Modi’s US trip will inject fresh life into relations
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is known to have insisted that his foreign tours be more than just photo-ops, but his upcoming five-day trip to the US will, in all probability, mark a departure from that script. It will be high on atmospherics, and the ongoing media build-up already points to that. But beyond the hype, little else is expected in terms of concrete deliverables because there is none on the table for now. There will be a couple of memorandums of understanding in sectors as diverse as education and energy, but no major deals will be signed and no new initiatives are on the agenda. So, while greater cooperation in the defence sector will be discussed, there will be nothing new on the much-talked about anti-tank Javelin missile deal that India and the US hope to co-produce. There is also nothing to suggest that old issues that have stagnated will make much progress. For example, while the two leaders will discuss the stalled civil nuclear cooperation deal, no breakthrough is expected on the liability law logjam. Mr Modi has a one-on-one meeting scheduled with nuclear power supplier giant GE's chief, but the interaction will only complement ongoing negotiations. This holds true for scheduled discussions on the Modi Government's refusal to sign the Trade Facilitation Agreement at the World Trade Organisation, India's intellectual property regime that American pharmaceuticals find disagreeable, as well as US trade barriers, and immigration laws that can potentially hurt Indian workers, especially in software.
However, what the trip will lack in terms of deliverables, it will more than make up with scintillating symbolism. For one, US President Barack Obama meeting Mr Modi during the UN General Assembly for a bilateral is in itself a special gesture. Every September, the White House is flooded with requests from heads of governments, in town for the annual jamboree, to meet the President. For obvious logistical reasons, such meetings are discouraged. Moreover, even though Mr Modi's tour is not technically a state visit, it seems to have all the trappings of one. The Obamas are hosting a private dinner in his honour and the Prime Minister will be put up at Blair House, the US President's official guest house. He will also be meeting the Clintons in New York. The symbolism of Mr Modi, once denied a US visa, now being feted by an eager American Government, cannot be lost on the people.
But Mr Modi's visit will not be about symbolism alone. Apart from revitalising the languishing India-US relationship, the trip is designed to electrify an oft-ignored element in the bilateral — the Indian-American diaspora. Mr Modi’s visit to Ground Zero before his UN speech will not only highlight the common challenges faced by both countries but also touch a chord with the common man. The following day, he will be living every rockstar's dream of addressing a packed house at the iconic Madison Square Garden. About 20,000 people will be in the audience and thousands more will see him live on the big screen in Times Square. Mr Modi's ability to connect with the common man has been the single most distinguishing factor of not just his diplomacy but his politics in general. One question: Will we see chemistry between Mr Modi and Mr ObamaIJ