‘Much of Asia’s future will be written in India’
Hillary Rodham Clinton, the Democratic Party’s nominee in the 2016 US presidential elections and keynote speaker at the India Today Conclave 2018, on the common challenges facing India, the United States and the world
India’s future and development are tied to what goes on in the rest of the world at the crossroads, particularly the democracies in our world. Our shared future in the 21st century and beyond will be written, to a great extent, in Asia. And much of the future of Asia will be written here in India and its 1.3 billion people. That was part of the inspiration behind the pivot to Asia that I helped advocate as the Secretary of State. What I see is India opening markets to the world, helping fuel a more prosperous South Asia, making science and technology leaps, advancing human knowledge and innovation, and exporting that.
One third of new start-ups in the US are led by Indian Americans. Unleashing that entrepreneurial energy and knowhow, here in India is a path you are now charting. You have maintained a democratic foundation while focusing on improving lives, lifting millions out of poverty, creating a large middle class, but we know there is much more to be done.
The world is counting on India’s leadership on climate, on human rights and on so many issues. The friendship between the United States and India has to remain rooted in shared values, democracy, pluralism, opportunity and innovation. We face similar economic challenges about how to move more people out of poverty, give more people economic opportunity. We face similar threats, from terrorism and nuclear proliferation to the new threats posed by robotics and artificial intelligence, job creation and cyber warfare. The kinds of threats that are subtle but increasing to democracy itself range from the rising authoritarianism to false weaponised information.
We are in the midst of a global struggle between liberal, open, diverse, pluralist democracy and a rising tide of authoritarianism. The United States faces significant challenges of its own, especially the distrust and divisiveness about the press, about judiciary, about the Congress, about politics, about everything that constitutes the foundation of our democracy.
We all need to summon the courage to stand up at this crossroads moment to make sure that democracy in India and the United States does not give way under the weight of anger and resentment and disappointment.