There is no way better to empty a drawing room in Delhi of Indian strategists than to start talking about this idea.

Consider the key countries of the world.

The President’s visit, at least to some extent, marks the transition from a 40-or-so-year painful bilateral history to the transformed relationship the two countries have today.

This is now a very large boulder in the room of this relationship that will either get rolled out the door or not.

Most members have not decided yet. We will know better about the situation on the Hill by Friday after secretary of state Rice’s testimony. She will be the most articulate and persuasive advocate of the...