Govt’s US tilt gets party approval

The Congress on Monday endorsed the pro-US tilt in the government’s policy and acknowledged that India’s engagement with the United States has seen “a major transformation”.

The Congress on Monday endorsed the pro-US tilt in the government’s policy and acknowledged that India’s engagement with the United States has seen “a major transformation”.

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Clearly much has happened since the days the two countries viewed each other with suspicion and distrust — best exemplified perhaps by Richard Nixon sending the Seventh Fleet to the Bay of Bengal during the Indira Gandhi regime. Though there were differences in the country over the Indo-US civil nuclear deal, it has proved to be a watershed in building a closer and warmer relationship between New Delhi and Washington.

US President Barack Obama’s visit “has underscored a strong bipartisan support for elevating this strategic engagement between the two largest democracies of the world”, the party said in the resolution on foreign policy moved by Anand Sharma and seconded by Jayanthi Natarajan.

It congratulated the government in securing a firm endorsement to India’s candidature for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council and for responding to a fast changing global dynamic so that India plays a leadership role in the 21st century. It noted the visits of heads of state/governments from all P-5 countries — USA, UK, France, Russia and China.

China, Pakistan and terror expectedly figure in the document that gives an overview of India’s relations with different regions and countries.

In keeping with the government’s stand, the party said the 26/11 attack “negatively impacted” India-Pakistan relations in which a great deal had been invested over the years for the sake of peace in the region.

“Pakistan must deliver with sincerity on its assurances to dismantle the terror outfits, not to allow the use of its territory for terror attacks in India and bring to justice the perpetrators masterminds responsible for the Mumbai carnage,’’ the resolution demanded.

The AICC welcomed the intensification of ties with China at the party and government level and supported the process of political devolution in Sri Lanka.