At dead of night, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, went to all India Radio and said, "Long years ago, we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance...''

From that day India has moved on and today India is the 5th largest economy in the world. It has overtaken England and it's likely to overtake France in not too distant a future. India took 50 years to become one trillion dollar economy. For the second trillion dollar India waited for ten years. In 2022, Indian economy is inching towards $4 trillion dollar.

In the next 10-15 years, India is likely to become a 10 trillion dollar economy, could be even more. This analysis, however begs certain conditions:

a. India will not get involved in any major war;

b. No Coronavirus type pestilence strikes India.

Along with the growth of the India economy the strategic balance will also paripassu increase. China however, is likely to be against India's economic growth! It is not unlikely that before the next Indian general elections in 2024, China may reignite the Tibet LAC! Any such action by China is likely to destabilize Indian growth trajectory.

In the present day Geo strategic situation, as China would don't like to see India grow, the global hegemon, the United States, may not also be particularly keen to see India grow at such a pace! The recent decision by the United States to sell F-16 spare-parts to Pakistan is considered an unfriendly act by India. Other democratic countries in south Asia see the U.S decision as oxymoron.

Pakistan is a terrorist state. Pakistan received this sobriquet from the United Nations. Even some U.S Lawmakers have made similar remarks in the past. Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed are byeword in usual conversation among the world strategic thinkers. The U.S clarification that the F-16 spares have been given to Pakistan for anti-terror action by Pakistan, sounds rather hollow. You don't use F-16 to kill the terrorists in as much as you don't use a AK-47 to kill a mosquito. These terror outfits target: India is number one; Bangladesh, Afghanistan and other countries, are also in the horizon. Attack on the Indian Parliament (December,2001, LET along with Jaish-e-Mohamed)), attack on Pathankot and last but not the least, attack on the Bombay by (JEM) and other ISI outfits: infrastructures, restaurants, a Jewish cultural center, Chhatrapati Shivaji railway station, Leopold Café, Theatre, Nariman House and the luxury Hotel Oberoi Trident and Taj Mahal Palace and Tower in November 8-12, 2008. Ajmal Amir Kasab is a byword now in the history of South Asian Terror network. While the attack in Bombay by the Pakistan terror outfits still rankles in the Indian body politic, India is moving ahead economically, technologically and strategically.

It may be very interesting to analyze the reason why both China and the USA may not like to see India grow and become a global power. China of course understandably so, but why the United States? India is extremely unhappy with the sale of F-16 spares parts of Pakistan. India considers the sale as an unfriendly act bordering on hostility. USA would not like India to grow as an economic and strategic power because India is not in synch with the U.S for many actions taken by the United States regionally and globally. As a global Hegemon the U.S would like to see China diminished as far as possible so that it doesn't become a threat to American dominance in the Indo-pacific region. Taiwan is the number one producer of chips used for all the top strategic arsenal in the global market, U.S in particular. Taiwan must be protected.

On a broader perspective, India agrees with the U.S strategy: She is a member of QUAD. The U.S, Japan and Australia are alliance partners. India is not. So the U.S in this situation has accepted the new reality thrown up by India.

U.S is unhappy with India with her UN vote on the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The UN General Assembly adopted Resolution no ES 11/3, passed with 93 votes in favour, 24 against and 58 abstentions on April 7, 2022; it suspended the membership of Russia in the United Nations Human Rights Council.

India has her long-term strategic goal: Russia, former USSR has been an ardent supporter of India in its position as a power in Asia. Primary reason of course is Indian and Russian interest 'coalesce': Russia is the largest supplier of arms to India though of late India is trying to get some western arms also. But Indian basic strategic consideration is based on the Indo-Russian friendship. The two countries signed a treaty of Friendship on August 19, 1971 when Pakistan imposed a genocidal war in Bangladesh. But the Friendship and Strategic Alliance struck by the soviet leaders- Indian leadership continues to be the main pillar of Indian strategic projection. I do not see this changing anytime soon.

In 1971 the Bangladesh Liberation War, India supported the Bangladesh Government and the struggling people of Bangladesh. This friendship forged between India and Bangladesh with the blood of two countries resonate particularly in this month of December.

Given a proper strategic understanding this strategic relationship between Bangladesh and India may remain so forever. The followers of the British Prime Minister Lord Palmerston (1850) may look askance. But Indo-Bangla relationship may eventually prove them wrong. Though Sri Lankan Rajapakse Brothers decided to give away the Hambantota port on a 99 year old lease to China, the people of Sri Lanka rose in revolt and threw the Rajapakse Brothers out into the sea. The Indian grains, Indian oil and Indian petroleum brought the ultimate succor to the people and the government of Sri Lanka. Bangladesh gave a loan of U.S $200 - as a rescue package. The people of Nepal understands in spite of some misunderstanding that it is India which will ultimately continue to be her real friend and neighbour. The Doklam face-off strengthened the Indo-Bhutanese friendship. Maldives is taking a deep breath in re-arranging its relationship in the region. Pakistan is on the brink. Pakistan cannot pay back the CPEC debts to China. But China would like to be present in Pakistan so that it may breathe down the neck of India. As the economy of Pakistan nosedives, how long can China continue to prop up Pakistan needs to be seen. US President Joe Biden said, "Pakistan may be one of the most dangerous nations in the world", citing the country's nuclear weapons arsenal, which is "without any cohesion". (Oct 13,2022).

Before the British occupied India in 1757 India was one of the largest economies in the world, producing about 24.44% of global economy in contrast to England's 1.9% economy. When the British left in 1947, the balance was reversed. So much for the British imperial political, social and economic exploitation of India. From the ashes of the British exploitation, India has just replaced Britain as the fifth largest economy, and Bangladesh is going to be a trillion dollar economy enjoying the highest economic growth in this part of the world by 1940.

Author is a researcher