India had not recovered from the pain of the wounds received in the war with China in 1962 that another enemy Pakistan attacked in 1965. This was not the only misfortune of India. At the same time, severe famine had also come as a big challenge. India, which had been facing slavery for centuries, after getting independence, still had many exams to give. At the time of the 1965 war, the Prime Minister of the country was Lal Bahadur Shastri. Pakistan felt that a lanky man and a soft spoken leader would surrender immediately. Shattered by pride on the strength of American tanks, Pakistan never thought that the Indian army would reach Lahore.
In fact, the breakdown of Patton tanks in 1965 was also a shattering of American pride which it had given to Pakistan’s army. India, which had driven out Pakistan in the war, had to face the American crossfire. An order came from the American President to stop the war, otherwise the supply of wheat would be stopped.
This threat of America to India got stung. Lal Bahadur Shastri rejected this threat. In 1965, on the day of Dussehra, Shastri held a rally at Ramlila Maidan. In this rally, the slogan ‘Jai Jawan-Jai Kisan’ was given, along with this, Lal Bahadur Shastri also appealed to the public to give up one time meal. He himself did not even start eating one meal.
While Indians were raising slogans of ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan’, the scientists of Pusa Institute were preparing a consignment of seeds to overcome the shortage of food grains.
This slogan became so powerful that by 1968, the wave of Green Revolution ran across the country. India turned into a country where grains piled up and grains were stored in colleges, schools and cinema houses.
Today India has become a fast emerging country in the world economy. India’s GDP is expected to overtake Japan and Germany by 2028. India has become the seventh largest exporting country in the world. Prime Minister Narendra Modi India’s infrastructure has increased manifold under his leadership. A poor country with a better economy has made its identity on the basis of science, diplomacy and political courage, and today this country is on the way to become an important strategic partner of a personality like America.
Indo-US friendship
Both the countries have achieved independence by fighting against the colonial governments. As an independent nation, both the countries adopted the democratic system of governance, but in the field of economic and global relations, both India and America had different views. Because of this, there was no progress in the relations between the two countries for a long time. The last few years were the years of growing closer between India and America.
International relations between modern India and America started in 1949 during the time of American President Henry Truman. This was the period when America was following capitalist ideology. At that time Nehru’s ideology was socialist. As a result, the relationship between India and America remained just a formality.
1954 – America along with Pakistan established an organization called ‘Sento’, India did not like this thing. India strengthened relations with Soviet Russia. Under the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru, India refused to cooperate with the US in the Cold War against the Soviet Union.
In the year 1961, he made India a part of the Non-Aligned Movement which was a group of neutral developing countries. Meanwhile, India talked about keeping itself away from the Cold War. After this, in the 1971 India-Pakistan war, America directly tried to support Pakistan. India won this battle, then America felt that India is a big power in South Asia. He wanted to strengthen relations with India.
Soviet Russia broke up in 1991. After this, relations between India and America started improving. There were many ups and downs in the relations between India and America. In the 90s, India was becoming an emerging economy. In 1998, India conducted a nuclear test, then America openly opposed it. The then US President Bill Clinton had threatened to end all relations with India. But after the 9/11 terrorist attack, American’s eyes were also opened. Then he realized the pain of terrorism which India was facing for years.
On the other hand, China is also emerging as a big challenge in Asia and America felt the need of India to face it.
India-America, the story from deteriorating to improving
In the year 1974, India conducted a successful nuclear test under the leadership of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. This shocked the whole world including America. Till that time only the permanent members of the United Nations, except India, had conducted this kind of nuclear test. After this, America imposed many restrictions on India. America completely stopped the nuclear material and fuel supply. This spoiled the relations between India and America.
Pokhran nuclear was successfully tested on 18 May 1974 and there was a panic in both India’s neighboring countries China and Pakistan. This was the time when many restrictions were imposed on India, but the image of India started getting better at the international level. International relations between India and America continued in a normal way but the bitterness did not end. But as India’s economy improved, America itself removed the sourness. Understand its full timeline below:
January 1, 1978: President Carter visits India
US President Jimmy Carter arrived in India on a three-day official visit to meet Indian President Neelam Sanjiva Reddy and Prime Minister Morarji Desai and address the Parliament.
March 10, 1978: US enacted the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act
The Carter administration enacted the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act, which required countries that had not joined the Non-Proliferation Treaty to allow inspections of all nuclear facilities. India refused, and the US ended all nuclear aid to India.
July 28, 1982: Relations improved after Indira Gandhi’s visit to America.
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi met President Ronald Reagan during a state visit to improve strained relations between the two countries. In his speech at the White House, Gandhi mentioned the differences between America and India and talked about removing them. America kept silence on this matter for two whole years. Two years later, Vice President George HW Bush made a high-level visit to India.
Pokhran – 2 May 1998
In 1998, the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee conducted the second nuclear test in Pokhran. After this test, except Israel, the whole world stood up against India and many countries including America also imposed economic sanctions on India. America had also called back its ambassador from India. After this, for some time the relations between the two countries went through a very bad phase.
March 3, 1999: Clash between India and Pakistan in Kashmir
Pakistani army infiltrated Indian-administered Kashmir. India in turn launched airstrikes, and the armed conflict continued until early July. President Clinton called Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for an emergency meeting on July 4. After this, Sharif called back the Pakistani forces from the Line of Control.
March 20, 2000: Clinton visits India
President Bill Clinton visited India as the first US President since 1978. The visit marked the end of isolation following the 1998 Indian nuclear weapons tests. A Science and Technology Forum was also established during the Indo-US visit. As India’s economy started progressing, America-India relations started improving.
22 September 2001: America removed the sanctions on India
President George W. Bush lifted all US sanctions imposed on India after the 1998 nuclear test. Most of the economic sanctions were eased within a few months of their implementation.
6 September 2008: Atomic energy regulator allowed Indian nuclear business
The atomic energy regulator allowed India to engage in nuclear trade for the first time in three decades. According to experts, this deal proved to be very important for India’s economic growth and to meet the increasing demands of energy. Relations between India and America improved a lot during the time of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
In the year 2002, Atal Bihari Vajpayee addressed the joint session of America and laid the foundation of new relations between India and America. Relations between India and America improved a lot during the time of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. In 2008, the civil nuclear deal between India and America further strengthened the relationship between India and America.
Indo-US relations in the Joe Biden administration
Joe Biden is the 46th President of America and Kamala Devi Harris was made the country’s first woman and the first Indian and African-American Vice President. Biden and Harris took the oath of office on January 20, 2021. There are many factors that affect the US economy, its health and the policy choices of its government in India as well.
On September 24, 2021, Prime Minister Modi met the President of the United States of America, Joseph R. Had met with Biden for the first time. The two leaders reviewed the Indo-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and the potential to further strengthen bilateral cooperation.
The Paris Climate Agreement is an example of this. Biden promised to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement. This agreement can help countries like India to deal with huge challenges, both technical and financial.
On 27 October 2020, India and the United States signed the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement – BECA. It was signed during the third round of 2+2 talks.
BECA stands for Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement. It is an agreement on geospatial cooperation between the Ministry of Defense of the Government of India and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency of the US Department of Defense. It will enable both the countries to share military information and strengthen their defense partnership.
From business to investment, the impact of the US government on India
Economic Relations: There was a slight decrease in trade between India and America since 2017-18. India’s trade with the US has recovered under the Biden administration.
Trade Surplus: India has always had a trade surplus (more exports than imports) with America. The trade surplus has increased from US$ 5.2 billion in 2001-02 to US$ 17.3 billion in 2019-20. The trade surplus had reached $21.2 billion in 2017-18.
India exported goods worth USD 53 billion to the US in 2019-20.
Investment : The US is the fifth largest source of foreign direct investment in India. The US also accounts for one-third of all foreign portfolio investment in India.
H1-B Visa Issue: How a US President views the H1-B visa issue has a greater impact on Indian youth than in any other country. President Trump reduced the visa regime, citing his policy of “America First”. Due to this, India had to suffer the most.
A look at the important visits between India and America in the recent past
- In February 2020, US President Donald Trump visited India. This was Trump’s first visit to India. In this visit, both the countries mainly talked about increasing bilateral relations in strategic relations and defense significantly.
- PM Modi visited Houston in September 2019. He addressed 50 thousand American-Indians at Houston NRG Stadium. He started the Tiger Triumph exercise with President Trump. Its purpose was to increase military cooperation.
- In July 2009, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited India. During this a “strategic dialogue” was started. The first round of the Strategic Dialogue was held in June 2010 in Washington DC. After this, the second round was held in July 2011 in New Delhi. The External Affairs Minister led the Indian delegation for the talks.
- The US Secretary of State led the talks from the US side. The third meeting of the Strategic Dialogue took place in June 2012 in Washington.
Why is America improving relations with India? Both sides agree that US-India defense technology has not yet achieved its goals. Both countries want mutual cooperation. India has always been emphasizing on indigenous defense technology.
After independence, Russia emerged as a partner of India. Due to which a deadlock arose between America and India. Somewhere America has a fear that Russia’s support to India may pose a threat to it among other Asian countries. America has considered India as a powerful Asian country since the beginning. Recently, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov praised India’s independent foreign policy.
