The lead story in today’s New York Times, “Obama Courts Emergent India as Deeper Ally,” shows skillful handling of our relationship with that country by the President by using a key symbolic gesture, the proposal of India for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

The proposal, made in a speech to the Indian parliament, elevated India to a status of an equal with the United States, a status President Obama emphasized when he said, “India is not simply emerging, India has emerged.”

We have much in common with India as one of the two largest democracies while an authoritarian China and an Islamic Pakistan with its terrorist havens confound us in many ways.

Meanwhile, India backed up the U.S. government by endorsing the action by the Fed to stimulate the American economy by pumping in $600 billion, a move denounced by China, Brazil and Germany. This will provide much needed support during an upcoming meeting of the Group of 20 nations in South Korea.

Mr. Obama’s handling of the Indian media was also skillful, leading to glowing accounts of his visit, and a celebrity patina for the first couple. The President also offered other economic concessions to India including the removal of export controls on certain “sensitive” technologies.

The lead article in today’s New York Times is titled, “Militant Network is Intact Long After Mumbai Siege.” It describes the efforts of India and Pakistan to arrest the terrorists responsible for attacking two five-star hotels, a cafe, train station and Jewish institution in Mumbai, India. The article is frightening in its implication of future conflict between the two nuclear-armed nations.

Apparently, the terrorist group, Lashkar-e-Taiba (or Lashkar for short) continues to operate with impunity in Pakistan and maintains unofficial relations with the Pakistani intelligence agency, ISI, as well as the Pakistani military. In addition, the government refuses to arrest the head of Lashkar, Hafiz Saeed, despite Indian intelligence regarding his participation in the Mumbai plot.

Lashkar also boasts wide membership, up to 150,000, among the Pakistani people as well as support for its mission to liberate the Muslim majority in Kashmir, currently under Indian control. More ominously, Lashkar is planning future attacks, and, if successful, it would most likely generate an Indian military response.

The mind boggles at the current possibilities of nuclear or otherwise horrific combat these days including between Iran and Israel, India and Pakistan, and, last but not least, between Al Qaeda and the United States. Any single one of these events would be enough to start a conflagration that would be difficult to control.

Hopefully, while President Obama works on health care and other domestic matters, he’s keeping his eye on the ball overseas.