US President Joe Biden’s warm embrace of Narendra Modi last week in Washington DC was as much for India as it was for the Prime Minister (PM). Modi’s State visit was the story of personal triumphs. He was given a hero’s welcome by a country that once denied him a visa. The hugs and the handshakes in the Oval Office and thunderous applause at the joint session of the Congress stood in sharp contrast to 2005, when then President George W Bush’s administration imposed a travel ban on Modi, who was then the chief minister of Gujarat. The transformation from Bush’s disapproval to Biden’s adulation is a remarkable tale.
The grand reception for Modi in the most powerful capital of the world was a way to acknowledge that he was now indeed a global leader. (Arindam Bagchi Twitter)
PM Modi is now a global leader. In the shadow of the ancient Giza pyramid, he was greeted by a ceremonial welcome and a guard of honour upon his arrival in Cairo. He was invited by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and this was the first bilateral visit to Egypt by an Indian PM in 26 years. Similarly, Australian PM Anthony Albanese called him the boss at a function in Sydney. Elon Musk, the Ceo of Tesla and owner of Twitter, is a self-declared fan of the PM.
State visits to the US are meant for a select few. The grand reception for Modi in the most powerful capital of the world was a way to acknowledge that he was now indeed a global leader. India’s own effort to project itself as the leader of the Global South got a fillip during this trip.
Modi is aware that his path was far from smooth, as he embarked on a journey that took him from provincial Gandhinagar to a global stage. In his speech before the United States (US) Congress, Modi was a true ambassador of his country’s rich heritage. He spelt out loud and clear that India’s foreign policy was imbued with the values of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, or One Earth, One Family, One Future. This is also the theme of India’s G20 leadership this year. If India believes the world is one big family, it also puts it into practice. It was best displayed during the ninth World Yoga Day when Modi led the celebrations at the UN headquarters with representatives from over 180 countries and nearly 250 million people from across the world participating.
Because of the Modi government’s emphasis on Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, India is friends with Israel, but it is also not averse to maintaining a warm relationship with the Palestinian Territories; India engages with Iran but also continues to have strong ties with Saudi Arabia; it’s a trusted friend of Russia, while also maintaining deep ties with the US. In fact, India and Modi enjoy so much goodwill in both Israel and the Palestinian Territories that one day he might emerge as a credible peacemaker between the two warring parties.
Modi’s India believes that partnerships are more desirable than alliances. India, for instance, is not an ally of the US, in the way the United Kingdom or Japan are. For years, American presidents unsuccessfully tried to break India’s friendship with Russia. It also applied diplomatic pressure on New Delhi to openly criticise Moscow for its aggression against Ukraine. It has now dawned on the Americans that they have no option but to respect Modi’s independent but principled foreign policy.
That’s why Biden’s embrace of Modi was less about Russia. This visit was more about making a common cause against a common adversary. There is a serious concern within both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party that the entire Western-led world order is being threatened by China’s spectacular rise. Modi is a rare world leader who enjoys bipartisan support in the US Congress. That is why Biden, like his predecessors, is trying hard to draw him and his country into the Western orbit.
But will Modi oblige Biden? In case of a serious US-China diplomatic spat or military confrontation, will India be standing on the side of the US? Modi is only likely to oblige if it serves India’s interest.
Syed Zafar Islam is national spokesperson, BJP, former Rajya Sabha Member, BJP and former managing director, Deutsche Bank, India. The views expressed are personal.
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