In a significant move highlighting the growing strategic alliance between two major democracies, two United States lawmakers have introduced a bipartisan resolution recognizing and praising the deepening partnership between the US and India. The resolution emphasizes cooperation across multiple sectors, including defense, energy, and counterterrorism.
Strengthening Decades of Cooperation
Democratic Representative Ami Bera from California, who holds the distinction of being the longest-serving Indian American Member of Congress, joined forces with Republican Representative Joe Wilson of South Carolina to introduce this significant measure. The resolution, presented on Monday, November 17, underscores more than three decades of continuous effort by US administrations from Presidents Clinton, Bush, Obama, Trump, and now Biden to strengthen ties with India.
The document recognizes India's crucial role in promoting regional stability, economic growth, and a free and open Indo-Pacific. It views the bilateral relationship as having tremendous potential to benefit citizens of both nations while addressing global challenges of the 21st century.
Key Areas of Collaboration
The resolution highlights several critical areas where US-India cooperation has flourished and should continue to expand:
Counterterrorism Efforts: The measure specifically mentions the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks that killed 166 people, including citizens from both India and the United States. It also references the more recent April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 civilian lives and injured dozens, for which The Resistance Front (a proxy of Lashkar-e-Taiba) claimed responsibility.
The resolution calls for enhanced counterterrorism cooperation between the two nations, describing it as essential to protect citizens, strengthen regional stability, disrupt terrorist networks, and promote a rules-based international order. It specifically urges continued cooperation on counter-terrorism, including the swift prosecution of the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
Energy Security: Recognizing India's growing energy requirements as essential for its economic development, the resolution applauds India for increasing its purchases of American energy resources. This mutual energy cooperation enhances energy security, economic prosperity, and bilateral cooperation between the two nations.
Defense and Technology: The measure calls for continued US-India cooperation to confront 21st-century challenges ranging from cyber threats to emerging technologies. It supports both countries identifying further opportunities to deepen engagement and strengthen defense, commercial, and investment ties.
People-to-People Connections
The resolution celebrates the enduring people-to-people ties between the United States and India, strengthened significantly by the Indian American diaspora. It notes that Indian Americans have made substantial contributions across diverse fields including business, academia, science, technology, medicine, healthcare, public service, and the arts.
The document specifically references two historic events that demonstrated the strength of US-India people-to-people connections: the "Howdy, Modi!" gathering in Houston, Texas in September 2019, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Trump jointly addressed over 50,000 Indian Americans, and the "Namaste Trump" event in Ahmedabad in February 2020, which celebrated the enduring friendship between the American and Indian peoples.
This bipartisan resolution represents a significant political endorsement of the US-India relationship, recognizing it as a strategic partnership that benefits both nations while contributing to global stability and prosperity.
