ABSTRACT
In this chapter, Wetering argues that trust stands for a secure relationship that is discursively constituted through identities, emotions, and practices. During the Cold War, there was a lack of cooperation between the US and India as their relationship displayed distrust. The relations were distant and volatile, especially during the Johnson and Nixon administrations in the 1960s and 1970s, but it did not lead to a full-scale conflict. One of the arguments is that India’s democratic identity helped to desecuritise emergencies between the two countries. However, this does not take into account the continuing sense of mistrust. This chapter explores this dynamic by building on social constructivist and poststructuralist insights. Trust evolves as identities, emotions, and practices are constructed through the meanings attached. These assumptions are part of a discursive process that is not fixed but always in the process of becoming.
