WASHINGTON, August 13: After the tilt, the evenhandedness. An overcautious White House, conscious of delicate subcontinental sensitivities, has sent the Indian community in the US and the Indian Embassy into a tizzy over whether President Clinton will attend any of the Golden Jubilee festivities planned for August 15.

Although the White House has ruled out the President going to India in the near future, Clinton himself told reporters last week that he would be participating in some social events to mark the occasion of the sub-continent's Golden Jubilee of freedom.

But till the very last moment, the White House has not confirmed his participation in any event, including a luncheon at the Indian ambassador's residence and a banquet hosted by the Nation Federation of Indian Americans (NFAI).

The White House says the matter is still under active consideration. Indian officials and NFAI office bearers said they are hopeful the President will swing by. Clinton is also scheduled to go on his summer vacation to Martha's Vineyard on August 15.

The Indians also hope that if the President decides to stay away, First Lady Hillary Clinton will drop in Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has already confirmed her attendance at the NFAI banquet.

At the root of Clinton's reticence is the delicate question of being even - handed towards India and Pakistan. Pakistan's Golden Jubilee is a no show even compared to the modest Indian fiesta. But apparently the White House does not want to miff the already sulking Pakistanis.

Besides, the Indians, typically, were themselves divided for a long time. The NFA banquet upstaged a similar event planned by the Indian-American Forum for Political Action. The two outfits have traditionally fought to patronise the White House.

In 1995, the forum shanghaied the President to their annual meeting with a handsome political donation. But now, after the campaign finance brouhaha, the White House is also leery of all such attempts to woo the President.

Compounding such problems are the minor but frequent irritants in Indo-US relations arising from Washington's insensitivity and New Delhi's oversensitivity.

The latest eruption came on the weekend over the statement by an US official that it still considered Kashmir a disputed territory. Although the official was repeating an oft-stated US position, some journalists pumped up the story to suggest the US was dropping a ``bombshell,'' causing excitable Indian parliamentarians to cause the usual ``furore.''

Cable flew thick and fast between New Delhi and Washington as officials in the embassy here scrambled to attend to demands that they seek a ``clarification'' from the Americans.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.