US no longer sees India through prism of Pak: Mulford

Ajay Kaul

New Delhi, Feb 24 (PTI) The US no longer looks at India
through the "prism" of Pakistan, according to outgoing US
Ambassador to India David Mulford, who describes
"de-hyphenating of India-Pakistan obsession" as a major
accomplishment of his four-year tenure.

"One of the accomplishments has been to de-hyphenate the
India-Pak obsession that was present when I got here. We set
out to do that," he told PTI in an interview, his last as the
American envoy here.

He sought to dispel apprehensions that the Barack
Obama administration may not be as "warm" towards India as the
previous Bush government, saying the new dispensation in
Washington realises India's importance and would be
"extending" the bilateral relationship that has seen
tremendous growth over the last five years.

"The Obama administration shares the view that India is
very important country to the US. There is very high regard
for India and Indians living in the US. I think the Obama
administration is fully aware of this and will seek to extend
the relationship. I don't think there is any doubt about it,"
the outgoing envoy said.

The comments assume significance since there have been
apprehensions that the Obama administration would not be as
warm and friendly to India as the Bush regime, which went all
out to firm up the civil nuclear deal and expanded ties in
other areas.

Mulford emphasised that US-India relations should be
about India and the US and India's vision for future without
having to be "obsessed with every single issue to be looked
from the prism of Pakistan and vice versa. That would hold
India back from realising its vision."

As he looked back, he identified 2003 as the year
that marked "beginning of new phase of relationship that moved
forward" and now covers all aspects.

Mulford, whose tenure saw significant growth in Indo-US
ties marked by landmark nuclear deal, said the two countries
are in the process of creating a relationship that will become
over time "the or one of the most important relationships" the
US has in the world.

"I believe the relationship created during the last five
years will be durable, will be sustained and will not move
backwards. It will remain a pre-eminent relationship," he
underlined.

He emphasised the point that the Indo-US relations,
which had not been up to their potential for over five decades
despite "affection", have lately undergone a major shift in
terms of content. PTI AKK
PMR
NNNN