Seeking a stronger
relationship with India, the Republican Party platform set to be adopted
as the foreign policy plank of its presidential candidate Mitt Romney,
urges New Delhi to permit greater foreign investment and trade.
"We
welcome a stronger relationship with the world's largest democracy,
India, both economic and cultural, as well as in terms of national
security," says the platform posted on the Republican National
Committee's website ahead of the party's national convention in Tampa,
Florida.
The convention that would formally anoint Romney as the
party's presidential candidate gets underway Tuesday with its schedule
pushed back a day over concerns about the tropical storm Issac even as
it passed well west of Tampa Monday.
"We encourage India to
permit greater foreign investment and trade. We urge protection for
adherents of all India's religions," says the platform that also
praises the contributions of Indian-Americans.
"Both as
Republicans and as Americans, we note with pride the contributions to
this country that are being made by our fellow citizens of Indian
ancestry."
"We hereby affirm and declare that India is our geopolitical ally and a strategic trading partner," the party platform said.
The
Republican platform "arguably lavishes more praise on India than on any
country mentioned in the document except Israel and Taiwan", says Uri
Friedman in his blog post in influential Foreign Policy magazine.
The
passage relating to India particularly stands out when compared with
the more businesslike language employed in the 2008 Republican
platform, he says.
While the 2008 Democratic platform praised
India as a "natural strategic ally", the Republicans then simply said,
"We welcome America's new relationship with India, including the
US-India Civil Nuclear Accord."
"Our common security concerns and
shared commitment to political freedom and representative government
can be the foundation for an enduring partnership."
Reflective of
the growing political importance of Indian-Americans, the two
Indian-American governors, Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and South
Carolina's Nikki Haley were invited to be headliners at the Republican
convention.
While Jindal, who was scheduled to address the
convention Wednesday, is skipping it with Issac bearing down on his
state, Haley - born Nimrata (Nikki) Randhawa to Sikh immigrant parents
from India - is set to speak at prime time Tuesday.
In a move
aimed at providing a healing touch to the Sikh community in the
aftermath of the Wisconsin gurdwara shooting, Ishwar Singh, a Sikh
faith leader, will offer the invocation at convention Wednesday.
Noting
that only around 500,000 Indian-Americans are expected to vote
nationwide in the November election, Friedman wrote: "But what they lack
in numbers they contribute in some measure in money and activism."
"No
other ethnic group outside white, African-Americans, and Latinos -
including Chinese-American and Filipino-Americans who are numerically
larger groups than Indians - have as many political heavyweights," he
noted.
