U.S., India Have Much in Common

Today, when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visits the White House, he will face the diplomatic challenge of his lifetime. Seeking reaffirmation of the warm relations that began with Bill Clinton and saw an upsurge during the times of George W Bush will be a Himalayan task to accomplish. Especially after President Barack Obama's China visit during which he acquiesced to Beijing's hegemonic ambitions in Asia. But what better way to warm up the dinner conversation than to avow the shared values about which Obama reminded his stone-deaf Chinese audience: "These core principles, freedoms of expression and worship, of access to information and political participation, we believe are universal rights." And who could better embody these universal values than a Sikh gentleman politician from India!