Quad Alliance: India's Central Role Highlighted by US Officials

Quad Alliance in Focus

The Quad alliance, comprising India, Australia, Japan, and the United States, is back in the spotlight. Kurt M. Campbell, the US Deputy Secretary of State, emphasized India's crucial role within this group. He revealed that former President Joe Biden spent over an hour persuading Prime Minister Modi to join the alliance. Campbell disclosed that the country leading behind the scenes in the Quad was not the US, Australia, or Japan, but India. During this conversation, PM Modi was initially hesitant, but after Biden's insistence, he agreed, albeit requesting that the topic not be revisited frequently. Last year, India was supposed to host the Quad summit, and there remains uncertainty about this year's meeting.

US Support for India Against China

Another significant revelation emerged: during Donald Trump's first term, when tensions escalated between India and China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the US provided India with critical intelligence. This strategic assistance aimed to enable India to closely monitor Chinese activities and is seen as a symbol of the growing trust between the two nations. Thanks to India's proactive involvement, the Quad has emerged as a dominant force in the Asia-Pacific region.

Need for Mutual Respect and Changing Politics

Campbell also expressed concerns regarding the current state of India-US relations. He stated that the relationship between these two major democracies should be founded on the principle of 'mutual respect.' He lamented that sometimes there is a need to remind ourselves of this fundamental principle. In the current climate, as it appears that Trump is distancing himself from the Quad, India's significance within the group is becoming increasingly pronounced. Campbell's remarks made it clear that without India, the Quad would merely be a nominal alliance.