US presidential election: Uncertain outcome but near certain US-India ties

It is important for India to keep track of the alternative media in the US. A large section of the American public turns to this media for news and views.

- CHINTAMANI MAHAPATRA

The Kalinga Institute of Indo-Pacific Studies (KIIPS) organized a roundtable discussion on Indo-US relations amidst the current US presidential election campaigns, at the prestigious India International Centre to examine whether it would at all matter for India if the next occupant of Oval Office in the White House is a Republican President or a Democratic President.

Every fourth year the American voters elect a President who could be the incumbent or a new candidate and the Indian public discuss whether a Republican President is good for India or a Democrat. The experts from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Center for Airpower Studies, Indian Council of World Affairs, Observer Research Foundation, The Sunday Guardian, TERI and KIIPS held three-hour long deliberations and gave various perspectives on a range of issues, including nuclear issues—civil and military, defence and security, science and technology, role of media, geopolitical factors, trade and investment and made valuable observations.

First of all, examining the current and future trajectory of Indo-US relations made this roundtable eminently relevant and significant. The political scene in the US has been frequently changing in the current presidential year and the latest developments encompass an assassination attempt to kill former President Donald Trump and the nominee of the Republican Party for the presidential race and the uncertainty surrounding the nominee of the Democratic Party due to lacklustre performance of President Joe Biden in the debate with his competitor and his health conditions.