The Motera blockbuster (Trump actually referenced Bollywood) has heralded a new era in the Indo-US relationship. The bonhomie and pragmatic realism that is a result of intimate personal friendship between the leaders of the two most powerful democracies is palpable in the calibrated speech of President Trump. While showering praise on Prime Minister Modi, he also spelt out the future roadmap of India-US strategic partnership.
In the true sense of Atithi Devo Bhava, POTUS Trump was presented with a spectacle rivaling Howdy Modi at Houston five months earlier and was clearly swept off his feet, FLOTUS Melania in tow. Optics apart, the true purpose of the visit is out for everyone to see. It is evident that the standalone visit is a clear effort by President Trump to put his might behind India for a wider Indo-Pacific strategic partnership. His gestures speak about the plans of the two nations for times to come.
For one, it heralded an era in which India would be regarded as an equal partner in the world stage both in economic and strategic terms. The fact that Russia, our close strategic ally from the Seventies, did not object to the high-voltage visit goes on to prove the growing diplomatic muscle of India in the world arena. Second, there was a very direct message to China when President Trump said India has achieved greatness by setting its people free by trusting in their abilities and by honouring the dignity of individuals. He explicitly mentioned a country, not countries, which had tried to achieve power through aggression, by coercive action and without individual freedom. China’s reaction would be worth watching for. Reeling under the Coronavirus and refusing world aid, China might take a while to react, but react it will.
The next take-away from Trump’s powerful speech was regarding Pakistan. While asserting that the US has good relations with Pakistan, he mentioned in the same breath that the US is working to control terrorism emanating from the borders of Pakistan. He went on to say that both India and the US have suffered the anguish and pain of terrorism (no points on guessing by whom) and are determined to fight it united. This is by far the most direct statement of any POTUS from Indian soil regarding terrorism vis-a-vis Pakistan. This is especially important coming as it has on the background of the US-Taliban pact on February 29 in Doha for which Pakistan has to be on board. In a single sentence, Trump has put Pakistan on notice about terrorism as well as on Afghanistan. If you do not come forward with cooperation in Afghanistan, well, we have India as a friend. We might see some sort of broad security declaration implying this in near future.
The next important statement having a global ramification is the statement that India and the US are committed to fighting radical Islamic terrorism ideologically. At a cursory approach, it might sound like a statement borne out of Samuel Huntington’s ‘Clash of Civilisations’. But in reality, it could be a very well-thought-out, coordinated global strategy combating Islamic fanaticism. The USA is a Judeo-Christian nation. India has recently opened up with Israel, a Jewish state, and we now are not ashamed of calling ourselves a pluralistic Hindu Rastra (Hoardings welcoming President Trump to the land of Lord Rama were seen in Agra). From Malaysia to the Middle East and from Europe to the US, Islamic fundamentalism is a fact; and increasingly, nations don’t hesitate in calling it so. The recent ban on Burqa in Sri Lanka is a case in point.
Overall, the power-packed visit by President Trump in an American election year and, that too, to a country which has a sizeable expat community in the US which can influence the elections, is a much-calculated one. While the detractors may claim opportunism, the fact of the matter is that the geopolitical equation is undergoing a definitive shift. While China with its aggressive hegemonic tendencies is becoming increasingly isolated, the once-hegemony US stands to gain in terms of reduction in military spending and expanding made-in-US trade if it can strike a working relationship with emerging economic powers like India. Moreover, together with Japan and Australia, India and the US will be in a position to checkmate China in the Indo-Pacific region.
We in India should welcome this with open arms as we need to straddle both the worlds (in effect meaning Russia and the US) in order to be prepared to fight a two-and-a-half front war. While the US is willing to deal with us in defence purchases, one has to be clear about the transfer of technology aspect. Our old ally Russia has transferred some technology to us which had been indigenised (BRAHMOS for example). But with the US, the loyalty has to be tested on ground. The geostrategic factors may have pushed the US to the lap of India, but a clear and farsighted leadership rooted in national interest only will be able to utilise the gain to consolidate its position in the region. The unfinished agenda of the POK should be woven into the Indo-US strategic security narrative. It would go a long way in killing many a bird with a single stone.
(Dr Samantsinghar is secretary, BJP, Odisha. Views are personal)