In the past four years, the US administration under George Bush has avoided criticism of India’s nuclear programme or human rights record or its policy towards Pakistan. Instead, there has been a quiet, friendly dialogue on many issues. However, there have also been major differences with the Bush administration, notably on Iraq and the way the war against terrorism has been conducted. India has been unhappy with the US refusal to concede that the so-called "terrorism" faced by India is a part of the global terrorist network that America seeks to conquer. The declaration of Pakistan as a major non-NATO ally immediately after talks with India was a major blow to India-US relations. John Kerry, has been a Senator for two decades and an active member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Yet, there is surprisingly little on record to indicate his views on India. However, Kerry’s remarks during the election campaign on two issues — nuclear non-proliferation and outsourcing — have heightened anxiety in India about a Kerry presidency. When asked about whether he would support India for permanent membership of the UN Security Council, Kerry said that India would first have to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). In the Presidential Debate on 30 September, Kerry made his views clear. Both President Bush and Senator John Kerry have now gone on record to name nuclear proliferation as "the single most serious threat to the national security of the United States". This will remain the major stumbling block in India-US relations. Given the views of President Bush and Senator Kerry many commentators believe the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made a major blunder at the joint press conference when German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder recently visited, when he said India would not sign the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The second issue causing concern in India is Kerry's views on outsourcing. A Liberal Democrat who supported free trade throughout his political career, Kerry surprised many by the vehemence of his attacks on US companies which outsourced to countries like India. He has publicly vowed to punish these companies, through denial of tax and other benefits. If indeed this happens, it will be a serious setback for India’s software industry whose major market is the US. It is easy to see why India is worried when one compares the Platforms or Policy Statements of the two parties during their recent conventions in Boston and New York. The Republicans were fulsome in their references to India as the world’s largest democracy, with which the US shared strategic interests. In contrast, the Democratic Platform’s only mention of India was advice to India and Pakistan to resolve their differences. Amrik Singh, the Chair of the Sikh Federation (UK), the first and only Sikh political party in the UK, said "we are in contact with leading Sikh organisations in the US and urge them to work with both the Republicans and Democrats to influence them on issues that concern the Sikh community. Although the Federation's primary focus is to influence the Government and political parties in the UK and our elected representatives in Europe we closely monitor political developments in other parts of the world where large numbers of Sikhs live. We naturally have an interest in influencing political activities of Sikhs in the US. From where we sit it appears the Democrats are offering policies which are more favourable to the Sikh community, therefore US Sikhs should take this into account when they cast their votes in a couple of weeks time." At the National Sikh Convention a few weeks earlier the Federation announced the formation of an international set up to co-ordinate activities worldwide on common issues of concern. A Federation source said the new international set up known as the International Sikh Coordination and Action Network (I-SCAN) is likely to hold its first meeting in the US soon after the US elections. I-SCAN will allow the sharing of ideas, approaches and tactics on important matters of common concern to Sikhs. International strategies allowing for a co-ordinated approach will then be developed where it is assessed that Sikhs lack an international voice and there is a need to exert pressure, lobby and influence globally. The aim is to give Sikhs more political clout at a national and international level. A Federation spokesman said: "The political activities of Sikhs in the US are of critical importance in the world stage and with the possible change in administration in the US it is important that US Sikhs unite and have a co-ordinated approach to influence US politicians. We hope we can influence US Sikhs to work along similar lines to those adopted in the UK with a Sikh Agenda for the US Government, Sikh Lobby Days etc. to coordinate and strengthen Sikh efforts on all relevant matters."

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