|
| UPA will provide a 'stable' alliance to US in South Asia: CCGA |
| Yoshita Singh /PTI / Chicago May 19, 2009, 13:55 IST |
|
A US-based think tank has expressed hope that the new Congress-led UPA government in India will push economic reforms further, besides providing a "stable" alliance to the America in South Asia.
The election results in India are "important because of the impact they will have on reforms, on the ability of the government to push reforms forward, bring India back as a real driver of global growth and in its dealings with the situation in Pakistan," head of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs (CCGA) said.
Marshall Bouton, Council President, in an online interview said that over the last couple of years, the Indian government had been "hamstrung" by its alliance with Left in pushing economic reforms further.
"They (Indian government) will no longer depend on the Left parties. It is good news for all of us because India will resume its 8 or 9 per cent growth sooner rather than later as a result," Bouton said.
On the impact of the election outcome on India-US relations, Bouton said at a time when South Asia, particularly Afghanistan and Pakistan, is "arguably the most dangerous place in the world", it is in the interest of the US to have a stable government, one with which it has enjoyed positive relations over the last five years, in power in New Delhi.
"This is obviously going to be very important," chief of the international affairs body said.
The Indian government will have, as a result of these elections, a confidence, flexibility and maneuverability in its dealings with the US and in its responses to what is going on in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
"India can be a very important partner for us in Afghanistan. That however rubs against the sensitivities that the Pakistanis have about India's operations, activities and Afghanistan. So we will have to have a very thoughtful, ongoing conversation with the Indians about that and this result will help make that happen," he added.
Referring to the unstable situation in Pakistan, Bouton said the new Indian government will be able to focus on the situation in the neighbouring country and operate in a measured fashion.
"We saw how this (Indian) government responded to the Mumbai attacks and was able to react in a very measured way, despite many calls internally in the country for India to strike out militarily.
"Among other things, this result will demonstrate the Congress party did not lose credibility with the Indian voter for choosing not to go down that route," he added.
Bouton, a long time India watcher, said the election results also signal a shift in the minds of the Indian electorate, which was seen moving toward a "rewarding performance attitude", a far cry from the general "throw the bums out-anti-incumbency attitude" as is evident in most elections.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Read Business news in |  |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Advertisements |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Content Guide
