President George W. Bush will visit India, home to more than a billion people and the world's largest democracy. Like the United States, says Mr. Bush, "India has many different ethnic groups and religious traditions":
"India has a Hindu majority, and about one-hundred-fifty-million Muslims in that country. That's more than in any other country except Indonesia and Pakistan. India's government reflects its diversity. India has a Muslim president and a Sikh prime minister. . . .India is a good example of how freedom can help different people live together in peace."
President Bush says that the United States is "encouraging India to work directly with other nations that will benefit from India's experience of building a multiethnic democracy":
"India's work in Afghanistan is a good example of India's commitment to emerging democracies. India has pledged five-hundred-sixty-five-million dollars to help the Afghan people repair the infrastructure and get them back on their feet. And recently, India announced it would provide an additional fifty-million dollars to help the Afghans complete their national assembly building. India has trained national assembly staff, and it's developing a similar program for the assembly's elected leaders."
A series of bombings in 2005 in New Delhi killed dozens of people. The bombings occurred as Indians prepared for Diwali, a Hindu festival, and Eid ul-Fitr, a Muslim celebration.
Today, the U.S. and India share information on suspected terrorists. The people of the U.S. and India, says Mr. Bush, "understand that a key part of defeating the terrorists is to replace their ideology of hatred with an ideology of hope."
President Bush says the U.S. and India "will continue to work together to advance the cause of liberty."
The preceding was an editorial reflecting the views of the United States Government.
