WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia and Counterterrorism, on Wednesday held a subcommittee hearing with U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.), Ranking Member of the subcommittee, on U.S. policy towards India with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu.

“The US-India relationship arguably has never been stronger, and the United States is grateful to the people of India and to Prime Minister Modi for our growing friendship. Our relationship is growing for good reason,” said Murphy. “It’s already the world’s sixth largest economy, and last year it was the world’s fastest growing major economy. India possesses the world’s second largest military if you look at numbers of active personnel, second only to China. And during the global pandemic of the last two years India’s biopharmaceutical industry has emerged as a key producer to the United States and the rest of the world of PPE, therapeutics, and vaccines.”

Following India’s abstention from today’s UN vote condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Murphy said: “But as with many countries in the world, we have some important differences in the relationship that we need to work out. Most timely for today’s hearing is India’s position on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, where frankly many of my colleagues and I are puzzled by India’s equivocation in the face of the biggest threat to democracy since World War II. At a time when democracies are closing ranks to condemn Russia’s invasion, it is troubling – to say the least – to see India, the world’s largest democracy, sitting on the sidelines.

Murphy continued: “I am sure we will also discuss today India’s recent purchase and acquisition of the Russian S-400 air defense system. We are in an active debate about whether CAATSA sanctions for that purchase should be waived…And lastly, we need to be able to talk honestly with India about the things that they can do to improve the health of their big, thriving but still young democracy.”

A full transcript of Murphy’s opening remarks can be found below:

“Good afternoon. I am pleased to bring the subcommittee together today with Senator Young for a hearing on a critical topic: U.S. policy towards India, and we’re grateful to have with us today a panel of one, but an august panel of one, Assistant Secretary Donald Lu. I’ll introduce our speaker in a moment, but we’ll begin with brief remarks from both myself and Senator Young.

“For information of the committee to the extent anybody is listening online readying to come here, we’re going to keep this hearing going through the vote. We’ll try to switch off to make sure that we make efficient use of all our time.

“The US-India relationship arguably has never been stronger, and the United States is grateful to the people of India and to Prime Minister Modi for our growing friendship. Our relationship is growing for good reason. Five years from now India will become the world’s most populous country, home to about one out of every six people. It’s already the world’s sixth largest economy, and last year it was the world’s fastest growing major economy. India possesses the world’s second largest military if you look at numbers of active personnel, second only to China. And during the global pandemic of the last two years India’s biopharmaceutical industry has emerged as a key producer to the United States and the rest of the world of PPE, therapeutics, and vaccines.

“Having the world’s most populous country be a democracy when so many other large and growing nations are not is clearly a great benefit to the United States. And that’s why Democratic and Republican administrations over the course of the last several decades have worked to strengthen this relationship.

“For instance, the United States through the four-nation partnership of “the Quad,” has a growing and very important defense relationship with India to secure a free and open Indo-Pacific. India and the United States also work constructively on climate policy. While China was missing in action from the most recent climate summit, India made a significant pledge to become net zero by [2070]. Our relationship with India is multi-faceted, and it is rightly deepening across a number of critical fields.

“But as with many countries in the world, we have some important differences in the relationship that we need to work out. Most timely for today’s hearing is India’s position on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, where frankly many of my colleagues and I are puzzled by India’s equivocation in the face of the biggest threat to democracy since World War II. At a time when democracies are closing ranks to condemn Russia’s invasion, it is troubling – to say the least – to see India, the world’s largest democracy, sitting on the sidelines.

“I understand India has a history of nonalignment in foreign policy matters, but this is a unique moment that demands clear-eyed conviction about right and wrong, sovereignty and democracy. And I note India abstained on today’s vote before the UN while at the same time many countries that had previously declared neutrality voted with us. We hope that India soon will get on the right side of history.

“I am sure we will also discuss today India’s recent purchase and acquisition of the Russian S-400 air defense system. We are in an active debate about whether CAATSA sanctions for that purchase should be waived. I know the Ranking Member has a view on that, and I look forward to hearing the pros and cons and  the options available from our witness today.

“And lastly, we need to be able to talk honestly with India about the things that they can do to improve the health of their big, thriving but still young democracy. We’ve got a lot of work to do here at home to strengthen American democracy so we need to be a little careful about being too preachy these days, but India’s Muslim minority continues to face discrimination, and all too often violence, and Kashmir remains a crisis without any resolution on Prime Minister Modi’s promise that the people of Kashmir will have a say in the region’s future.

“With that, let me turn to Ranking Member, Senator Young.”

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