‘True, loyal friend’: Trump affirms India relationship
Says committed to defence partnership, terror fight; ‘incredible’ trade deal soon Calls PM a ‘tremendous leader’, tough negotiator; arrives in Delhi for bilateral talks
AHMEDABAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump on Monday presented their vision for the next phase of the bilateral strategic partnership between the two countries, with the US leader promising India one of the “biggest ever” trade deals and the “most-feared military equipment” as they jointly addressed a rally attended by over 100,000 people.
The two leaders effusively praised each other at the “Namaste Trump” rally held at the world’s largest cricket stadium at Motera, with Trump describing Modi as an “exceptional leader, a great champion of India” to loud cheers, while the Prime Minister said India-US relations have moved on from “just another partnership” to a “far greater and closer relationship”.
Trump, on his first visit to India, and First Lady Melania Trump were received by Modi when they landed at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Air Force One shortly before noon. The Indian side pulled out all the stops in according a rapturous welcome to the US President, with tens of thousands of people lining the roads as he drove from the airport to Sabarmati Ashram and then to Motera Stadium, the venue for the “Namaste Trump” rally. Folk musicians, dancers and artists performed on stages representing India’s 28 states as Trump’s motorcade covered the 22-km route, showcasing the country’s rich and diverse culture and heritage.
During the short stopover at Sabarmati Ashram, the complex on the banks of the Sabarmati river that was home to Mahatma Gandhi between 1917 and 1930, Modi took the Trumps around the spartan home. Trump spun the charkha to weave some cotton, and signed the visitors’ book before resuming the journey to the stadium for the rally, that was the highlight of the first leg of his visit of just under 36 hours.
The massive crowd, which had waited patiently for several hours to hear the two leaders, was
led by Modi in chanting “Bharat Mata ki jai”, “Namaste Trump” and “Long live India-US friendship”.
“Today, in Motera Stadium, new history is being made,” Modi said, recalling the “Howdy Modi!” rally in Houston last September. “Today, my friend President Donald Trump is starting his historic visit to India with ‘Namaste Trump’ in Ahmedabad.”
Modi further said: “India-US ties are no longer just another partnership. It is a far greater and closer relationship. One country is the ‘land of the free’ and the other believes the world is one family. One country feels proud of the Statue of Liberty, the other feels proud of the Statue of Unity.” The presence of Trump’s family, including his wife Melania, daughter Ivanka and son-inlaw Jared Kushner “reflects the close family-like ties” between the two sides, he said, adding that the vibrancy and diversity of India’s unity will be the foundation for the bilateral relationship.
Trump was equally lavish with his praise, saying Modi was working “night and day for his country” and that he was proud to call the Prime Minister “my true friend”. He said he and the First Lady had travelled 8,000 miles to deliver a message to every Indian: “America loves India, America respects India, and America will always be faithful and loyal friends to the Indian people.”
The President added: “From this day on, India will always hold a very special place in our hearts. The life of Prime Minister Modi underscores the limitless promise of this great nation — he started out by his father’s side, as a chaiwalla, a tea seller.”
With some of the criticism in the US of Trump’s visit focusing on the inability of the two countries to reach even a limited trade package and the perceived lack of deliverables, Trump pledged that he and Modi will be “making a very, very major, among the biggest ever made trade deals”. This, he added, will be a “fantastic deal” for both sides, though he acknowledged Modi was a “very tough negotiator”.
Trump also unveiled plans to sell state-of-the-art military helicopters worth over $3 billion and promised to provide India “some of the best and most-feared military equipment”, ranging from missiles to air defence systems and armed UAVs.
There was also a reiteration of the US commitment to work with India to protect the citizens of both countries from “radical Islamic terrorism”, with Trump saying that his administration is working with Pakistan to crack down on terror groups operating from Pakistani soil. He added that the US is “beginning to see signs of big progress with Pakistan” and is hopeful of “reduced tension and greater stability” across South Asia.
Trump and Modi hugged each other at least four times in the time they were on the stage at Motera Stadium. Trump’s numerous references to India’s achievements in different fields and his pledge to work with India to stop terrorism drew loud cheers, as did Modi’s praise for the president’s efforts to grow the partnership.
Trust, Modi said, is the most important component in a relationship and India and the US had taken their mutual trust to new heights. Trump had said during their first meeting that India now had a true friend in the White House and demonstrated his “special love for India” since then, he added.
India is the largest trading partner of the US and the two sides are now conducting some of the largest military exercises, and New Delhi’s plans to develop its manufacturing sector and infrastructure presents tremendous opportunities for the US, Modi said. “India and the US are natural partners not just in the Indo-Pacific but can work together for the progress and security of the whole world,” he said. Following the “Namaste Trump” rally, Trump and his family flew from Ahmedabad to Agra, where the President and the First Lady held hands during a sunset tour of the Taj Mahal, the 17th century monument to love built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. Accompanied by Ivanka Trump and Kushner, Trump and his wife spent almost an hour at the famed monument. The first couple later wrote in the visitors’ book: “The Taj Mahal inspires awe, a timeless testament to the rich and diverse beauty of India’s culture! Thank you India.”
In Agra, too, thousands of people lined the route of Trump’s motorcade, with the president and his family using eco-friendly electric carts for the last leg of the journey to the monument complex. “Trump largely stuck to his script, emphasising the positive aspects of the US-India relationship. It is evident that he has a significant amount of admiration for Prime Minister Modi, but those positive words can only go so far,” said Akhil Bery, South Asia analyst at the Eurasia Group, Washington DC
After the pomp and pageantry of the first leg of the visit on Monday, Trump and Modi are expected to get down to business during their restricted and delegation-level talks at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Tuesday. Besides the signing of some defence deals and at least five memorandums of understanding (MoUs) on issues ranging from civil nuclear cooperation to natural gas and trade facilitation, the two leaders will also review the global and regional situation and discuss ways to take forward bilateral relations.
The Trumps will also visit Rajghat to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi, and the trip will culminate in a grand banquet for select guests at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.