| Summary/Abstract |
So, at the end, the question really is not ‘who’s afraid of an alliance’, but ‘who needs an alliance’. Given the current geopolitical and geoeconomic dimensions involving India and the USA, Cold War type strict alliances – with clear demarcations about who’s on who’s side, and based on the idea of the existence of an ‘absolute other’ on all vectors of the relationship – may not be how it plays out. Alliances presume a threat perception and, given the nature of India-China, Sino-US, and India-US relations, and the complex interdependence that entwines them, building alliances and counter-alliances may not be the best answer to both India’s and America’s strategic needs. The way to a sustainable and stronger strategic partnership can only be built through a comprehensive and inclusive convergence aimed at progress, and through a single track strategic rationale of a threat from China’s rise. Hence, both sides need not be receptive and protective of all that each side says and does. Having said that, an initiative should not also be discarded just because it is American in origin – especially if it passes the test of interest and operational convergence. Though a constant reminder of what each country has done for the other is not a recipe for a sustainable relationship, a businesslike attitude towards why the two countries need each other, and how both could complement each other in the short, medium and long term, could be a pragmatic perspective on how to go forward together.
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