At power-packed event, diplomacy, chatter... and a toast for teetotallers

PM Modi in US: In his toast, Biden, in a nod to PM Modi who is a teetotaller, recalled his grandfather’s advice on raising a toast without alcohol.

Washington “Welcome to the Washington home of PM Modi,” President Joe Biden told a glittering cast of America’s executive, legislative, financial, tech and foreign policy elite, and several accomplished Indians and Indian-Americans, at a pavilion off the south lawns of White House on Thursday night. (Follow PM Modi in US LIVE Updates)

President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden welcome PM Modi at the White House. (AP)

At the state dinner in honour of the Prime Minister, with Modi standing beside him, Biden offered a toast to the partnership and possibilities that lay ahead between “two great friends, two great nations, two great powers” — his third reference to India as a great power during the day.

For Modi, who said he was speaking about India-US ties for the fifth or sixth time during the day and had lost count, it was a moment to express his deep gratitude to both President Biden, and as his repeated acknowledgments showed, Jill Biden, who had curated the event.

Modi recalled that he had been on a fast when Biden, as vice president, had hosted a banquet for him in 2014. “And I still remember you kept asking me if I would eat anything. You were very concerned… today, I am here to make up for it.” He offered a toast to the pursuit of happiness, liberty, equality, fraternity and the everlasting bonds between the two countries.

In his toast, Biden, in a nod to PM Modi who is a teetotaller, recalled his grandfather’s advice on raising a toast without alcohol.

“Mr Prime Minister I had an Irish grandfather named Ambrose Finnegan, and he used to say that when you give a toast and you don’t have any alcohol in a glass, you must do it with your left hand,” the US President said.

The dinner, at the end of an intense day which saw Modi welcomed at the White House, the two sides engage in bilateral talks for much longer than planned, the leaders address a press conference, the release of a joint statement, and Modi’s historic address to the United States Congress, saw over 400 guests.

At the high table, the Bidens, Modi and external affairs minister S Jaishankar were joined by Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, designer Ralph Lauren, Martin Luther King III (MLK Jr’s eldest son), actor and activist Maulik Pancholy, Latino political activist Maria Teresa Kumar, Nobel laureate Denis Mukwege, and their partners.

If Mukesh and Nita Ambani, and Sundar Pichai could be seen for posing a picture, Doug Emhoff (who is married to Kamala Harris) and Ro Khanna were spotted hugging. If Vinay Kwatra was next to Harris, Antony Blinken and Richard Verma could be seen greeting guests. If Indira Nooyi and Anand Mahindra were sharing a table, Hunter Biden was mingling. But a glance across the room showed that there was possibly no other single spot across the world that could possibly match the venue in terms of concentration of power, wealth, and talent.

Both leaders dived into history but also underscored the present. They lauded the progress they had made over the day, but also recognised that there was a special bond due to Indian-Americans.

Biden mentioned both his vice president and the Indian-American members of the US Congress, recalling an instance when he had called up Pramila Jayapal’s mother in India after a legislative victory. He spoke about the diaspora’s presence in the arts, education, media, law, medicine, science, businesses of every size, spelling bee championships, and cricket clubs, including his home state of Delaware.

Modi, too, spoke about their role in diverse spheres in American life, how they contributed to society and economy in the US, found a respectful place in American “melting pot” and said, “Some have even reached the White House”, as all eyes turned to Harris’s table amid laughter and applause. “With time, our mutual understanding is increasing. We can pronounce each other’s names, understand each other’s accents, kids in India dress up as Spider-Man during Halloween and young Americans dance to Naatu Naatu. And amid your love for baseball, cricket is becoming popular.” Modi said the American team was even trying hard to qualify for the next World Cup in India, and wished them the best.

Laughter, colour, warmth marked the evening, perhaps a fitting end to what was a transformative day in the relationship between the two countries.