Tarun Vijay
President Trump’s first visit as head of the state to India between Feb 24th to 26th is going to be the most spectacular event India or US had seen before, as the two strong leaders on earth today will architecture a path of friendship that will stun the enemies.
World , specially our neighbours will watch the Presidential visit keenly as India is moving ahead with a strong commitment to development and handling economic and defence matters which are passing through a critical phase. Pakistan remains a single most dangerous terror source against us and the recent Hafiz Saeed’s missing’report is more tragic than hilarious and reaffirms Pakistan as the biggest shield of the terrorists . But then, the trade, industry and defence matters are too important to be ignored in a Presidential visit that may see top US CEOs and strategists in the entourage.
In one go, President Trump’s India visit will bolster India’s global position on various issues including its strong and nationalist handling of the Kashmir issue, bifurcation, making changes in a smooth way, and giving befitting replies to Pakistan.
First the bonhomie around the visit, which is being termed as the biggest welcome accorded to any US president since Eisenhower in 1959. Already the work to deck up and give a new fantastic look to the Motera stadium( renamed as Sardar Patel Stadium), Ahmedabad, is coimg to a finishing touch where more than one lakh Gujarati citizens will cheer the President and Mrs Melania Trump . According to state government officials, students, working professionals and businessmen alike are expected to participate in the Trump-Modi event, along with several non-resident Gujaratis (NRGs).
The event is being touted as ‘Kem Chho Trump’ (how are you Trump?) on the lines of ‘Howdy Modi’. Ahead of the event, around 16 road stretches in and around the Motera area of Ahmedabad are either being resurfaced or widened with trees being planted on the divider in front of the stadium.
For Trump, this will be the most spectacular welcome he might have received anywhere in his life. The Indian hosts are leaving no stone unturned to make this a real memorable, unforgettable event that will further strengthen the age old India-US ties.
There is no doubt that the American leaders, philosophers, social reformers have long been respected and they inspired many generations. Life and works of Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King, KFR Kennedy resonate in our schools and colleges and their speeches are quoted by millions of Indians in various ways- as source of rich motivation. The first line written on the wall of the corridor, an Indian cadet reads while , taking final step to become an officer in the army, in the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun is not a line from any Indian general or the leader, it is a line taken from a famous Kennedy speech in 1961, -“ Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”
America remained and still remains a dream for many highly talented Indians who think they can do better in the atmosphere that the US provides- freedom, prosperity, intellectual stimulating environment in campuses, and a non-discriminatory sea of opportunities to grow.
There have been some incidents that proved just the opposite, yet the Indians dreaming to get a visa to US for study or work is ever increasing and can be seen from the crowds at US Embassy at Chanakyapuri. Indians in USA are one of the most peaceful, successful and rich, in fact very rich social segment. Their population is also seeing a steady growth. In 2017, the population of Indian-Americans with multiple ethnicities was recorded as 44,02,363, up 38.3 per cent from 31,83,063 in 2010, the South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) said in its snapshot.
Inspite of all these positive factors, that go to the micro level of the Indian population, the relations have seen USA doing much less on the terror front to help India specially in the matters of Pakistan which remains a strategic need of Washington for various geo-political reasons. It goes to the credit of Indian Prime Minister Modi that he balanced the relations in an unprecedented way, took on Pakistan on its own, punished Islamabad, and shook hands with USA as an equal partner and not the one who always seeks help of grants.
Modi has dramatically changed the entire gamut of India US relations since his ascendance to power and he has shown an amazing understanding of the foreign relations with ‘India’first’ policy.
Truly US remains India’s best ally for its economic and strategic needs and has served Indian strategic interest in more than a dozen ways- creating a worldwide eco-system of togetherness of the world’s two great democracies giving a strong message to those who look at India with ‘not-so-friendly-eyes.”
The India US togetherness was at its best at Howdy-Modi show, Houston, in September last year. US is also India’s Communications Compatibility and Security partner. During a “two-plus-two” dialogue in New Delhi, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis signed an agreement with Indian Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj and Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) gives India access to advanced communication technology used in U.S. defense equipment and allows real-time information sharing between the two countries’ militaries. The agreement had been under negotiation for nearly a decade.
So while the atmospherics are certain to be great and spectacular extent, some issues loom large over the table.
On the Indian side, leading businessmen likely to be invited to the CEOs’ round table during Trump’s visit include Adani, Mukesh Ambani, Ratan Tata, N Chandrasekaran, Anand Mahindra, A M Naik, and Sunil Mittal, among others.
People in the know say the government is now working on a compromise formula on agri trade, which may see India systematically revoking high import duties on key agricultural produce such as almonds, walnut, apples, and wine, on which New Delhi had raised duties by up to 50 per cent last year. Farm lobbies have pressurised the government to restrict market access for these products. “Discussions on other American demands — lower duties for industrial components, engineering products, and tech goods like smartwatches and iPhones — are lengthy and not expected to be completed by the time of Trump’s visit,” an official said.
While both sides are working on a “comprehensive trade package”, US trade officials have expressed their displeasure with New Delhi’s decision to saddle medical device imports with an additional health cess.
India has refused to roll it back, but people in the know say that the government may allow a trade margin policy for specific high-value items like coronary stents.
While India is surrounded by two nuclear powers, but the US remains India’s best ally for security matters.
Last year saw the first-ever 2+2 dialogue against the backdrop of burgeoning joint exercises such as Cope-India (Air Force), Yudh Abhyas (Army) and Vajra Prahar (Special Forces). The two sides are also increasingly engaged in multi-lateral exercises such as the MALABAR, RED FLAG and RIMPAC, covering the broad expanse of the Indo-Pacific. The US has recently renamed its Pacific Command as the US Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), an acknowledgement of the seamless connectivity that binds the Pacific and Indian Oceans and India’s growing importance. The Indian Navy and the US Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) are set to deepen their maritime cooperation in the Western Indian Ocean, where Chinese presence, in island nations and strategic ports such as Gwadar and Djibouti, are of concern to India. The defence and strategic relationship today encompasses a broad spectrum of activities from intelligence sharing to joint humanitarian and relief efforts, mutual port visits by naval ships, joint exercises, trade in military hardware and, most importantly, co-production and co-development of military systems.
At the end, it may be said that the Trumps are going to make a big impact with their high profile visit and we must be geared up to welcome the most trusted friends from Washington.
(The author is associated with BJP)
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