India’s freedom movement had drawn much inspiration from the colonial History of US. President F.D. Roosevelt’s positive contribution to the 1942 Cripps Mission negotiations to help India proceed on the road to independence received a positive and grateful response from the Indian leaders. Pandit Nehru identified a number of positive factors that favoured the growth of Indo US relations during his visits to US.

Because of this historical background and shared democratic values of both countries, they acquired a pattern of good and positive relationalship. Both nations have a common faith in democratic institutions and way of life and are dedicated to the cause of peace and freedom.

1. Economic Relations: After India’s Independence, US extended its economic aid under Truman’s Four Point Program of 1950, consisting of American technical skills, knowledge and investment capital. It provided wheat loan to India to mangage the famine in some parts of the country in 1951.

The major aid has been in the shape of surplus commodity assistance provided under Public Law 480 (PL 480) in 1956, that was repayable in rupees. Under the supervision of United States Agency for International Development (USAID), it gave development loans. With these aids and support, US topped the list of countries that gave economic aid to India.

In the recent years India has decided to liberalize its economy and integrate it with the global economy. India’s impressive economic growth rates have made the country an attractive economic partner for US. In the post cold war era, both countries find themselves closer and committed to extend their economic co-operation in other fileds. The Indian economy had close ties with US and its companies. US absorbed much of India’s total exports in the software sector and extended job opportunities to lakhs of Indians in its silicon valley.

2. Military Relations: After the II World War US built many military alliances (NATO, ANZUS, SEATO, Baghdad Pact, and CENTO). As the leader of western bloc, it expects newly liberated countries which are not aligned with any of these military alliances, not to oppose US in any organization including UN. India keeping away from the military alliances, its principled support to the liberation movements and crusade against apartheid, racism and racial discrimination were interpreted by US as unfriendly acts.

Obviously, it led to misunderstanding between India and US relations. The US military support to Pakistan its military ally in 1954, created apprehensions in India regarding regional military balance and it widened the gap between India and Pakistan. When the liberation struggle was going on in Goa, the US supported Portuguese claims to keep Portugal as its ally in NATO, but victory of India was interpreted by US as ‘hypocrisy’ and ‘hollow moralist’.

As its global strategy to curb Communism, U S responded positively with military assitance to India in 1962 Indo-Chjna war. But it acted against India in Indo-Pak conflict in 1965 and Indo- Pak war on Bangladesh in 1971. The US has military bases in the Indian ocean in the Island called Diego Garcia.

India has opposed to these bases, because these can threaten any of the states which are on the banks of the Indian Ocean. Inspite of Indian protest, US has not taken off the bases from the Island. By minimizing our misunderstandings and by better appreciaiton of each other, there is a need to work out a pattern of mutually beneficial relationalship with the US.

3. Socio-cultural Relations: India and US have close socio-cultural relations, e.g. Ford Foundation grants aid for scientific, technical, educational and cultural activities. The co-operation in the field of cultural exchange scientific and educational interaction and the large number of people of Indian origin living in the US all these hold potential for a greater co-operation. Thousands of Indian scholars acquired their advanced knowledge from the educational insitutions of US.