Sen. Evan Bayh

New Delhi : The man described as the “fastest rising star in U.S. politics” foresees a new age of security and prosperity in which India and the U.S. will be natural allies.

“We have many cultures, many languages and many heritages, but we have a common bond,” said Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana at a luncheon discussion here on Nov. 23.

“We are now facing the prospect of having nuclear, biological and chemical weapons in the hands of suicidal fanatics. We have a deep common interest in addressing the phenomenon of radical Islam. We have a common interest in increased prosperity of the world,” said Bayh, who is seen as a Democratic presidential contender in 2008. The interactive discussion was organized by the Indo-U.S. Parliamentary Forum (IUPF) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

Notwithstanding his upbeat forecast of Indo-U.S. relations, many of his Indian inquisitors, however, chose to sup on anxieties about the U.S.’ pampering of Pakistan despite its dubious record in containing terror. Bayh tried hard to assuage these anxieties. “Both India and the U.S. have a stake in a stable, modern progressive Pakistan.”

Responding to pointed queries by Congress MP Murli Deora and former Indian ambassador to U.S. Lalit Mansingh about Washington’s transfer of arms to Pakistan and its mollycoddling despite Islamabad’s dubious record on proliferation and democracy, he asserted: “Pakistan need to be an ally of both the U.S. and India in containing radical Islamic elements. A stable Pakistan is in the interest of both India and Pakistan.” Hinting that post 9/11 compulsions lay behind the U.S.’ alleged kid-gloves treatment of Pakistan, Bayh placed relations with India in another class, based more on shared positives and common bonds.

Rubbishing skewed perception about the U.S. adopting double standards vis a vis terrorism in other parts of the world (read India), Bayh, an influential senator who is also a member of select committee on intelligence and armed forces committee, laid stress on Washington’s unequivocal condemnation of terrorism. “Terrorism is totally unacceptable in all its manifestations,” he added.

Admitting that outsourcing was a volatile issue in the U.S., particularly with the Democratic Party (Democratic presidential challenger John Kerry had made BPO outsourcing one of his campaign themes), Bayh held out hope for more profitable trade ties on “a more level playing field.”