Yet, now, the BJP appears to have sensed the political utility of anti-Americanism, so much so that its stance is no different from that of the Communists. This was evident prior to the signing of the nuclear deal when the BJP virtually joined hands with the Left to try to topple the Manmohan Singh government. And it is evident again at present when the BJP is trotting out all the familiar arguments about the government surrendering to American dictates.

It is open to question, however, whether this lobby is no more than a self-serving one, which, though fairly strong in terms of its constituents, is out of sync with the popular mood. On paper, the virtual unanimity on their anti-Americanism among the parties ranging from the BJP on the right of the political spectrum to the communists on the left is a formidable one.

But, as the ease with which the ruling Congress survived their attempts to bring it down showed, it may have read the public mind better than its variegated opponents. The Congress's electoral victory two months ago also underlined the same point.

It is entirely possible, therefore, that anti-Americanism is no longer a potent force in India as it was, say, during the 1960s when the slogan 'amar nam, tomar nam, Vietnam, Vietnam' rent the air in Kolkata, and the Soviet Union was seen as a dependable ally, especially when it sent its warships into the Bay of Bengal after the American Seventh fleet entered it to intimidate India during the Bangladesh war.

As a major opposition party, the BJP is possibly doing itself no little harm by imitating the Left's anti-US policies from the time of its rejection of the nuclear deal, which is believed to have alienated the party's middle class support base.

Apart from the demise of communism, what may have reduced the scope for anti-Americanism is the realisation that the US remains the only country which is willing to directly confront the terrorists in the AfPak region. The NATO forces may also be there, but they count for little without the Americans.

Besides, the US establishment, or at least a sizeable section of it, seems to have realised its earlier mistake of supporting dictators in Pakistan and denigrating Indian democracy. It now knows that a dissenting democracy is a more stable ally than a servile dictatorship holding down a restive population.

It is also appreciated in India that the US is indispensable not only for taking on the terrorists but also to bolster India's position vis-a-vis China as the nuclear deal did despite Beijing's strong reservations.

In all likelihood, therefore, there is a much wider measure of support for New Delhi's current proximity to Washington than what the anti-American lobby thinks.

(25-07-2008- Amulya Ganguli is a political analyst. He can be reached at aganguli@mail.com)