[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 9 (Monday, March 6, 2006)]
[Pages 388-393]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks in New Delhi

March 3, 2006

    Thank you. Thank you. Please be seated. Distinguished guests, 
namaste. Laura and I have been looking forward to this visit for a long 
time, and we're delighted to be in India.
    Over the past 2 days, we've been grateful for your kind reception, 
touched by your warm hospitality, and dazzled by this vibrant and 
exciting land. I appreciate the opportunity to speak to the Indian 
people. I'm honored to bring the good wishes and the respect of the 
world's oldest democracy to the world's largest democracy.
    Tonight we stand on the ruins of an ancient city that was the 
capital of an Indian kingdom thousands of years ago. Today, it is part 
of a modern Asian city that is the capital of one of the world's great 
nations. At the heart of a civilization that helped give the world 
mathematics, cutting-edge businesses now give us the technology of 
tomorrow. In the birthplace of great religions, a billion souls of 
varied faiths now live side by side in freedom and peace. When you come 
to India in the 21st century, you're inspired by the past, and you can 
see the future.

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    India in the 21st century is a natural partner of the United States 
because we are brothers in the cause of human liberty. Yesterday I 
visited a memorial to Mahatma Gandhi and read the peaceful words of a 
fearless man. His words are familiar in my country because they helped 
move a generation of Americans to overcome the injustice of racial 
segregation. When Martin Luther King arrived in Delhi in 1959, he said 
to other countries, ``I may go as a tourist, but to India, I come as a 
pilgrim.'' I come to India as a friend.
    For many years, the United States and India were kept apart by the 
rivalries that divided the world. That's changed. Our two great 
democracies are now united by opportunities that can lift our people and 
by threats that can bring down all our progress. The United States and 
India, separated by half the globe, are closer than ever before, and the 
partnership between our free nations has the power to transform the 
world.
    The partnership between the United States and India has deep and 
sturdy roots in the values we share. Both our nations were founded on 
the conviction that all people are created equal and are endowed with 
certain fundamental rights, including freedom of speech, freedom of 
assembly, and freedom of religion. Those freedoms are enshrined in law 
through our written constitutions, and they are upheld daily by 
institutions common to both our democracies: an elected legislature, an 
independent judiciary, a loyal political opposition, and as I know well 
here in India, a lively free press.
    In both our countries, democracy is more than a form of government; 
it is the central promise of our national character. We believe that 
every citizen deserves equal liberty and justice, because we believe 
that every life has equal dignity and value. We believe all societies 
should welcome people of every culture, ethnicity, and religion. And 
because of this enduring commitment, the United States and India have 
overcome trials in our own history. We're proud to stand together among 
the world's great democracies.
    The partnership between the United States and India begins with 
democracy, and it does not end there. Our people share a devotion to 
family, a passion for learning, a love of the arts, and much more. The 
United States is the proud home of more than 2 million Americans of 
Indian descent, a figure that has more than tripled over the last 20 
years. America is honored to welcome 500,000 Indian tourists and 
businesspeople to our country each year. And we benefit from 80,000 
Indian students at our universities, more than we have from any other 
nation. Indian Americans have made tremendous contributions to my 
country in technology and medicine and business and countless other 
fields.
    When I meet with the United States Congress, I talked to a brilliant 
Indian American who represents the State of Louisiana. I've returned the 
salute of Indian Americans who defend my nation in battle as members of 
the United States Armed Forces. And on a sad morning 3 years ago, we 
learned that a brave astronaut born in India had been lost aboard the 
space shuttle Columbia. I know that India will always be proud of Dr. 
Kalpana Chawla, and so will the United States of America.
    Americans are spending more time in India, as well, and it's easy to 
see why. India is rich in history, culture, and activities--from the 
mountains of Delhi to the holy sites of Varanasi to the studios of 
Bollywood. Today I met with a fascinating group of students and farmers 
and entrepreneurs in Hyderabad--plus it was exciting to be in the 
hometown of Sania Mirza. To encourage more travel and more contact 
between our people, the United States intends to open a new consulate in 
Hyderabad. We'll also build a new, state-of-the-art American Center here 
in Delhi. By taking these steps, we'll continue to strengthen the ties 
between our two countries, our two democracies.
    At the start of this young century, the United States of America and 
the Republic of India are working together to achieve two great 
purposes: to expand the circle of prosperity and development across the 
world and to defeat our common enemies by advancing the just and noble 
cause of human freedom.
    Our first great purpose is to spread prosperity and opportunity to 
people in our own land, to millions who have not known it. The freedom 
that sustains India's democracy is now bringing dramatic changes to 
India's

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economy. Thanks to your country's wise economic reforms and advances in 
technology, unprecedented opportunities are coming to India, and you are 
seizing those opportunities.
    India's innovative people have begun to look outward and connect to 
the global economy as never before. Today, India has more cell phones 
than land-line phones. And all that separates a business in Bangalore 
from a business in Boston is an e-mail, a text message, or video 
conference. Indian entrepreneurs have used these new connections to meet 
the demands of consumers and businesses all across the globe. As a 
result, your economy has more than doubled in size since you opened up 
your markets in 1991. And you've dramatically raised the living 
standards of your citizens. India's middle class now numbers 300 million 
people, more than the entire population of the United States.
    America welcomes India's economic rise, because we understand that 
as other nations prosper, it creates more opportunity for us all. In a 
free economy, every citizen has something to contribute. That is why 
trade is such a powerful engine of prosperity and upward mobility. When 
markets are opened and the poor are given a chance to develop their 
talents and abilities, they can create a better life for their families, 
they add to the wealth of the world, and they can begin to afford goods 
and services from other nations. Free and fair trade is good for India, 
it's good for America, and it is good for the world.
    In my countries, some focus only on one aspect of our trade 
relationship with India, outsourcing. It's true that some Americans have 
lost jobs when their companies moved operations overseas. It's also 
important to remember that when someone loses a job, it's an incredibly 
difficult period for the worker and their families. Some people believe 
the answer to this problem is to wall off our economy from the world 
through protectionist policies. I strongly disagree. My Government is 
helping Americans who have lost their jobs get new skills for new 
careers. And we're helping to create millions of new jobs in both our 
countries by embracing the opportunities of a global economy.
    We see those opportunities here in India. Americans who come to this 
country will see Indian consumers buying McCurry meals from McDonald's, 
home appliances from Whirlpool. They will see Indian businesses buying 
American products, like the 68 planes that Air India recently ordered 
from Boeing. They will also see American businesses like General 
Electric and Microsoft and Intel, who are in India to learn about the 
needs of local customers and do vital research that makes their products 
more competitive in world markets. The United States will not give into 
the protectionists and lose these opportunities. For the sake of workers 
in both our countries, America will trade with confidence.
    India has responsibilities as well. India needs to continue to lift 
its caps on foreign investment, to make its rules and regulations more 
transparent, and to continue to lower its tariffs and open its markets 
to American agricultural products, industrial goods and services. We 
also hope India will continue to work to ensure that its own people are 
treated fairly by enforcing laws that protect children and workers from 
trafficking and exploitation and abuse. By enforcing its laws and 
educating its people and continuing to open up its economy, India can 
assure that prosperity and opportunity of a growing economy reaches all 
segments of India's population.
    The world also needs India's leadership to open up global markets. 
The Doha round of trade talks at the World Trade Organization provides 
the greatest opportunity to lift hundreds of millions of people out of 
poverty and boost economic growth in both our countries. The United 
States has been pushing for an ambitious agreement on services and 
manufacturing and agriculture. Prime Minister Singh and I share the goal 
of completing the Doha round by the end of this year, and we'll work 
together to achieve this goal. By completing Doha, we will help build a 
world that lives in liberty and trades in freedom and grows in 
prosperity, and America and India will lead the way.
    By leading together, America and India can meet other global 
challenges. And one of the biggest is energy. Like America, India's 
growing economy requires growing amounts of electricity. And the 
cleanest and

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most reliable way to meet that need is through civilian nuclear power.
    Last summer in Washington, America and India reached an agreement to 
share civilian nuclear technology and to bring India's civilian nuclear 
programs under the safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency. 
In our meetings this week, Prime Minister Singh and I agreed on a plan 
to implement this historic initiative. Our agreement will strengthen the 
security and the economy of both our nations.
    By applying the most advanced technology and international standards 
to India's civilian nuclear program, we will increase safety and reduce 
the risk of proliferation. And by helping India meet its energy needs, 
we will take the pressure off the price of fossil fuels for consumers in 
India and America and around the world. We'll help India be good 
stewards of our environment, and we will strengthen the bonds of trust 
between our two great nations.
    America and India are also cooperating closely in agriculture. The 
United States worked with India to help meet its food needs in the 
1960s, when pioneering American scientists like Norman Borlaug shared 
agricultural technology with Indian farmers. Thanks to your hard work, 
you have nearly tripled your food production over the past half-century. 
To build on this progress, Prime Minister Singh and I are launching a 
new Agricultural Knowledge Initiative. This initiative will invest $100 
million to encourage exchanges between American and Indian scientists 
and promote joint research to improve farming technology. By working 
together, the United States and India will develop better ways to grow 
crops and get them to market, and lead a second Green Revolution.
    America and India are pursuing an historic agenda for cooperation in 
many other areas. We're working together to improve education and 
conservation and natural disaster response. We're cooperating closely in 
science and technology. And to promote the ties between American and 
Indian scientists, we're establishing a new $30-million science and 
technology commission that will fund joint research in promising areas 
like biotechnology.
    We're working to improve health by confronting the threat of avian 
flu, reducing the spread of malaria and tuberculosis, and eliminating 
polio in India. Our nations also share the global challenge of HIV/AIDS. 
India must confront this challenge directly, openly, and at all levels 
of society. And as you do, America will be your partner in turning the 
tide against this terrible disease.
    The United States and India have ambitious goals for our 
partnership. We have unprecedented opportunities in this world. We can 
look to the future with confidence because our relationship has never 
been better. America and India are global leaders, and we are good 
friends. And when we work together, there is no limit to what we can 
achieve.
    The second great purpose is to confront the threats of our time by 
fighting terror and advancing freedom across the globe. Both our nations 
have known the pain of terror on our home soil. On September the 11th, 
2001, nearly 3,000 innocent people were murdered in my country, 
including more than 30 who were born in India. Just over 3 months ago, 
terrorists struck the Parliament House here in Delhi, an attack on the 
heart of Indian democracy.
    In both our countries, people have struggled to understand the 
reason for terrorist assaults on free societies. We've begun to learn 
some of the answers. The terrorists are followers of a violent ideology 
that calls for the murder of Christians and Hindus and Sikhs and Jews 
and vast numbers of Muslims who do not share their radical views.
    The terrorists' goal is to impose a hateful vision that denies all 
political and religious freedom. Those terrorists lack the military 
strength to challenge great nations directly, so they use the weapon of 
fear. When terrorists murder innocent office workers in New York or kill 
shoppers at a market in Delhi or blow up commuters in London, they hope 
these horrors will break our will. They target democracies because they 
think we are weak, and they think we can be frightened into retreat. The 
terrorists have misunderstood our countries. America and India love our 
freedom, and we will fight to keep it.
    When your Prime Minister addressed the United States Congress, he 
said this: ``We

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must fight terrorism wherever it exists, because terrorism anywhere 
threatens democracy everywhere.'' He is right. And so America and India 
are allies in the war against terror.
    After the attacks of September the 11th, the Indian Navy provided 
vital support to Operation Enduring Freedom by relieving American ships 
securing the Strait of Malacca, and we thank the Indian Navy. Today, our 
nations are cooperating closely on critical areas like bioterrorism and 
airport security and cyber security. Our military cooperation is 
stronger than ever before. America and India are in this war together, 
and we will win this war together.
    In the long run, the United States and India understand that winning 
the war on terror requires changing the conditions that give rise to 
terror. History shows us the way. From the East to West, we've seen that 
only one force is powerful enough to replace hatred with hope, and that 
is the force of human freedom. Free societies do not harbor terrorists 
or breed resentment. Free societies respect the rights of their citizens 
and their neighbors. Free societies are peaceful societies.
    As your first Prime Minister, Prime Minister Nehru, once said: 
``Evil flourishes far more in the shadows than in the light of day.'' 
Together, America and India will bring the light of freedom to the 
darkest corners of our Earth.
    Nearly 60 years have passed since India mounted a courageous fight 
for a free country of your own. The American people stood with you in 
the struggle for freedom. President Franklin Roosevelt was one of the 
first world leaders to support India's independence. Through the 
decades, India has built a strong democracy in which people from 
different faiths live together in freedom and peace.
    India has a Hindu majority and one of the world's largest Muslim 
populations. India is also home to millions of Sikhs and Christians and 
other religious groups. All worship freely in temples and mosques and 
churches all across this great land. Indians of diverse backgrounds 
attend school together and work together and govern your nation 
together. As a multiethnic, multireligious democracy, India is showing 
the world that the best way to ensure fairness and tolerance is to 
establish the rule of law. The best way to counter resentment is to 
allow peaceful expression. The best way to honor human dignity is to 
protect human rights. For every nation divided by race, religion, or 
culture, India offers a hopeful path: If justice is the goal, then 
democracy is the way.
    The world has benefited from the example of India's democracy. And 
now the world needs India's leadership in freedom's cause. As a global 
power, India has an historic duty to support democracy around the world. 
In Afghanistan, which I just visited on Wednesday, the world is 
beginning to see what India's leadership can accomplish. Since the 
Taliban was removed from power, India has pledged $565 million to help 
the Afghan people to get back on their feet. Your country has trained 
National Assembly staff, developing a similar program for the Assembly's 
elected leaders. You recently announced that you'll provide an 
additional $50 million to help the Afghans complete their National 
Assembly building. After so many years of suffering, the Afghan people 
are reclaiming a future of hope and freedom, and they will always 
remember that in their hour of need, India stood with them.
    India is also showing its leadership in the cause of democracy by 
cofounding the Global Democracy Initiative. Prime Minister Singh and I 
were proud to be the first two contributors to this initiative to 
promote democracy and development across the world. Now India can build 
on this commitment by working directly with nations where democracy is 
just beginning to emerge. As the world's young democracies take shape, 
India offers a compelling example of how to preserve a country's unique 
culture and history while guaranteeing the universal freedoms that are 
the foundation of genuine democracies.
    India's leadership is needed in a world that is hungry for freedom. 
Men and women from North Korea to Burma to Syria to Zimbabwe to Cuba 
yearn for their liberty. In Iran, a proud people is held hostage by a 
small clerical elite that denies basic liberties, sponsors terrorism, 
and pursues nuclear weapons. Our nations must not pretend that the 
people of

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these countries prefer their own enslavement. We must stand with 
reformers and dissidents and civil society organizations, and hasten the 
day when the people of these nations can determine their own future and 
choose their own leaders. These people may not gain their liberty 
overnight, but history is on their side.
    Tonight I will leave India to travel to Pakistan, another important 
partner and friend of the United States. There was a time when America's 
good relations with Pakistan would have been a source of concern here in 
India. That day's passed. India is better off because America has a 
close relationship with Pakistan, and Pakistan is better off because 
America has a close relation with India. On my trip to Islamabad, I will 
meet with President Musharraf to discuss Pakistan's vital cooperation in 
the war on terror and our efforts to foster economic and political 
development so we can reduce the appeal of radical Islam. I believe that 
a prosperous, democratic Pakistan will be a steadfast partner for 
America, a peaceful neighbor for India, and a force for freedom and 
moderation in the Arab world.
    The advance for freedom is the great story of our time. In 1945, 
just 2 years before India achieved independence, there were fewer than 
two dozen democracies on Earth. Today, there are more than 100, and 
democracies are developing and thriving from Asia to Africa to Eastern 
Europe to Latin America. The whole world can see that freedom is not an 
American value or an Indian value; freedom is a universal value, and 
that is because the source of freedom is a power greater than our own. 
As Mahatma Ghandi said, ``Freedom is the gift of God and the right of 
every nation.'' Let us remember those words as we head into the 21st 
century.
    In a few days I'll return to America, and I will never forget my 
time here in India. America is proud to call your democracy a friend. 
We're optimistic about your future. The great Indian poet Tagore once 
wrote, ``There's only one history--the history of man.'' The United 
States and India go forward with faith in those words. There's only one 
history of man--and it leads to freedom.
    May God bless India.

Note: The President spoke at 6:42 p.m. at the Purana Qila. In his 
remarks, he referred to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India; 
professional tennis player Sania Mirza; and President Pervez Musharraf 
of Pakistan. A portion of these remarks could not be verified because 
the tape was incomplete.