Detrimental For U.S. to Look To Punish India: Think Tank

WASHINGTON: It would be detrimental for the U.S. to look to punish India for policymaking decisions at a time when the world's largest democracy is electing a new government, a top American think-tank has said.

"Judging by the anti-India sentiments prevalent inside the Beltway, the U.S. is on the verge of making a distinctly bad first impression to the new Indian government," Richard Rossow, who holds the Wadhwani Chair in U.S.-India Policy Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies said.

"Policymakers in some instances have less flexibility in initiating reviews or guiding outcomes. But in instances where we have flexibility, it is not in the U.S. interest to continue looking to punish India for policymaking decisions at a time those policymakers are leaving office," he cautioned the Obama Administration.

Rossow called on the U.S. to be prepared to engage with India on some "forward-looking" economic issues, so that the bilateral agenda is not completely saturated with complaints. Irrespective of who wins, there will be a dramatic leadership change, he said.

"Clearly with a BJP-led coalition, we will deal with an entirely new set of leaders. Even if Congress manages to surprise pundits and pull out a win, Prime Minister (Manmohan) Singh and Finance Minister (P) Chidambaram will not figure in the Cabinet. Economic policymaking will be left to a new team, and new areas for bilateral economic cooperation will surely emerge," he noted.

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