Hindustan Surkhiyan Desk: Former US President George H W Bush, who passed away on Saturday, had left a lasting impression in the world for his contributions to the history. He had his share of influence in the history of both Indian and Pakistani democracies:
Here is looking at why India should remember Bush:
Strong supporter of Indian democracy: Bush was a strong supporter of Indian democracy and talked about dealing with Indian government with respect and quality. It was under his administration that India and the US signed the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA). At a time, India was undergoing through a phase of political uncertainty-had four prime ministers during one term presidency (January 20, 1989 to January 20, 1993) – he expressed his full faith in Indian democracy.
Peaceful Indo-Pak relations: He vocally supported peaceful relations between India-Pakistan.
Personal terms with Rajiv Gandhi: Former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination during an election rally in Tamil Nadu in May 1991 was a personal loss to him. “Barbara and I have had a friendship, a real friendship, with Rajiv Gandhi and his wife, and it’s on a personal basis I mourn the loss,” he told reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on May 21, 1991.
His obituary after Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination: A few days later he drove to the Indian Embassy in Washington DC to sign the condolence book. “India’s democracy is strong, steadfast, and it has the full support of our country. It always has, and it always will. And this is a terrible tragedy. It tests the souls of India, and it tryst the hearts of all of us. But I fear not for India’s democracy,he told reporters at the Indian Embassy on May 24, 1991.
India-US Convention on Taxation: It was under during his administration that the India-US Convention on Taxation was signed. “The convention would be the first tax treaty between the US and India. It includes special provisions that take into account India’s status as a developing nation and that reflect changes in US tax treaty policy resulting from the Tax Reform Act of 1986,” Bush said in a letter to the Senate seeking its Congressional ratification.
Computers in India: In May 1990, he decided against intervening in the possible acquisition by CMC Limited, a firm owned by the Government of India, of UniSoft Group Ltd. (UGL), a British computer software firm with a subsidiary in the US. He also approved sale of some of the high-tech computers to India at that time.
Admirer of Mahatma Gandhi: Bush was also a great admirer of Mahatma Gandhi and he quoted him quite often during his interaction with school and college students. At some places he narrated some of the stories of Mahatma Gandhi to prove his point.
Bush and Pakistan:
He however, tended to ignore nuclear proliferation concerns of the international community with regard to Pakistan and echoed Islamabad on Indian peaceful nuclear activities.
At a White House press conference with the then Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, Bush said the two leaders discussed and reviewed their efforts to enhance stability in South Asia. “I expressed our strong support for Pakistan’s efforts, and India’s as well, to improve relations, and stressed the critical importance of avoiding a regional nuclear arms race in the subcontinent,” he said on June 6, 1989. “And she assured me that Pakistan’s nuclear programme is committed to peaceful purposes…,” Bush said.
At a luncheon with White House reporters he referred to Pakistan’s concerns on India’s nuclear proliferation. “The US held talks separately with India and Pakistan in the hope of stemming a nuclear arms race in South Asia,” he told the Congress in a letter on January 19, 1993, a day before he was succeeded by Bill Clinton as the 42nd president of the US.
(with inputs from PTI)
