South Asia in the State of the Union

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As you know, Dubya gave his State of the Union address on Tuesday. Here are all mentions of India and Pakistan in State of the Unions dating back to 1947*.

It’s interesting to see how the themes shift and how U.S. presidents viewed the subcontinent. Clinton, for example, injected artificial balance by only mentioning India and Pakistan together. Dubya has made electoral hay out of Pakistan and terrorism, but this year marks the first time a U.S. president has mentioned India as an economic competitor in this annual address. Carter and Johnson viewed the subcontinent primarily through the lens of poverty. Kennedy linked China’s invasion of India with the Bay of Pigs via the red scare. Eisenhower seemed to think of Pakistan as part of the Middle East.

Perhaps most tellingly, the year after Indian and Pakistani independence from the same colonial power the U.S. jilted, Truman made no mention of that momentous fissure. Maybe it made an ally look bad.

Year President Excerpt Theme
2006 Bush Jr.
In a dynamic world economy, we are seeing new competitors, like China and India, and this creates uncertainty, which makes it easier to feed people’s fears. [Link]

Outsourcing

2005 Bush Jr.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and nine other countries have captured or detained al Qaeda terrorists. [Link]
 Terrorism

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2004 Bush Jr.
Last March, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, a mastermind of September the 11th, awoke to find himself in the custody of U.S. and Pakistani authorities. [Link]
 Terrorism
2002 Bush Jr.
America is working with Russia and China and India, in ways we have never before, to achieve peace and prosperity. [Link]
 Trade
2001 Bush Jr.
Nor will we forget the citizens of 80 other nations who died with our own: dozens of Pakistanis; more than 130 Israelis; more than 250 citizens of India; men and women from El Salvador, Iran, Mexico and Japan; and hundreds of British citizens. [Link]
 9/11
2000 Clinton
We should be proud of our role in… working to defuse these crises between India and Pakistan, in defending human rights and religious freedom. [Link]
 India-Pakistan
1999 Clinton
We must increase our efforts to restrain the spread of nuclear weapons and missiles, from Korea to India and Pakistan. [Link]
 Nukes
1998 Clinton
In the months ahead, I will pursue our security strategy with old allies in Asia and Europe and new partners from Africa to India and Pakistan, from South America to China. [Link]
 Chem & bioweapons
1978 Carter
There were two moments on my recent journey which, for me, confirmed the final aims of our foreign policy and what it always must be. One was in a little village in India, where I met a people as passionately attached to their rights and liberties as we are, but whose children have a far smaller chance for good health or food or education or human fulfillment than a child born in this country. [Link]
 Poverty
1967 Johnson
In the great subcontinent of South Asia live more than a sixth of the earth’s population. Over the years we–and others–have invested very heavily in capital and food for the economic development of India and Pakistan.

We are not prepared to see our assistance wasted, however, in conflict. It must strengthen their capacity to help themselves. It must help these two nations–both our friends–to overcome poverty, to emerge as self-reliant leaders, and find terms for reconciliation and cooperation. [Link]

 Poverty, India-Pakistan
1963 Kennedy
Second, what of the developing and non-aligned nations? They were shocked by the Soviets’ sudden and secret attempt to transform Cuba into a nuclear striking base – and by Communist China’s arrogant invasion of India. They have been reassured by our prompt assistance to India… and by the improvement in our treatment of citizens and visitors whose skins do not happen to be white. And as the older colonialism recedes, and the neo-colonialism of the Communist powers stands out more starkly than ever, they realize more clearly that the issue in the world struggle is not communism versus capitalism, but coercion versus free choice. [Link]
 India-China War, communism
1956 Eisenhower
In the last year, the free world has seen major gains for the system of collective security: the accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and Western European Union of the sovereign Federal German Republic; the developing cooperation under the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty; and the formation in the Middle East of the Baghdad Pact among Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan and the United Kingdom. [Link]
 Middle East
1954 Eisenhower
Recent agreements between Turkey and Pakistan have laid a foundation for increased strength in the Middle East. [Link]
 Middle East
1953 Eisenhower
… the Chinese Communists have invaded Korea to attack the United Nations forces there. They have consistently rejected the proposals of the United Nations Command for an armistice. They recently joined with Soviet Russia in rejecting the armistice proposal sponsored in the United Nations by the Government of India. This proposal had been accepted by the United States and 53 other nations. [Link]
 Korean War
1951 Truman
Our country has always stood for freedom for the peoples of Asia… We have demonstrated it in our relations with Indonesia, India, and with China. We hope to join in restoring the people of Japan to membership in the community of free nations. [Link]
 Korean War

* Excludes Nixon for lack of searchable transcripts

16 thoughts on “South Asia in the State of the Union”

  2. In the great subcontinent of South Asia live more than a sixth of the earthÂ’s population.

    Its closer to a fifth of the world’s population now. India plus Sri Lanka: 1.1 billion Pakistan .15 billion Bangladesh .14 billion Total: 1.39 billion out of 6.5 billion – 21%

  3. (tells self she will not break out in hives b/c someone lumped India + SL together)

    Ek Chichora, to be pedantic SL has a much smaller population of 20 million, not 100 million. We’d all be stepping over each other and falling into the sea otherwise :-).. pedantic,as i said …

  5. Ek Chichora, to be pedantic SL has a much smaller population of 20 million, not 100 million. We’d all be stepping over each other and falling into the sea otherwise :-).. pedantic,as i said …

    I know. That is why I put the combined India/Sri Lanka population at 1.1 billion because India’s population is 1.08 billion.

  7. thats more than a nod to outsourcing; thats the meme that China and India will supplant the US. here’s hoping the conversation might start to happen with more earnestness from the US point of view. Is the US becoming version 1.0 to China and India’s 2.0? This is a huge question. The atmosphere around it can be jingoistic, racist, and ugly. But it could also be tremendously thoughtful and forward-looking. I think this is a huge looming question and one that is just under the surface of some of the debate on things like illegal immigration, the Danish cartoon controversy, the Iranian nuclear thing, the “clash of civilizations” meme.

    I really think a conversation on this meme would be healthy

  8. Manish,

    That quite a bit of work and thought.

    You should be given a Master’s degree in Political Science (with South Asia emphasis).

    I gather India/ Pakistan never got mentioned between 1978-98 (for 20 years).

    PS: The biggest change (2002 onwards) in perception has been business, cash flow and damage control – food, dance, and music has limited mojo, I guess.

  9. Wow, Manish, this is a excellent compilation. If its alright, I would like to use this as a handout in my Poli Sci tutorials 🙂 My students will love this – thank you.

  10. Wow!!! REally great compilation, Manish!

    In 2006 the American administratio looks at India as an up and coming power and a future rival, while the absolutely stupid administration of India, invites Saudi Arabia on the day it celebrates becoming a democratic republic. I hope the “secular” administration knows that Saudi Arabia is a repressive monarchy. Inviting the Monarch who might have helped fund people who attacked India’s parliament (Its base of democracy) is pandering of the worst kind and extreme short sighted-ness. Iran’s president should have been a better choice. They do have voting there and have a democracy of sorts.

    I dont think Indian administation sees itself as a future rival of the US.

    (end rant)

  11. wow! great work. in a way, it’s also a very telling story of the things about india and pakistan that have registered in the american mind- the pesky non-aligned stuff, the chinese invasion of india, pakistan’s treaty with US, both countries’ poverty and, after the mid-90s, the Bomb, terrorism and outsourcing.

  16. Great compilation, Manish.

    Anyone want to speculate on the next few?

    Year President Excerpt Theme

    2007 Bush …and we will work with India to make cheaper Trade medicines available for the whole world….

    2009 Cain …but we will not sit idly while India uses Trade its skewed trade balance in World bodies…

    2013 Cain …and the impending breakup of Pakistan is Politics not in the best interests of the US….

    2014 Cain …the new world order where India’s expansion Politics/Trade in the East is not necessarily bad for America

    M. Nam