstream Americans (non-Hindus) which is not a social issue in the U.S., while in India, in light of its long history (and the religious subjugation of the majority Hindu population by Islamic invaders and British colonialists for over a millennium), it is understandably a current (social engineering and demographics) concern, having already resulted in the partition of the country on religious grounds in 1947, an event that he viewed as "depressing".

Also, the 'freedom of speech' was invoked by the current administration with regard to Khalistan separatists in the U.S, one of whom made brazen threats about assassinating the Indian Prime Minister and the safety of Indian diplomats and their consulates in the U.S. In July 2023, U.S-based Khalistan separatists were hardly ‘peaceful’ in their protests when they vandalized the Indian consulate in San Francisco and set fire to it. Fortunately the fire was contained, but the perpetrators are yet to be booked. In a different scenario, the current administration cracked down firmly on pro-Palestine campus protestors, when they became not-so-peaceful.
Regarding the allegation against the Indian government over an 'attempted extra-territorial assassination', no real evidence has been furnished yet, except for a certain suspect's name supposedly linked to India's intelligence agency. The 'outing' of an intelligence agent would, in itself, be against established protocol. It may well be part of the machinations of the ultra-left/Islamist faction in the current administration. In the case of Trudeau's allegations against India, the Canadian police recently named 2 gangsters, both Indian nationals, as the assassins of an upstanding AK 47-toting Canadian "citizen"/plumber several months ago. As Jaishankar, the Indian Foreign Minister sharply commented, it reflects on the Canadian government's policy of granting visas and citizenship to individuals with criminal backgrounds, who are fugitives from the law in India..

Many of the audience questions were predictably based on leftist stereotypes about the current government in India, regarding press freedom, the so-called 'lack' of minority rights (except for a certain 'minority'/2nd largest majority, there are really no issues from actual minority groups like Jains, Buddhists, Zoroastrians/Parsees, Sikhs, Jews and others).

[Olive_Chap]

Never had i ever heard such profound speaker with ground knowledge & understanding of other side of view to touch so many topics... pranam to both speakers..

1. To air force vet.. shout out to you.. i have rarely heard any american talking about this component.. now Tejas in MK1 IAF ordered around 40.. again after 10 years ordered 83 with modern standard MK1a.. now 97 more(mk1a) been approved by IAF financial negotiation remaining with MoD & Production agency for 97.. all 220 would use GEF404 which were produced in US further 201 or more MK2 is in pipeline with F414 engine which would be produced in India(60-80% depends on TOT).. India want to build next gen Mi17 or NH90 or black hawk equivalent for that engine would be french-Indian JV 2000KW class.. this program could go hand in hand with US S92 had that been selected as India also need around 350+ such platforms.. on naval front P8Is, Sea Hawk, MH60R we are using.. EMALs we could collaborate on along with other underwater UAV..


2. The kind of closeness only increase after 2014 because our ruling part doesn't depend on Muslim votebank (which always see US as evil/imperialist/jew ally) even though modi was denied visa when he was CM after lobying by same leftist group.. modi kept his interest forward instead of legacy or personal humiliation..

3. NGOs we have problem (even during MMS or congress time) because they create roadblock in development be it raising height Sardar Sarovar Dam water of which would reach far flung areas of indigenous tribe n imrove their livelihood, stopping/delaying of DFCs which would ease traffic congestion on passenger rail track n actually emit long range trailers, metro construction in big/small cities, construction of highways in northeast, construction/expansion of highway & expressway.. what catholic organisation actually did was to conversion of indigenous people from their religion or local tradition (which are coexisting with hindu ethoes) to create rift n even provide financial n intellectual cover fire to maoist insurgent... Most important part is that Board members or people who call the shots or siphon off money are not specialist connected to cause but same set of people with one ideology or connection to political parties (marxist, maoist, leftist) who are further connected to judges, politician or media people.. they had tagline 'Government may be yours but system is ours'

4. Problem/Politics in diaspora(Sikhs, muslims, leftist or wokes) is with successionist powers in US who want to do partition of India on basis of religion.. they actually celebrate terrorist who actually did worst terrorist attack on america pre 9/11 they call them martyr (just like isis/hamas/taliban symathisers do), call for attacking indian diplomats, politician but since they are controlled by religious leaders(gurdwara, mosques, omidyar or ford group) they can actually jeopardize the relation.. India may be small in term of per capta but our will to stand with sovereignty of country at any cost is really huge.. we have our red lines..

5. Yes as our relationship grow we will have public spat due to back home political compulsions but we need to solve them based on mutual understanding n discussion not by one sided pu loc posturing..

6. Major growth where US-India or Quad could excel in providing financially viable but public good infra or frowth projects in africa.. American or western finances with their flags n Indian worker or indian technology could give run for money to BRI.. we need to focus on that..

[keshavkhanna]

Walter has been very accurate in understanding of India with many Indias within it and with different aspects and ethos. Super Impressed.

[satyamgolu]

Foreign funding of NGOs and for religious conversion is big issues. Northeastern part is no go zone. We cant allow balcanisation

[loneranger]

First time ever I saw an American trying to understand India than be a morale hypocrite.

[udaykarant]

If only other so called "India experts" has even 10% of humility/rationality that Mr.mead has, it would be great service to western audience so they can get more accurate picture of India.

[deep]

Mr. Mead made a point on "fund raising" in reference to the question on diaspora politics, saying that the US won't change its constitutional positions for India. Fair point, but in a reply to NGO funding in India, he suggested that "smart" Indians & "smart" Americans should come to a mutual understanding, i.e. negotiate it out. So American laws and constitution are sacrosanct and non-negotiable but Indian laws are to be negotiated. If India doesn't like what it sees as foreign interference, India & US should negotiate an "acceptable" level of foreign interference.

I'm sure that makes sense somewhere to Mr.Mead but not to me.

[satyamgolu]

After completion of fourth phase of election, suddenly US channels on improoved india US relation are popping up, fergetting conviniently that Indians will also forget your meddling in Indian Elections when Indians didnt forget 7th fleet😂

[AndrewLambert-wiet]

HE CANNOT NOT COMMENT ON INDIA IS NOT AN EXPERT.

[deadlyninja]

I have found American Conservative are much more open, willing to learn and helpful in working with India.

[ON-tkbp]

External funds are right to be controlled. An abuse of funds has happened. Conversations for a start.

[jatinpatel]

It is myth that American constitution is judeau christian, but colonial europeans impose themselves with this baggage, who emigrated as pilgrims unlike aliens emigrating from non white race countries. Yes, dharma and immorality are antonyms. American allies like Pakistan, Turkey, Malaysia, CCP (accepting 1-china) are trouble making elements for India. Hinduism, RSS, BJP are not church based organizations that impose on others or dogmatic traditions that Russel have or may have in his system. US should not exploit SC, ST, OBC, Dalit divide that congress (INC) uses to divide hindus and this is funded by evangelical and catholic churches. This is not productive, given you admission that you do not know anything about sanatan. Englighten yourself by learning sanatan instead of limited my way or highway type of thinking. Thank you.

[viswanathanseshadri]

Appreciate that the American guest today at least tried to lay out his side's concerns in a sober manner. I do hope the legitimate and genuine concerns also get addressed from the Indian side.
To just touch upon a few points - us not being Christian is not a legitimate point of "concern". The kind of "woke" philosophy that raises concern in the non-woke - that everything about the West is only bad, bad, bad, is actually the legacy of British imperialism and colonialism in India - everything Hindu is bad bad bad. This is the education generations of Hindus have been educated with. Hindus are pushing back against this, just as the non- woke in the West are pushing back against the bast***zation of Western culture by the woke. Why would that not be a legitimate Hindu reaction? How much does the West realise it's own (chiefly Britain's) culpability in imposing woke like ideology of Hindus?

[dhiraj]

Religious conversions by economic reasons is not charity.... conversion should be ideological.

[rexalexander]

india - u.s. get their act together then work on getting rest of world together. conflict needs to be sidelined. a world at war is an unfair and unprogessive world.

[majunair]

It’s remarkable how US politicians repeatedly picks wrong over sea’s political ideologies consistently- 1) betting on CCP inspite of Tiananmen Square massacre and opening the door to WTO 2) Beating on championing liberal ideology across globe and now aligning with Leftist and Islamists in the name of liberalism. Historically for last 75 years the biggest obstacle for India - US political relationships was always the Congress party, Nehru family leaders and its far leftist ideology. If not for Nehru and his hippocratic ideology of enforcing leftist ideology on Indians but for himself and his family he followed the feudalistic western principles. The most natural ideological pattern to capitalistic US in India was always BJP. But every US politician has tried to attack BJP’s ideology. The reason the Nuclear deal was also possible was because BJP’s Vajpayee govt was willing to take the challenge of 55 years of socialistic & leftist poisoning of Indian voters minds and the evil congress had made US off in Indian voter’s minds. Even today US media and politicians defame and openly lie/bad-mouth about Indian democracy in order to influence Indian voters and elections in favour of Congress.. these fools do not realise that the moment Congress leaders like Rahul Gandy become PM they will destroy Indian economy but more importantly they will inject the leftist poison into Indian society and may even move India closer to a sub servant relationship to CCP against US.

[ON-tkbp]

The Wall Street Journal is erroneous in his postulation and thinking. It is not the India that is in reality. A myopic perspective from the WS Journal.

[sudhakarareddyesanakula]

US could never be friend of any one. Better to maintain distance from that country.