India and the United States: Estranged Democracies, 1941-1991

by Dennis Kux

An analysis of the entire five-decade relationship between the U.S. & India, including Indias close ties with the former Soviet Union. Describes major issues, events, & personalities that have influenced India-U.S. relationships from the Roosevelt Administration through the Bush Administration. 8 maps & photos. Bibliography. Index.

Genres: India

515 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Vik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Few months ago, I wrote an article on Indian diplomacy to suggest that India must look towards West (United States)because it has beautiful culture of free speech and individual liberty. However this book has changed my opinion (not diametrically), India is better off with policy of non alignment (perhaps slight inclination towards US but under no circumstances at the expense of friendship with Soviet). This book reflects diplomatic relations are conducted in a very pragmatic fashion, a free country at home may not support freedom or justice outside.

Leon Trotsky, hero of Russian Revolution, in his book 'Revolution Betrayed' once wrote that if he had to begin all over again, he may do this or that differently but he would never change the main approach. I cannot find better words to describe Jawaharlal Nehru's Non-Aligned Movement.

If India is globally independent and not a strumpet of United States (like Pakistan whose army and nuclear weapons are wholly parasitic on American patronage of $3 billion a year but still disgracefully hates them) or a Communist slave of Russia. It is only because of the extraordinary genius of Nehru who had the capacity of original thinking and courage to follow through.

United States helped India during the war of 1962 and Soviet stood firm as a friend during the war of 1971 is a good example why we must not surrender our global independence.

American Ambassador Chester Bowles is an unsung hero of Indo-US diplomacy. His contribution should be more widely known than it is now.


To me, there is no greater compliment to life than reading a book that makes me feed on my ignorance to motivate me to change my own opinion- Estranged Democracies is one of those finest books that left a deep impression on my mind.

[Aarish Khan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many would believe that India and the U.S. have cozied up to each other relatively recently with a strategic rethink in Washington and opening up in New Delhi. Reading Estranged Democracies, one gets a feeling that this is not the case. Reading through the history of India-U.S. relations since Indian independence up to the end of Cold War, one gets the impression that both the countries wanted to develop a partnership from the very start but somehow could not work it out because of the U.S. obsession with communism and its outcome in the form of military support to Pakistan and India idealism under Nehru and the independence of its foreign policy under Nehru as well as his successors like Indira Gandhi. After reading this book, one gets a feeling that India-U.S. relations have finally reached their desired culmination on both sides with the current high in the relations between the two countries. While this might not be good news from Pakistan, it seems quite obvious after reading the book that for the U.S. India was more important as a state than Pakistan right from the word go. What kept them apart was not that the U.S. considered Pakistan more important but that Pakistan was more pliable than India—something that might hold true even today.