SPECTACLE WITH SUBSTANCE

Donald Trump is known to be particularly hungry for adulation and for business deals. He got both in plenty in his 36-hour India visit. As promised, Prime Minister Modi pulled all the stops to produce a spectacular show in Ahmadabad on Monday to send the self-obsessed dignitary into spasms of praise for his host in his address to the huge crowd at the Motera Stadium. Coming from a land where a 10,000-strong rally is rare, lining up the route from the airport to the stadium and then packing the latter with over one lakh cheering, screaming people would stay with Trump and his entourage, including wife Melania, daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner, a long time. India is the second most populous country on the planet and its people are used to huge spectacles, political or otherwise (remember Kumbh?). But it was not all spectacle. Substance too, was delivered on this short but productive visit which would further cement ties between the world’s most powerful nation and its largest democracy. Shared values, common security and strategic interests, and the growing shadow of an authoritarian China looming over global affairs account for the increasing bonhomie between the US and Indian leaders. Since 2,000, every five years India has had an American presidential visit. Since the opening up of the economy in the 90s, India has drawn greater attention in the western capitals. On this trip too, Trump would have been happier had India signed a comprehensive trade deal but, as he publicly noted, Modi is a tough negotiator. Differences persisted over medical devices, farm produce, etc., with India unwilling to jeopardise the interests of local producers/users. The Americans, in their turn, baulked at restoring the general specialised preference regime for a number of Indian imports. However, both sides exuded confidence that they were moving towards a ‘big deal’, though it failed to fructify on the Trump visit. But a few others did. The transactional Trump was pleased as Punch bagging the Indian order for a bagful of defence goodies, including Apache and MH 60 Romeo helicopters for over $ 3 billion. Like with other trading partners of the US, Trump was fixated on reducing the over $24 billion deficit in the nearly $150 billion annual IndoUS trade. He wanted India to step up imports more than he was ready to open up his country for Indian exports. Doubtless, all Indian governments since the 1990s, have diversified defence imports, steadily reducing reliance on Russia. From more than threefourths only a few decades ago, the military imports from Russia now stand at about 58 per cent. The US is emerging as a major supplier of India’s defence needs. With Trump helpfully lifting ban on the sale of sensitive military equipment, growing relationship at the political level between the two countries has naturally led to higher imports of vital military hardware by India in recent years.

Politically, Trump avoided stepping on Modi’s toes, cleverly skirting around questions about Citizenship (Amendment) Act and about the violence seen on the capital’s streets which at the time of writing reportedly had claimed 11 lives. As expected, Trump took up the issue of religious freedom with Modi and was happy to report that the latter was fully committed to uphold that right of people of all faiths. The two leaders had congruence of views on fighting Islamic terror, on Pakistan stopping cross-border terrorism, on the US settling with the Taliban for restoration of peace in Afghanistan. Trump repeated his offer to mediate on Kashmir, an offer promptly rejected by India. Meanwhile, the parliamentary leaders of the Congress in the two Houses along with former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh most cussedly declined to attend the banquet dinner in honour of the visiting Head of State by President Ramnath Kovind on the ground Sonia Gandhi was not invited. But in what capacity? In the official protocol she is a mere MP. Also, as feared, the ugly riots and violence over CAA engulfed parts of north-east Delhi to coincide with the Trump visit. The sinister hand of the forces arrayed all along against peace and communal harmony was not hard to detect.