I have spoken here today about India's race with Red China. We want India to win that race. We want India to be a free and thriving leader of a free and thrivin

I have spoken here today about India's race with Red China. We want India to win that race. We want India to be a free and thriving leader of a free and thriving Asia. But if our interest appears to be purely selfish, anti-Communist and part of the Cold War – if it appears to the Indian people that our motives are purely political – then we shall play into the hands of Communist and neutralist propagandists, cruelly distort America's image abroad, and undo much of the psychological effect that we expect from our generosity. - JFK John F Kennedy made those remarks and I find it remarkably prophetic because after his death, India - US relationship faltered precisely because we indians felt that later US politicians only viewed India through the "purely political" lens of cold war. The impact of it can still be felt today where many Indians feel that US is only seeking a selfish need-based based partnership with India to counter China and not out of any genuine respect which is the basis for any strong relationship. For a foreigner like me, Robert F Kennedy's political ideas does seem like a breath of fresh air among the current crop of stale US politicians and their stunted political values. He seems to be the only one who recognizes that the US needs to fix its fractured polity and reach some semblance of political understanding with the opposition (unlike others who think it is "unfixable") and end the "us" vs "them" narration that both major party's now increasingly depend on. His subscription to JFK's political vision and values and his pragmatic pacifist-leaning ideas are obviously welcome in a world increasingly divided. As JFK noted: The Free World cannot shame Russia and China into freedom – but it can inspire democracy to enrich its own freedoms. Freedom's banner will be vindicated or lost not by the test of military strength alone – but by the purity and passion of our commitment to democracy, by our dedication to the advancing hopes of new nations, and by our determination to prove that freedom can lift the haggard burden of poverty from desolate lands. We have not yet conquered the frontiers of fear. But neither have we yet fully explored the horizons of hope. - JFK If RFK is genuine about the political values he espouses, I sincerely feel that India and US (under Robert F Kennedy as President) can become true ideological allies. (JFK source - https://www.jfklibrary.org/archives/other-resources/john-f-kennedy-speeches/india-and-the-us-conference-washington-dc-19590504 https://www.jfklibrary.org/archives/other-resources/john-f-k... ).