Prime Minister Narendra Modi's uncanny diplomacy came to the fore when he let go the US visa row without a fuss. He knew well that as the leader of the world's leading democracy, his time would come sooner than later. His watchful expectancy seemed to have paid off, with the US steadily wooing him. US Secretary of State John Kerry has hailed Mr Modi's Sab ka saath, sab ka vikas slogan.
Mr Modi is being rightly compared to Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and he should not let this golden opportunity to emulate the Vajpayee model with Washington go waste. Mr Vajpayee was a statesman par excellence, and Mr Modi's tryst with Washington is all set to pitchfork him to the same status. Mr Modi's primary task is to remove the irritants in bilateral relations, while assuring the US that the slowing down of Indian economy would be a thing of the past and underlining that Indian interests would need to be protected.