UPA will provide a 'stable' alliance to US in South Asia: CCGA

Yoshita Singh

Chicago, May 19 (PTI) A US-based think tank has expressed
hope that the new Congress-led United Progressive Alliance
(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. PTI YAS
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