Pakistan's future worries both India, US

NEW DELHI: The geopolitical significance of an India-US entente could not be more evident as Obama touched down on Sunday morning to be greeted by Narendra Modi.

With the two nations armed with a sense of 'exceptionalism', convergences in their strategic outlook have more often been the stuff of thinktank discourse than executive action.

The prevailing global environment brings the two to a state of greater strategic interoperability. The AfPak region has always been most difficult.

Both countries recognize the dangers Pakistan-sponsored terror poses to itself, the region and the world. But neither India nor the US has trusted each other enough to have that no-holds-barred dialogue yet.

The US has over the years moved closer to India's position on Pakistan. Since 2008, US banned many groups via the UN and through its treasury department. Intelligence sharing has been better. India no longer froths at the mouth at Washington's engagement imperative with Pakistan.

The two countries now look at deeper engagement to secure Afghanistan, contain the damage Pakistan is doing to itself and the threat of terrorism. The real Obama-Modi conversation will involve Pakistan's future. India is worried about growing Chinese activities in Pakistan and PoK and will seek US expertise in managing the two-front threat.

The US discussion that it needs to engage India to balance China is greeted with skepticism in New Delhi. India believes its own growth would be a natural balancing factor. India, like the US, wants to build a more comprehensive engagement with China, while building its relationship with nations on China's periphery.

Despite the obvious military component, India has maintained primacy of commerce in its investment in the South China Sea oil blocks. To that extent, both sides will need to work together to place India into Asian trading arrangements like Apec and TTP.

That'll involve heavy lifting by India domestically, but as India grows and China becomes more of an expansionist power, India's "Act East" policy will become an essential part of the US "rebalance".