India awaits Eric Garcetti to join as US ambassador with hopes and concerns

He vowed during his confirmation hearing to double down efforts to strengthen India’s capacity to secure its border, defend its sovereignty and deter aggression.

Appointment of ambassadors is a routine matter for any host country but it is not so in the case of Eric Garcetti. His confirmation was dogged by allegations in the US over his inaction for overlooking sexual assault by his top aide and in India, for his warped views on how he is going to address issues of human rights and minority discrimination. A former mayor of California of Mexican-Jewish origin and a diehard democrat, he had President Biden's unqualified trust throughout his 20-months' wait for getting the job. Biden possibly considered him the best bet for stepping up strategic partnership with India which is a member of the Quadrilateral security dialogue along with Japan, Australia and the US and a part of the US-led Indo-Pacific Economic framework. Though PM Modi had struck a personal relationship with the President and bilateral and multilateral dialogues were already in overdrive, Eric's proximity to the white house was expected to take the relationship a notch higher.

The choice seemed appropriate. Eric had studied Hindi in college and worked closely as a mayor with Indians on everything from energy to ports, to culture and urbanisation. He vowed during his confirmation hearing 'to double down efforts to strengthen India's capacity to secure its border, defend its sovereignty and deter aggression,' hinting at increased military cooperation under his tenure. US officials have since declared that they accept MacMahon line as international boundary between India and China and Arunachal Pradesh as an inalienable part of India. No wonder, Democratic party-leaning Indian American leaders were euphoric that since Eric understood how to carry along all stakeholders, 'the US-India partnership, the most significant relationship of the 21st century, would take a quantum leap'. Indian government was also quick to welcome his appointment at a time when PM's state visit to US starts from June 21 and President Biden arrives in India to attend G20 summit in September.

However, Eric's left-liberal observations made during his confirmation hearing have not gone down well either with the Indian social media, or with nationalists and security experts. He said he would raise the issue of Indian purchase of Russian S-400 air defence missile system, support efforts to strengthen democracy (reference is to George Soros-funded Freedom House's downgrading India from free to partly free) and 'make the human rights issue and discrimination against minorities the core of his engagement with India.' Going a step further, he added that 'there are groups that are actively fighting for human rights of people on the ground in India and they will get direct engagement from me.' (Reminiscent of Hurriyat leaders' free access to Pak High Commissioner.) On CAA, his response was even more incendiary. He said, 'he would bring up discrimination against Muslims via Citizenship Amendment Act as a core piece of his engagement rather than as an obligation.'

Any initiative that Eric takes to pursue these objectives will surely not be welcome and could turn the current bonhomie into spite against the US. Encouraging civil activists and so-called discriminated Muslims to have direct access to him will be construed as direct interference in India's internal matters and an attempt to destabilize India. In case, these groups are found to be creating social disorder, he will be suspected of conniving with them to manipulate 2024 elections. The social media is agog with speculation that he is coming actually to mobilize pliant individuals and institutions to defeat Modi. His views on CAA have evoked the sharpest reaction calling his understanding of CAA as zero and a proof that like most Americans, he knows nothing beyond the street he lives in. However, the pragmatic Indians want to wait and watch how Eric Garcetti acts and what kind of response he receives from the Indian establishment. They are confident that Eric like the Prince Charming of Congress will surely have a taste of Modi should he chooses to ignore the ground realities.

(Amar Bhushan worked with the Research and Analysis Wing for 24 years after briefly serving in the BSF intelligence, State Special Branch and Intelligence Bureau. He served as the Special Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat before he retired in 2005.)

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