I was jsut watching Bush's speech today on CNN.

If you read ANY papers or news outlet from India the biggest story is about US-India nuke "deal" and relations.

I was anxious to hear what Bush has to say about India and the N-pact

However not once did Bush mention anything relating to India, nor any of US media care to ask him about the India N-deal.

Bush talked about all knids of subjects. Russia, Iraq, Iran, China, but no India

I am under the impression that US matter to India greatly while India is not that all/or of a little significance important to US

Isn't India a great power?

What do u want him to say? Admit that his biggest foreign policy was a failure? The best thing US should do is keep it under rugs, and since it is politically sensitive in India, its better US doesn't say anything, as it will only act as fuel to the fire.

No one likes to hear failures, US is still hoping something works out. If Bush says anything it will surely end the deal.

Are you kidding me? His biggest foreign policy is IRAQ

Why didn't any reporters ask anything about it? The last time I check, the US media usually ask about ANYTHING that is important to the US. If India was at any importance at all I think they would've say something.

I am amaze at how little coverage India get on US television. I am tire of hearing Lou Dobbs Bashing India though.

Iraq was already a disaster. What I meant was, Indo-US nuclear deal was Bush's biggest foreign policy achievement, if not the only one. Besides, as far as I am concerned, it's good that India gets no coverage in regards to Nuclear deal. Things of those nature really do not need any sort of questions. The sole reason the thing even was signed in the first place was because people in US don't care (which is really good). If this thing gets any sort of publicity, the anti-nuclear lobby will get its wish and the agreement will die.

Regarding India not getting any coverage in US, it's irrelevant at the time being. Besides any coverage India will get at this point will be negative. India still has to assert itself in global affairs and it will take 10 years or so. Worrying about India not getting media coverage is quite trivial. Its' the senators and bureaucrats that matter, and Indian lobby has so far been modestly successful in pursuing Indian interests.

They are not covering India because the general population is not interested in India beyond the outsourcing issue. Americans have always had a more East Asian orientation, unlike the British who fancied themselves as overlords of India.

Of course, this does not mean that the Americans do not have active policy considerations regarding India. These include:

1. Evangelization of the Northeast and eventual creation of an East Timor-like state in that Area (to be eventually linked with similar groups in Burma)
2. Evangelization of the South and Orissa/Chattisgarh "tribal" belts through the "Joshua Project".
3. Propping up Pakistan to bleed India dry and giving diplomatic support to Pakistan
4. Trying to push through a strict nuclear weapons inspections regime that will cripple India's defense capacity - in exchange for "access" to nuclear materials which are easily available in the open market (in this matter, the current Congress govt is actively colluding with the Americans; the CPI opposed the deal because of divergent Chinese perceptions of the deal)
5. Actively supporting Naxalite movements in Nepal and India, with the purpose of destroying Indian economic potential
6. Supporting academic attack dogs (e.g. Nussbaum) to demoralize Indians and periodically hosting resolutions against the Indian "human rights" record

I can easily go on and on but the general pattern is the same as in any other heathen Asian country. Even Vietnam had the same motivations of destroying the cultural fabric so that Western hegemony could reign supreme:

See the following book by Avro Manhattan:

You have already gave answer to your question. Russia, Iran and China are challenging American dominance in the world. Everyone is well aware about this that why media never fails to mention Iraq. Things about Russia, China, Iran, Iraq are contentious issues in the USA so media like to focus on things relating to these countries. In contrast in this changing global scenario India is seen as a friendly country so no one is even blinking an eye on the nuclear deal. Whereas even if Iran and N. Korea think about Nuclear facilities, USA considers it as a sin. I doubt even there was any mention of friendly countries like Britain, France or Japan in that media gathering with Bush.

great post. Indians would be stupid to believe anything positive will come from a close relationship with the US. They are the ones who gave pakistan nuclear weapons, its not hard to figure out why.

I've been in the US for 5 years now. I am suprised at Americans's ignorance of India culture and people. I wish the American media would dedicate more time to showing the peopel and culture of India. Indians here and back home seem to be facinated with the US, but we need to educate American about India. I hope Inidan graduates will go into journalism and help promote their motherland.

I am a news buff. Britain, France and Japan are in the press quite a bit.

Exactly, very well stated.


I am afraid but American missionaries have already achieved their goal to a great extent. There was a bomb blast during Janamastami celebrations in Manipur some months ago. Also missionary activities in Tripura is a cause of concern. The main threat are militant groups operating in the name of Christ, Nagaland is the prime example of this. It is really getting out of hand.


I am not surprised of American ignorance about India. As @Yuyutsu rightly pointed out that USA has more East Asian orientation which is very true. America has always underestimated India, even during 1971 crisis. But time and again India have continued to prove USA wrong. USA got their thinking about India from Britain. Britain have had always underestimated India right from the day of independence.

Indians are very reluctant as far as promoting their culture is concerned, apart from Indian festivals now and then, there is no concrete effort. Even journalists in India are busy promoting American culture rather than concentrating on Indian sensibilities.


Ofcourse Britain, France and Japan had already made a reputation for themselves all over the world, so they will always be in the news.

keke you're right about America's Iraq policy. Bush and co thought this would be a slam dunk. Creating an American styled democracy in the middle east is a wet dream of there's. Honestly, if the Iraq War was successful, it would've been an a great foreign policy achievement. But now you have ppl dying daily on the streets of Iraq, all of Iraq's neighbors pissed one way or the other about what's going on in there, a tremondous strain on US servicemen and their families, pissed off a lot of Muslims in the Mid East, and not to mention all the negative cultural effects it's had on the US.

With the degree of bigotry many ppl in America have of any "Muslim looking" ppl, it's actually probably for India's best interest to stay under the radar of these clowns.

As for the great power thing, instead of worrying about things far beyond it's borders I think it's in India's best interest to worry about problems in India. Things like lowering the birthrate to replacement levels, eliminating illiteracy, more economic reforms, education reforms, and preserving the positive aspects of Indian culture in the face of globalization. One thing I noticed about India is the lack of awareness/participation in high culture. India's education system is rigged to produce engineers not thinkers, parents make it worse by not encouraging their kids to read literature and instead let them glue themselves to the television. Some of our best thinkers go off to other countries because they feel unappreciated in India.

I agree. It's the best possible situation that america has no interest in India. Looked at the countries they've had an interest in. Nothing good comes from it. India shouldn't seek out any real realtionship with america, focus on our problems at home. Developing a strong infrastructure is the most urgent issue.