|
INDO-US TIES
Challenges & Prospects
Salman Haidar, Relations between India and the USA have seldom been entirely easy and equable. While there is much to bind the two countries and bring them closer, they are also subject to frequent misunderstandings and are sometimes divided by real differences of interest.
Prime Minister Modi welcoming President Trump That has been the recurrent pattern of the bilateral relationship. It is only in the last few years, and more particularly in the regime of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, that a concerted effort has been made, most notably from the side of India, to break away from long-established ways and seek a style of functioning that charts a different course. The paradigm of this change-over was the ‘Howdy Modi’ event that was staged to greet the Indian leader during his recent visit to the USA. With that, some of the reticence, more often associated with diplomatic ways of doing things, was deliberately cast aside and the two leaders made common cause to an unusual extent. Also, the Indian diaspora attained r e m a r k a b l e prominence as an important factor in bilateral ties. These features of the revised way of p r o j e c t i n g bilateral relations were visible when U.S. President Donald J. Trump came to India, last month. During his visit to Ahmedabad and Agra, every effort was made to ensure that a spirit of festivity prevailed on the occasion. During his visit to New Delhi, Trump and Modi took several initiatives to advance Indo-US ties further. Among other matters that can prove awkward in the India-US relationship are issues relating to the Greater Middle East and the Gulf region where US policy on Israel has regional repercussions and puts it at odds with the majority of its surrounding region. More immediate are matters nearer home for India, including Afghanistan, which remains a divisive issue that has defied US efforts to bring it under control.
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump
Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner President Donald Trump and Melania with Prime Minister Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind and his wife Savita Kovind during Trump's ceremonial reception at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi President Trump and his wife Melania at the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat.
Melania interacting with school children during her visit to a
government But more demanding is the relationship with the immediate neighbour Pakistan that continues to do what it can to create discord in the neighourhood and make problems for India. Some prominent US legislators, including, diehard supporters of Pakistan, remain active in this effort. At the same time, India has made no secret of its being disappointed by the expressed willingness of USA to mediate on Kashmir. With such issues to contend with, Trump will need to walk warily in India. A new chapter in Indo-US tiesKnowledgeable sources say the outcome of American President Donald J Trump’s visit to India and his talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month is highly positive. It has opened a new chapter in Indo-US ties. During the visit , India and US discussed every important aspect of US-India partnership-- defence and security, energy strategic partnership, trade and people- to- people ties. The two inked three MoUs : on mental health, safety of medical products and cooperation between Indian Oil Corporation and Exxon. They decided to take Indo-US ties to a comprehensive global partnership level. They agreed on a new mechanism to contain drug trafficking.
Boeing AH-64E Apache helicopter
New Delhi and Washington announced to give legal
shape to trade talks. The two leaders affirmed their
countries' commitment to protecting their citizens from radical Islamic terrorism. India and the US finalised
defence deals worth $ 3 billion. New Delhi cleared the
acquisition of six additional AH-64E Apache attack
choppers. The Apache contract for six helicopters for the
Indian Army follows a contract for 22 helicopters ordered
by the Indian Air Force in 2015. Boeing has already
delivered to the Indian Air Force 17 of 22 Apaches; the
remaining five will be delivered to the Air Force by the
end of March 2020. Deliveries for the Indian Army
Apaches are planned to begin in 2023. |