RN Also Engaged India

November 24, 2009 by Jonathan Movroydis | Filed Under Barack Obama, Richard Nixon 

President Obama welcomed Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the White House today. Singh will join President Obama for his first State Dinner since taking the reigns of the Oval Office.

President Obama welcomed Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the White House today. Singh will also dine at the White House tonight, marking the President’s first state dinner since taking office in January.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the two spoke for over two hours in the Oval Office about reinforcing cooperation on counter-terrorism and intelligence efforts, and strengthening economic ties between the United States and India.

Obama called the diplomatic bonds between the two nations as “one of the defining relationships” of the 21st Century.

The importance of this strategic relationship is currently demonstrating itself in our efforts in Afghanistan:

In addition to their military efforts to secure Afghanistan, the United States and NATO have struggled to ramp up economic assistance–the “build” part of counterinsurgency. Unfamiliar cultures and languages and harsh conditions have constrained Western capacity on the ground. As a practical matter, American NGOs have not been able to function outside major population centers in Afghanistan for two decades. Outsourcing to Beltway contractors is not cost-effective, and NATO has been unwilling or unable to help fill the gap.

But India has demonstrated unique and effective capabilities that will make a big difference in Afghanistan. With its historic ties and cultural affinity to the country, India has already provided impressive civilian assistance. It is the fifth-largest bilateral donor to Afghanistan. India’s $1.2 billion contribution to date has supported projects in power, medicine, agriculture and education. Afghanistan’s new parliament meets in a building constructed by India. Indian engineers built a port-access road in violent southern Afghanistan, and India has trained Afghan civil servants, demonstrating an Indian comparative advantage on the ground.

At The Daily Beast today, the Hoover Institute’s Turku Varadarajan couldn’t agree more:

It doesn’t take a genius to recognize the political, strategic, and moral worth to America, the world’s most powerful democracy, of a strong alliance with India, the world’s largest. Mr. Obama, by no stretch a man of tepid intelligence, has calibrated things artfully: Not only is Mr. Singh the first state visitor to Washington since the president took office in January, his trip is the first time that India has headed an American president’s list for a state visit—ever. (Richard Nixon must be turning in his grave.)

Would RN really be turning in his grave? On November 4, 1971 he welcomed then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to the White House and invited her — to of all things — a State Dinner.

RN’s approach to Gandhi was neither contemptuous or motivated by anti-Indian attitudes. Just like President Obama, he saw India as a critical player and a partner in peace.

RN recalled that his meeting with Gandhi couldn’t have come at a more critical time as nearly 10 million refugees were fleeing from Pakistan to India. Stability on the Indo-Pakistan border was threatened after a separatist movement in East Pakistan had fomented rebellion against the Yahya Khan government.

Tasking himself with the burden of reducing regional tensions and abating Soviet maneuvering , RN urged Prime Minister Khan not to intensify the conflict. During the White House meeting he asked Gandhi not to intervene in Pakistan. She responded by telling RN that her goal was stability at all costs, not to cripple or destroy Pakistan.

Gandhi went back on her word.

With Soviet aid, the Indian Army invaded East Pakistan, and later had designs to invade West Pakistan.

In December, East Pakistan declared its independence, establishing The People’s Republic of Bangladesh. Through hard headed negotiations with the Soviet Union, RN prevented the fall of West Pakistan.

RN pictured with then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during her visit to Washington in November 1971. RN also hosted her at a  State Dinner.

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