India-US friendship: Prime Minister Modi’s state visit proves ties to next generation

By DC Patak

New Delhi: A large reception for US Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden on June 22 was attended by a large number of Indian-Americans, including three A new aspect was shown. About the friendship between America and India.

These aspects are: that the two great democracies intend to lead the democratic world in the face of both “challenges and opportunities” in the coming era; that Indian Americans bring pride to both countries; Relations are now all-encompassing. of defense and security.

These are apparently new standards set to define what appears to be an irreversible friendship between the two countries.

Despite India’s balanced approach to the Ukrainian-Russian military conflict and strong US lobbying to question alleged erosion of freedom of expression in India under the Modi government, the relationship seems to be lacking. It is certainly worth noting that there are no downsides.

In their opening remarks, Biden and Modi referred to the democratic foundations of their constitutions, which are rooted in the words “We the People,” and spoke of their shared commitment to advancing world peace and democratic values.

International relations in today’s geopolitics are determined by both national security and economic concerns, but the geopolitical dimension has been paramount. Importantly, Indian and US National Security Advisors Ajit Dval and Jake Sullivan were the only others invited. A private dinner and musical evening President Biden hosted for Modi at the White House on the first night of his visit.

Modi’s comprehensive, informative and powerful speech to the US Congress was arguably the best representation of India’s progress in recent years, its civilizational strength and its vision of a peaceful ‘one world’. He called for a new post-COVID-19 world order featuring seamless cooperation between India and the United States for economic growth, security and environmental sustainability.

His commitment to India’s national interests stands out in laying out facts such as India’s progress in digitization, the success of its ‘direct transfers’ to the poor, and the interplay of benefits arising in both countries from US investment in India. was

Prime Minister Modi’s emphasis on India speaking with ‘one voice’ despite vast diversity in languages, customs and ways of worship was building a narrative of ‘division’ within India. It became an effective countermeasure against people. The prime minister said the United States used to be an “outsider” in the field of defense cooperation, but now has become one of India’s largest defense partners.

On key geopolitical developments, the Prime Minister called for a “rules-based open order” in the Indo-Pacific region, strongly supported the rights of all stakeholders to oppose any aggression and encroachment, and This was repeated in the Ukrainian context as well. Russia’s military confrontation called for “peaceful denial” to end “human misery” arising from the conflict, calling for “this is not the time for war”, and insisting on full African Union membership in the G20. .

On China, PM Modi says the Indo-Pacific region is haunted by ‘coercion and confrontation’, leaving no doubt that India is fully committed to quads to protect regional freedoms. said. All of this has ensured full alignment between the US and India’s position on China as a common adversary. India’s unrestricted cooperation with the United States in areas across the spectrum, from space to the ocean, sent the message that any aggression against India would pay off to China. Ocean will be virtually subdued.

Implicit in India’s approach to Russia was the fact that the US-led Western powers eventually seem to have grasped this, but nothing should be done to irreversibly coerce Putin into the Chinese camp. I was told no. This is because it does not serve the strategic interests of both countries. America or India.

Prime Minister Modi emphasized the need to rebuild the supply chains disrupted by the novel coronavirus and the Ukraine-Russia conflict, and prioritized the development agenda. He took advantage of this opportunity to project India as a leader of the global South and, by extension, a world power in its own right. He spoke from his heart in English and made a big impact with his speech full of alliteration.

This speaks to the strategic understanding of Prime Minister Modi and his National Security Advisor, who used his speeches in Parliament to state that terrorism, in all its forms, remains a major threat to the world. , warned the world that it should be condemned without the “if” and “but”. world security. In a way, he was referring to the “good terrorists and bad terrorists” trap that Washington once fell into while dealing with Pakistan.

The threat of terrorism has become particularly acute for India since Pakistan successfully re-established the Taliban emirate in Kabul in 2021 and the China-DPRK Axis reached concessions with the Taliban on Afghanistan, allowing China to expand its territory. It’s becoming and the Roads to the Country Initiative (BRI).

Cooperation between Pakistan and China has further deepened since India repealed Article 370 on Kashmir in August 2019. India’s two hostile neighbors have stepped up covert operations to destabilize India’s interior, and Chinese drones are now being used by Pak ISI to drop weapons and drugs in Kashmir. Consignments in border provinces between provinces and Punjab. The threat of radicalization leading to the withdrawal of mujahideen, including suicide bombers, cannot be discounted. Desperate Pakistan has no choice but to cause problems for India.

Pakistan now uses extremist groups across the Islamic spectrum, including HuM, LeT and Jaishe Mohammed, but also groups associated with the Taliban, al-Qaeda and ISIS radical currents in its proxy war against India. be able to. The precedent of how his SIMI, a descendant of Jamaat-e-Islam Hind, gave rise to India’s Mujahideen (IM) is a precedent for how faith-based terrorism can arise from communal militancy. This is a good example of how

Modi’s visit to the United States will help build a vision that in today’s conflict-ridden geopolitics, the power of democracy can triumph over undemocratic regimes and build a peaceful and prosperous world. proved to be very important. .

India and the United States certainly appeared to be ‘equal’ partners in this mission, and this is perhaps the highlight of the visit – India’s achievements in this special status are directly will be given to Prime Minister Modi from The fact that the Indian economy has risen from its initial 10th to 5th place under Modi and is on the fastest track to 3rd place is a result of the prime minister’s initiative and strong governance.

The visit is also a crowning glory for India’s handling of international relations, which will certainly boost Modi’s political standing in the country. If India’s economic development leads to the uplifting of the average Indian, Modi’s government will also win elections.

In India, opposition parties feel under pressure as PM Modi gains public support beyond party influence. The narrative that the Modi government promoted majorityism and authoritarianism and denied minorities protection has not caught up, and in a rare exchange with the media in Washington, the prime minister said India had caste, creed asserted that discrimination based on area does not exist. And he believed in “Sabkha Saath, Sabkha Vikas, Sabkha Vishwas”, which documented the government’s policy of putting all citizens on equal footing.

On the last day of his visit to the United States, Prime Minister Modi delivered a massive speech to the Indian expats gathered at the Reagan Center, declaring that the “new journey” that India has embarked on with the United States would “reshape the world,” and won a huge sum of money. He expressed confidence that the investment would be successful. Support from the US will boost job creation and innovation in India. The message is timely and pertinent, and India should look forward to creating jobs and opportunities on a scale that will effectively tackle unemployment and poverty in the coming months and years.

It would be unfair to think that PM Modi continues to engage with the outside world and does not think enough about resolving these domestic problems. This visit to the United States was about taking India to new heights in terms of economic growth and national welfare as well as about geopolitical strategy.

The joint statement issued at the end of Modi’s landmark visit to the United States specifically touched on various areas of future India-US cooperation. Modi and Biden acknowledged that the statement represented the broadest and most comprehensive vision of progress “in the history of bilateral relations.”

The statement highlights, inter alia, growing bilateral educational partnerships, active cooperation across the health sector, and further steps to facilitate the mobility of professional and skilled workers, students, investors and business travelers. was given.

The two leaders reaffirmed that the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) is an important pillar of their joint efforts to build resilience in supply chains, clean energy, effective tax administration, and capacity-building measures.

Apart from promoting global growth, both countries spelled out the steps needed to deepen their strategic integration. President Biden welcomes PM Modi’s Lifestyles for the Environment Initiative (LiFE) as a successful national model and works with PM Modi to implement G20 High-Level Principles on Lifestyles for Sustainable Development decided to do it. This is a great tribute to the Prime Minister’s vision to link his lifestyle contribution to ameliorating global problems such as climate change, land degradation and biodiversity loss.

The two leaders expressed their deep concern over the conflict in Ukraine, lamented the human misery it has created, and called for further efforts to mitigate the effects of war, especially in developing countries. They called for respect for international law, the principles of the UN Charter, territorial integrity and sovereignty. They also mentioned the reconstruction of post-conflict Ukraine, an idea originally proposed by India.

Russia was largely absent from the statement, which in some ways justified India’s position on the conflict. The United States and India recommitted to strengthening the Quad as a partnership for the global good, arguing that the multilateral system better reflects contemporary realities.

The statement said the Quad in India in 2024 will be seen as an opportunity to strengthen cooperation towards an open and safe Indo-Pacific in collaboration with regional platforms such as the Indian Ocean Rim Association, the Indo-Pacific Initiative and the Indo-Pacific Initiative. said it would. ASEAN.

Through its partnership with the United States, India thus built a geopolitical countermeasure against Chinese aggression in the Indian Ocean. The US visit has transformed India as a global player in both global growth and security.

The visit also effectively highlighted the threat the Sino-North Korean Axis poses to the entire democratic world. al relationship.

(The author is a former Intelligence Director. The views expressed are personal).