[ad_1]
As soon as Joe Biden’s name as the next president of the United States is finalized, world leaders begin to congratulate him, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is no exception. But at an event in Texas last year, it was Narendra Modi who publicly called for Donald Trump’s re-election, which many described as a violation of India’s traditional foreign policy.
Is India now embarrassed by the Modi government’s open support for Trump?
Observers say that many of the Biden administration’s views are shameful for India, but in the end, India’s interest may survive due to the China factor. In September 2019, at the ‘Howdy Modi’ event in Houston, the prime minister sided with Donald Trump and chanted the slogan ‘Ab Ki Bar Trump Government’.
Anurag Srivastava, a spokesman for the State Department in Delhi, was asked late Friday whether Trump’s victory a year before the US presidential election embarrassed India.
In response, Srivastava said: “Indo-US relations are built on a very solid foundation. It is an all-encompassing global strategic partnership, ranging from defense, trade and investment.” This relationship is strongly supported by both parties in the United States, which has reached new heights under one president after another.
While the Indian spokesperson makes this comment, there is still more than 24 hours left for Joe Biden’s final victory declaration.
After the announcement, Nirupama Rao Menon, former Indian Foreign Secretary and former Ambassador to Washington, is confident that India-US relations will not be interrupted during Biden’s tenure.
In Rao’s words, “America’s strategic interests with India are similar in many respects, as Joe Biden has recognized. I think the positive aspects of this relationship will remain intact during his tenure. A big reason for this is the role of China in today’s politically divided America, but everyone agrees that the United States must do something to deal with China.As a result, Washington’s relationship with Delhi will depend on the relationship between the United States and China.
Naynima Basu, the diplomatic editor of The Print in Delhi, reiterates that the US administration has “bipartisan support” for India, but the Democratic administration could bring some discomfort to Delhi on issues like Kashmir.
“It is true that Trump has had a special relationship with the Modi government since he came to power,” he said. But he had a fairly close relationship with the Democrat Barack Obama. And the fact that India has been receiving support from both American parties from the beginning, there is no reason for it to budge even during Biden’s tenure.
He added: ‘But there is an uncomfortable element to this. Not only because of Prime Minister Modi’s catchphrase for Trump, but also because Indian Foreign Minister S Jayashankar refused to visit the United States last year to meet Congresswoman Pramila Jaipal, who is a fierce critic. of India on the subject of Kashmir. Premila Jaipal can now see herself in an important role in the Biden administration. Furthermore, future Vice President Kamala Harris has repeatedly said that India has not been able to handle the Kashmir issue adequately, so there is room for shame. But in the end, he believes that the joint stance of the two countries against China will overtake slogans like “The government of Ab Ki Bar Trump.”
In the words of Nayanima Basu, “the strategic relations between India and the United States are now much closer than a decade ago and the main reason is the China factor.”
Nayanima Basu said: “Call it Indo-Pacific, call it quad or quadruple security dialogue or joint naval exercises like Exercise Malabar are seen in all cases.” The second episode of Malabar will be later this month. However, the Biden administration must take a hard line against China, although the rhetoric may not be as harsh as it was in the Trump era. And forgetting that reality will advance the relationship between the United States and India. He said that they are very aware of all these slogans and slogans in politics.
A former Indian diplomat said: “If Narendra Modi had been able to return to Houston in the time machine, he would not have chanted those slogans, but the extreme deterioration of China-US relations may have saved him in Washington.”
Source: BBC
[ad_2]
