In 1989; internationally acclaimed 'Time' magazine ran an article under the title 'Superpower Rising'.
It spoke about India as the strongest country in the subcontinent. Prior to that Rajiv Gandhi stalled a coup in the Maldives. President Ronald Regan was impressed and he called it "a valuable contribution to regional stability".
Things have moved a lot since then. India's growing military strength is noted today. We may also refer that in 1988-89; experts such as Selig Harrison of the Carnegie Foundation had suggested that the US leadership should accept the realities of South Asia and abandon its special relationship with Pakistan.
He was more specific as he had said -- "We should get out of India's way ..... ". Islamabad was fortunate that Washington for years since then kept banking on it in their struggle against Soviet Union initially and then the so-called terrorism.
In late eighties Pakistan also had maintained that "... India's role as a regional policeman has been sanctioned by the US".
It was a sort of backhanded compliment. But there were some hiccups.
A 'policeman' normally has bosses and senior police officers and other superiors as part of the hierarchy. New Delhi understood it well that such hierarchies have their own logic, working style and also limitations.
Even on this score some continuity remains.
A rising India is not necessarily a problem area for the US.
It only wants that Washington has a larger say when it comes to diplomacy and security issues vis-a-vis India's role in South Asia.
But as a self-respecting nation and with a mind of its own India is preferring to be independent and self-reliant on their own terms. This is all the more crucial in the times of Narendra Modi.
Hence an irked US administration is what we saw in 2025 vis-a-vis trade policies. The hiccups in Indo-US ties are therefore not unexpected. To be America's ally ... would appeal to some Indians. It did so in the 1990s. Probably it still does.
However, the geopolitical reality suggests; India has to be more alert about any hidden agenda of the US authorities.
Was the US under Joe Biden more pro-Pakistan ? We need to take a closer view why even Donald Trump is trying to be friendly or giving more patronage to Islamabad.
Come to think of it; Americans always have a mindset ... under which the US leads and the allies follow. Read through some old pages. In 1991 (March 8th); Flora Lewis wrote in the 'International Herald Tribune' that --
"Some Americans carried away with the speed and the extent of military success, concluded that ... the US can be and should be the world's policeman". Leap back to 2025-26 - the so-called today's world. But it is also seen as the post-US (or post-West).
This is an era wherein the RIC is a formidable force and BRICS actually redefines so much about foreign policies.
India, Russia and China are key players in both. This leaves the west unnerved. They do not know how to reconcile to these emerging situations. Therefore, what we find -- the objectives and larger implications of Oil Politics are both global and local. The world has lived through --- liberation/annexation of Kuwait and also conquest of Iraq. But we should not forget ... certain other aspects too.
The world has also lived through -- an Anglo-American war against Saddam (as was described in Newsweek in Jan 1991).
Around the same time - old timers may recall what analysts spoke and debated the 'holy war' between the Christian west and Muslims everywhere.
Now see the twist in the tale -- New York's new mayor is taking up explicit pro-Muslim (or Islamic role) agenda. So much 'deep' is the game that he is also talking about an Indian student Umar Khalid - cooling his heels behind bars.
Having said all that; the realism suggests the importance of Indo-US ties cannot be neglected.
It is crucial that India's (read Moditva's) own enlightened self-interest can actually co-exist with an active American interest in South Asia.
The evolving scenarios in Bangladesh and Myanmar - therefore - deserve much closer studies than being attempted so far.
ends
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