India-US people-to-people ties to get stronger, better: WH official

There is no stronger people-to-people ties between any country than what the US enjoys with India, a top White House official has said and observed that in many areas, governments need to get out of the way and let people from the two democracies work together.

Kurt Campbell, the Indo Pacific Coordinator of US National Security Council, also said that the over the years the tow countries have built a “stronger relationship” that will only get better.

“This is not just a meeting of elites. It is not just about technology. It’s not just about working together on security issues. This is a relationship that is based at the people-to-people level. There is no stronger people-to-people ties between any country that the US enjoys than with India,” he said while addressing a gathering of hundreds of Indian Americans at an event organised here by the Indian Embassy to celebrate the country’s diversity.

“This is the most powerful connectivity between two people I’ve ever experienced. In many respects, we as governments really need to get out of the way. Get out of the way and let these people work together in so many different ways,” he said.

In a world that has so many challenges and difficulties, it is wonderful on a regular basis to be able to see this relationship grow and thrive, Campbell said.

He said it has been the greatest honour of his professional life for the last several years to see this relationship come into fruition.

“I’m going to tell you a story about a couple of years ago. This was about 15-20 years ago. I was working on the US-India relationship. It was a difficult time. We were struggling a little bit. I was meeting a counterpart and we were in Delhi. I was a little angry and we were kind of going back and forth to each other. So after about a minute or two I lost my temper and I said you know I’m going to tell you something. It’s going to really bother you. We’re destined to be closer friends,” he said.

“This is exactly what we have done over the last several years. We’ve built a stronger relationship, and frankly, I think, as we look into the future, the situation will only get better. It’s going to get stronger, it’s going to get deeper,” Campbell said.