Mr Speaker, Mr Vice President,
distinguished members of the US Congress, ladies
and gentlemen
I deem it a privilege to be invited to address
this Joint Session of the US Congress. I thank
you for the invitation. I bring you the greetings
and good wishes of the people of India.
India and the United States have much in common
that is very important to both countries. You
are the world's oldest democracy, we are its
largest. Our shared commitment to democratic
values and processes has been a bond that has
helped us transcend differences.
July 19, 2005 : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
addresses
a joint meeting of the US Congress at the US
Capitol. US Vice
President Dick Cheney and Speaker of the House
Dennis Hastert
We admire the creativity and enterprise of
the American people, the excellence of your
institutions of learning, the openness of the
economy, and your ready embrace of diversity.
These have attracted the brightest young minds
from India, creating a bridge of understanding
that transcends both distance and difference
between us.
In addition to the values we share as democracies,
there is also a convergence in our perceptions
of a rapidly transforming global environment,
bringing us much closer together than at any
time in the past.
Globalization has made the world so inter-dependent
that none of us can ignore what happens elsewhere.
Peace and prosperity are more indivisible than
ever before in human history. As democracies,
we must work together to create a world in which
democracies can flourish.
This is particularly important because we are
today faced with new threats such as terrorism,
to which democracies are particularly vulnerable.
Indian democracy has been fashioned around
India's civilizational ethos which celebrates
diversity. Our society today is the culmination
of centuries of assimilation of diverse peoples
and ethnic groups. All the major religions of
the world are represented in India.
We have a tremendous diversity of languages,
customs and traditions. The Father of our Nation,
Mahatma Gandhi, called for universal adult franchise
as early as 1931, long before India became independent.
Our political leadership remained true to this
commitment and the Constitution we adopted after
Independence enshrined democracy based on free
elections and the associated principles of tolerance
of dissent, freedom for political activity,
protection of human rights and the Rule of Law.
Our first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru,
addressing this very forum in 1949, acknowledged
our debt to America on this score. He said that
you could hear in our Constitution the echo
of the great voices of the Founding Fathers
of your Republic.
Ladies and Gentlemen
The real test of a democracy is not in what
is said in the Constitution, but in how it functions
on the ground. All Indians can be proud of what
we have achieved in this area and our experience
is also relevant beyond our boundaries. Free
and fair elections are the foundation of a democracy.
Over the past six decades, governments in India,
at both the national and state level, have regularly
sought the mandate of the people through elections.
Our elections are conducted under the supervision
of a statutory independent Election Commission,
which has earned respect for its fairness and
transparency, both at home and abroad. The independent
judiciary has been a zealous defender of our
Constitution and a credible guarantor of the
Rule of Law.
The Press is a key institution in any democracy
and our media has a well-earned reputation for
being free and fearless. Our minorities, and
we have many, participate actively in all walks
of national life -- political, commercial and
cultural.
Civil society organisations are thriving and
are vigilant in protecting human rights. They
are also watchful of threats to the environment.
Our Army has remained a professional force,
subject throughout to civilian control.
Recently, the Constitution was amended to ensure
constitutionally mandated elections to village
and municipal councils. This process has produced
no less than three million elected representatives
in the country, with one million positions reserved
for women.
This has brought democracy closer to the people
and also empowered women and promoted gender
balance.
Our commitment to democratic values and practices
means there are many concerns and perceptions
that we share with the United States. The most
important common concern is the threat of terrorism.
Democracy can only thrive in open and free societies.
But open societies like ours are today threatened
more than ever before by the rise of terrorism.
The very openness of our societies makes us
more vulnerable, and yet we must deal effectively
with the threat without losing the openness
we so value and cherish. India and the United
States have both suffered grievously from terrorism
and we must make common cause against it. We
know that those who resort to terror often clothe
it in the garb of real or imaginary grievances.
We must categorically affirm that no grievance
can justify resort to terror.
Democracies provide legitimate means for expressing
dissent. They provide the right to engage in
political activity, and must continue to do
so. However, for this very reason, they cannot
afford to be soft on terror. Terrorism exploits
the freedom our open societies provide to destroy
our freedoms.
The United States and India must work together
in all possible forums to counter all forms
of terrorism. We cannot be selective in this
area. We must fight terrorism wherever it exists,
because terrorism anywhere threatens democracy
everywhere.
We know from experience that democratic societies
which guarantee individual freedom and tolerance
of dissent provide an environment most conducive
to creative endeavour, and the establishment
of socially just societies. We therefore have
an obligation to help other countries that aspire
for the fruits of democracy. Just as developed
industrial countries assist those that are less
developed to accelerate development, democratic
societies with established institutions must
help those that want to strengthen democratic
values and institutions.
In this spirit, President Bush and I agreed
yesterday on a global initiative to help build
democratic capacities in all societies that
seek such assistance.
The capacities we have in mind are those related
to the electoral, parliamentary, judicial and
human rights processes of emerging democracies.
Respect for cultural diversity, minority rights
and gender equality is an important goal of
this initiative.
Democracy is one part of our national endeavour.
Development is the other. Openness will not
gain popular support if an open society is not
a prosperous society. This is especially so
in developing countries, where a large number
of people have legitimate material expectations
which must be met. That is why we must transform
India's economy, to raise the standard of living
of all our people and in the process eliminate
poverty.
India's aspirations in the respect are not
different from those of other developing countries.
But we are unique in one respect.
There is no other country of a billion people,
with our tremendous cultural, linguistic and
religious diversity, that has tried to modernise
its society and transform its economy within
the framework of a functioning democracy.
To attempt this at our modest levels of per
capita income is a major challenge. We are determined
to succeed in this effort. To achieve our developmental
goals, our policies and strategies must be in
step with changed circumstances and especially
the opportunities now available in the global
economy.
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, standing at this
very podium two decades ago, spoke of the challenge
of building anew on old foundations. He started
a process of reorienting India's economic policies,
which has been continued by successive governments.
The economic policy changes that have been
made in India have far-reaching implications.
They have liberated Indian enterprise from government
control and made the economy much more open
to global flows of trade, capital and technology.
Our entrepreneurial talent has been unleashed,
and is encouraged to compete with the best.
We will continue this process so that Indian
talent and enterprise can realize its full potential,
enabling India to participate in the global
economy as an equal partner.
We are often criticised for being too slow
in making changes in policy, but democracy means
having to build a consensus in favour of change.
As elected representatives, you are all familiar
with this problem. We have to assuage the doubts
and calm the fears that often arise when people
face the impact of change. Many of the fears
we have to address are exaggerated, but they
must be addressed. This is necessary to ensure
sustainability. India's economic reforms must
be seen in this light: they may appear slow,
but I assure you they are durable and irreversible.
I am happy to say that our efforts at transforming
India into an economy more integrated with the
world have borne fruit. Our rate of growth of
GDP has increased steadily, and has averaged
around 6.0 per cent per year over the past two
decades. Poverty has declined although more
slowly than we would like. We are determined
to improve on this performance. We hope to raise
our growth rate to 8 per cent or so over the
next two years, and we will ensure that this
growth is "inclusive" so that its
benefits are widely spread.
For this we must act on several fronts. We
must do much more in health and education, which
are crucial for human development. We must continue
to open up our economy. We must impart a new
impetus to agricultural development. We must
expand investment in economic infrastructure
which is a critical constraint on our growth
prospects.
India's growth and prosperity is in American
interest. American investments in India, especially
in new technology areas, will help American
companies to reduce costs and become more competitive
globally.
Equally, India's earnings from these investments
will lead to increased purchases from the United
States. The information technology revolution
in India is built primarily on US computer related
technology and hardware. There are many other
examples of such two-way benefits, with both
sides gaining from the process.
US firms are already leading the foreign investment
drive in India. I believe 400 of the Fortune
500 are already in India. They produce for the
Indian market and will hopefully also source
supplies from India for their global supply
chains. We welcome this involvement and look
forward to further expansion in the years ahead.
India needs massive foreign direct investment,
especially in infrastructure. I hope American
companies will participate in the opportunities
we are creating.
The 21st century will be driven by knowledge-based
production and India is well placed in this
area. We have a large and relatively young population
with a social tradition that values higher education.
Our educated young people are also English-speaking.
This makes us potentially an attractive location
for production of high-end services whether
in software, engineering design or research
in pharmaceutical and other areas.
Our laws on intellectual property rights have
been recently amended to comply fully with our
international obligations under the WTO. We
look forward to attracting business in these
areas from the United States.
The presence of a large number of Indian Americans
in high technology industries here makes the
US and India natural partners. It gives you
confidence about India's human resource capability.
It also gives you an edge over your competitors
in the ease with which you can operate in India.
We are proud of what the Indian American community
have done in this country.
I was touched, as were many of my countrymen,
by the news that a Resolution of this House
celebrated the contribution of Indian Americans
to research, innovation, and promotion of trade
and international cooperation between India
and the US.
Ladies and gentlemen
To fully exploit potential areas for cooperation
between our two countries, we need to make special
efforts to bring our private sectors closer
together. To this end, President Bush and I
have constituted an India-US forum of chief
executive officers. I hope this forum will promote
greater understanding of each other's perspectives
and also a better assessment of prospects for
future cooperation. The two governments will
draw on their experience and advice on how to
realise the full potential of our relationship.
The bulk of our population still depends upon
agriculture for a living. The United States
was an early partner in this area, helping to
establish agricultural universities and research
institutions in India in the 1960s.
It was an American, Nobel Laureate Norman Borlaug,
supported by a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation,
who developed high yielding varieties of wheat
in Mexico which were then adapted to Indian
conditions in the Agricultural Universities
you helped establish.
This was the start of the Green Revolution
in India that lifted countless millions above
poverty.
I am very happy to say that President Bush
and I have decided to launch a second generation
of India-US collaboration in agriculture. The
new initiative will focus on basic and strategic
research for sustainable development of agriculture
to meet the challenge of raising productivity
in conditions of water stress. It seeks to take
information and knowhow directly to the farming
community and promote technologies that minimise
post harvest wastage and improve food storage.
It will also help Indian farmers to meet phyto-sanitary
conditions and enable them to participate more
fully in global agricultural trade.
Energy security is another area where our two
countries have strong common interests.
The world's reserves of hydrocarbons are finite
and we must tap new energy sources. India's
reliance on coal and hydro-power will increase.
We have to invest in new oil and gas exploration
and in enhanced recovery of oil and gas from
available fields. We must also tap the full
potential of nuclear energy. The US can help
in all these areas.
I am happy to say we have initiated an Energy
Dialogue with the US to explore the scope for
cooperation in each of these areas in the years
ahead.
The field of civil nuclear energy is a vital
area for cooperation between our two countries.
As a consequence of our collective efforts,
our relationship in this sector is being transformed.
President Bush and I arrived at an understanding
in finding ways and means to enable such cooperation.
In this context, I would also like to reiterate
that India's track record in nuclear non-proliferation
is impeccable. We have adhered scrupulously
to every rule and canon in this area. We have
done so even though we have witnessed unchecked
nuclear proliferation in our own neighbourhood
which has directly affected our security interests.
This is because India, as a responsible nuclear
power, is fully conscious of the immense responsibilities
that come with the possession of advanced technologies,
both civilian and strategic. We have never been,
and will never be, a source of proliferation
of sensitive technologies.
We are conscious that plans to meet our energy
requirements will have implications for the
environment. This is especially so since any
energy scenario for India will involve heavy
dependence on coal. Clean coal technologies
that can make an impact need to be developed
and should be affordable for poorer countries.
We need to find ways whereby sufficient resources
can be devoted to ensure the development of
these technologies. We must also find ways of
allowing greater access for developing countries
to these technologies including ways of undertaking
cooperative research.
We stand ready to explore new partnerships
in this area with you, which will help enable
a more efficient use of our hydrocarbon resources.
There are other areas too where we can collaborate.
Our combined effort in providing relief and
succour to the millions affected by last December's
tsunami is an example of what partnership can
achieve.
Building on this experience, President Bush
and I have launched a joint initiative to ensure
that our capabilities will be readily on call
for those in need in similar situations in future.
The global challenge of HIV/AIDS is another
area for India-US cooperation. President Bush
and I have agreed on the need to provide increased
international access to safe and effective anti-retroviral
drugs.
Ladies and gentlemen
Globalisation has woven a web of inter-connections
across the world. This makes it all the more
necessary that we evolve a system of global
governance that carries credibility and commands
legitimacy.
Such a system must be sufficiently participative
to be able to generate a global consensus. It
must also reflect contemporary reality. The
Doha round of world trade negotiations and the
reform of the United Nations are two major processes
in the international arena where we need to
work together to strengthen the system of global
governance.
India is committed to strengthening the multilateral
trading system and we will work with the US
and other partners for a successful outcome
of the Doha Round. I am sure that we can find
a reasonable and balanced outcome that is mutually
beneficial. We will make every effort to do
so.
On the reform of the United Nations, we believe
that it is time to recognise the enormous changes
that have occurred since the present structure
was established. There must be comprehensive
reform of the United Nations to make it more
effective and also more representative.
The UN Security Council must be restructured
as part of the reform process. In this context,
you would agree that the voice of the world's
largest democracy surely cannot be left unheard
on the Security Council when the United Nations
is being restructured.
Mr Speaker, Mr Vice President, distinguished
senators and members of the House of Representatives,
ladies and gentlemen, I would like to conclude
by saying that the Indian people look forward
to a bright future, full of confidence, based
on a growing recognition of our economic capabilities
and the readiness of our society to meet the
challenges before us.
We have had some success in improving the quality
of life of our own people and we will redouble
our efforts to this end. We will also work towards
securing a world order in which democracy can
flourish, and in which developing nations can
strive for greater prosperity.
As two democracies, we are natural partners
in many respects. Partnerships can be of two
kinds. There are partnerships based on principle
and there are partnerships based on pragmatism.
I believe we are at a juncture where we can
embark on a partnership that can draw both on
principle as well as pragmatism. We must build
on this opportunity.
My objective on this visit was to lay the basis
for transformed ties between our two great countries.
I believe that we have made a very good beginning.
With the support and understanding of the Congress,
the full benefits of our partnership will be
realised in the months and years to come.
India is today embarked on a journey inspired
by many dreams. We welcome having America by
our side. There is much we can accomplish together.
Thank you