New Delhi: Putting rumours to rest in the backdrop of change of Presidentship at the United States of America, with a few Democrat supporters showing anti-India sentiments, an expert on Wednesday said the India-US relations were likely to follow the same trajectory, as they were going during the Trump presidency.
During his Presidential campaign Joe Biden had made some insensitive comments on India’s internal issues, particularly related to Jammu and Kashmir.
However Dr Srikanth Kondapalli, Professor at Centre for East Asian Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, said that early signs suggest a continuation in the US policy regarding India, despite the Democrats coming to power.
Addressing a virtual Panel Discussion on ‘Joe Biden Administration,’ he said, ‘Though during his run for the office Biden had expressed views regarding the Indo Pacific that were different from the Trump regime, during the phone call between our Defence Minister and External Affairs Minister with their counterparts in the US Indo Pacific strategy was reiterated.
‘The use of the term ‘pre eminent partner’ by Blinkin in his phone call to Dr Jaishankar also suggests that there is an element of continuity in US policy vis-a-vis India.
Prof Kondapalli said that the phone calls between high ranking officials of India and US is a good start and a stark departure from earlier times.
‘When Trump was elected, we had small phase of communication problem. When Obama was elected, we had one-and-a-half years of communication gap. During Obama’s time, we also saw Brezensky’s(Zbigniew Kazimierz Brzezinski) idea of G2 coming up with US and China dominating across the board.
‘Those words were also included in the joint statement between Obama and then Chinese Gen Secretary Hu Jintao. Compared to those previous experiences the early phone calls suggested that we have crossed the rubicon in India – US relations.”
Prof Kondapalli said that US China relations would likely to remain frosty given the current geo political environment.
“President Xi Jinping, speaking at Davos, alluded to the emergence of a new cold war between China and the US, he also mentioned about various threats that may emerge for globalization and other aspects.
The next level leader Yang Jiechi, spoke day before yesterday where he made drastic comments regarding the Trump administration saying that his policies had plunged the US- China relationship into its worst period ever and he warned his counterpart (US Sec of State Antony Blinken) not to go ahead with the Hong Kong related issues where we have seen 1000’s of people have been applying for visas to emigrate to UK, and the new security law had completely overhauled the HK related situation. The Chinese want to occupy the center stage something that was stated during the 19th CPC party Congress.”
Blinken on Monday said US, like the UK accept refugees fleeing Hong Kong amid the imposition of the new Chinese national security law that allegedly curtails several liberties of Hong Kong residents.
Prof Kondapalli felt that the serious differences between the US and China offers a host of opportunities for India and closer economic co operation between India and US would be helpful in meeting the challenge posed by China.

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to resolve the farmers’ issues and not to ‘sell the country to one per cent of population (corporates).’
Addressing a press conference, Mr Gandhi said, ‘My constant request to the Prime Minister is ‘do your job’. Your job is not to sell this country to one per cent of the population, your job is to protect the ‘kisaan’ (farmers) who are standing outside (Delhi). Go hold their hand, give them a hug and tell them ‘what is it that I can do for you’.
‘The farmers won’t retreat. The government will have to retreat and the sooner the better,” he said.
Gandhi charged the government with helping one per cent (corporate) of the population through the Union Budget.
On Republic Day violence, he said Union Home Minister Amit Shah should explain how some people stormed the Red Fort on Republic Day as Delhi Police, which were responsible for law and order situation, comes under its ambit.
Alleging that the country is lacking leadership, former Congress president said, “There is no understanding, no strategy, media is controlled and reality of what is going around is not coming to the fore.’
‘Maya (illusion) is going to break, somebody is going to break it,’ he said.
The Congress leader said, ‘The Prime Minister has basically given up, he is now on a different plane. We are going somewhere else now and the country is not being run.
It is my request to the Prime Minister that please gather up your courage and run the country,” he said.
Gandhi said that India’s image at the international level has taken a beating because of the way ‘the government was treating farmers and its own people by fortifying Delhi.’
The Gandhi scion said, ‘Indian reputation has taken a hit not only for how we are treating our farmers, but also how we treat journalists. Our biggest strength, our soft power, has been shattered by the BJP and RSS, and their mindset.’
Criticising the Union Budget, Wayanad MP said, ‘I see India is a dangerous situation. The world is in
a flux. We have an aggressive China on the border.’
On Chinese incursions at the LAC, former Congress president asked, ‘What message are you giving to China, that you will not raise defence expenditure? What would the pilots and soldiers be thinking that they are facing a crisis and the government won’t give them money?

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday released a list of 115 people lodged in different jails in connection with the Republic Day violence in order to help farmers’ delegation which approached him in relation to 29 missing ryots.
Addressing a press conference, Mr Kejriwal said, ‘We are issuing a list of 115 people who have been arrested after January 26 violence and are lodged in various Delhi jails. I hope it helps people looking for their family members who went missing after participating in Kisan Andolan on January 26.

The Chief Minister said, “I can understand the plight of family whose members have not returned home and are missing.’
The AAP chief said it is the responsibility of each government to trace the missing persons and inform their families.
‘We have collected data of people arrested by Delhi police in connection with the violence,’ Mr Kejriwal said and said that his government will help to find the farmers missing from protest sites.
“If some people are still not found, I will make all efforts to track them down,” he further said.
‘The issue of farmers missing from the protest sites is a matter of grave concern. We are trying our best to connect them to their families,’ he said.
The delegation of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, which met the Chief Minister last evening, also demanded a judicial probe into the alleged “conspiracy against the farmers’ protest” and a medical board to examine those in jail.
However, Mr Kejriwal did not comment on the demand for judicial probe into the incident.