India's explosion of a nuclear device in 1998 marred a fledgling relationship that New Delhi had had with Tokyo. Japan took the lead in condemning India at just about every world forum. This hit India hard diplomatically, and Tokyo's clamping severe economic sanctions against India had still greater ramifications.
Although it was easy to empathize with Japan's concern and anger over India's nuclear adventure, New Delhi had its reasons. A hostile Pakistan was waging a proxy war in Kashmir, a state that both warring neighbors claim as their own; an unfriendly China was providing tacit support to Islamabad; and, worse, major global powers, including the United States, were ignoring India's plea for help in fighting what it clearly perceived as terrorism. New Delhi grabbed attention by detonating a bomb.
The Sept. 11 attacks changed perceptions the world over. Washington now admits, though covertly, that India has a problem in Kashmir, but the Bush administration cannot be blunt in its assertions, given its dependence on Pakistan, which by sheer geographic location plays an important part in helping the U.S. tackle the Afghan issue.