Mr Zoellick’s invitation

If US will restrain EU, India should be on board

There is no doubt that the current United States government has put its best foot forward in reaching out to India by choosing US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick as the first cabinet level official of the Bush Administration to visit India. Unlike his two aggressive women predecessors, Ms Carla Hills and Ms Charlene Barshevsky, Mr Zoellick is a more scholarly and polite interlocutor. Make no mistake, however. Beneath the veneer of Harvard sophistication lies a tough and straight talker. Mr Zoellick’s public performance in New Delhi, addressing a gathering of the members of the top three chambers of commerce and industry, was a fine example of refined and plain speaking. All the politically correct things were said about India and about Indo-US relations. Having won his audience over, Mr Zoellick delivered some not so comfortable home truths. The Indian people have been part of the global community for centuries and Indians have benefited from their own globalisation, so it’s time India took a positive view of globalisation and joined the world community more enthusiastically to set new rules of global economic engagement. The only complaint against Mr Zoellick’s consummate performance can be that he exaggerated India’s isolation and US munificence.

The US has not been as understanding of our concerns as Mr Zoellick believes it to be, nor is India as isolated in demanding a more equitable global trading system. For our part, we should be candid too, say what we really feel and then get on with the job at hand rather than engage in endless debates. Mr Zoellick was honest enough to confess that only 60 per cent of WTO members were as yet on board for a new round. But, more will certainly come on board in the next few weeks. However, without a big country like India getting on board, consensus will not be possible. India’s best bet lies in strengthening the US hand to make sure that the European Union does not get its way in widening the agenda excessively for a new round. For its part, the US should reach out and take us along, which Mr Zoellick is trying to do, rather than browbeat India into resentful compliance. Since the US and India share many views and have similar concerns about EU’s intransigence and greed, the two should work closer rather than at cross purposes.