EWI board member Kanwal Sibal argues that U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates’ visit to New Delhi lacked substance but may signal an evolution of the U.S.-India relationship.

Writing in The Mail Today, Sibal, former Foreign Secretary of India, suggests that Gates’ visit was short on substance, reaching no noteworthy breakthroughs on three pending U.S.-India defense-related agreements. These agreements, Sibal argues, can give India access to considerable U.S. military technology, but at too high a price.

“The issue is not so much one of U.S. convincing India on the material and technological merits of signing these agreements,” he writes. “It is of India convincing itself of the political desirability of doing so at this point in time.”

Sibal argues that U.S. restrictions may make the deals net negatives for India. “[India] may want to calibrate the pace of the defense relationship, given the conditions attached to U.S. arms supplies, restrictive U.S. practices with regard to technology transfer and political risks of interruption of supplies in a conflict situation,” he writes.

Further, Sibal takes issue with Gates’ view of Pakistan as a victim of terrorism. “Such an analysis is quite at variance with India’s view of the issue, especially the close links between the Pakistani establishment and the [militant group Laskar-e-Taiba,]” he writes.

But Sibal supports Gates’ acknowledgement of concerns about security in the context of Chinese military modernization. “That this was said publicly on Indian soil by a US Defence Secretary is significant. At the very least the pretense of China’s peaceful rise is being punctured,” he suggests.

“Gates’ visit turned out to be, surprisigly, relatively low profile, with nothing of real substance emerging,” concludes Sibal. “Whether it signals the maturing of the relationship, in the sense that such visits should become more routine, without expectations of major announcements each time, or it signals a lowering of euphoria about the transformation of India-US ties and the relationship settling down at more realistic levels, has to be assessed.”

Click here to read Sibal's article in The Mail Today