Fear lurks in bonhomie

Prime minister Manmohan Singh seems to have made an effortless transition from George W Bush to president Barack Obama. Indian officials are upbeat about the Obama-Singh exchange and hope that the new administration will continue the India-US love-affair.

Yet, there are concerns about Washington going out of its way to accommodate Pakistan in its efforts to get the military and the ISI to crack down on al-Qaeda and Taliban. The fact that Richard Holbrooke, US envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, was a member of the Asia Society Task Force which is airing such views has made many in the Indian establishment uncomfortable.

The fear in South Block is that  the Obama administration will go back to the old US habit of siding with Pakistan and turning a deaf ear to India. The problem is that India is facing an election and until a new government is in place in New Delhi there is little time for such fears.

The fears, however, may be exaggerated. The Americans are aware of the AQ Khan network and the non proliferation lobby in the US would be up in arms against such a move. But the next government will have to take up these issues with the Obama administration.

But in London last week, Obama and Singh feted each other. The prime minister praised Obama’s leadership that has given hope to the world. “For young people in diverse lands, you are a role model,” he said. Singh added a personal touch by saying that his daughter had come to him with a request before he came to London. “She brought a book of yours and said ‘I would cherish it if you could persuade president Obama to autograph this book’. And you were gracious enough to do that,” Singh told Obama.

Obama pleased Singh by saying: “The United States sees India as a global power and a critical partner in dealing with the challenges of the 21st century. Much of the growth and rise of India can be attributed to the wisdom of its prime minister, who helped to unleash the economic power of India, and is now guiding it to a host of challenges and opportunities.”

Obama’s charm offensive worked even with dour bureaucrats, one of whom privately said: “He floored everybody with his warmth and charisma.”

Yet, there is no backing away from the fact that the US is keen that India and Pakistan resume talks. The prime minister made it clear that New Delhi never shied away from a dialogue with Pakistan. But Islamabad must crack down on its terror infrastructure.

And with elections round the corner, there is no way the Congress will agree to resumption of dialogues, as doing so would make the party vulnerable to criticism from the BJP, which has already accused it of being soft on terror.