How Modi was welcomed by the United States after being banned

 How Modi was welcomed by the United States after being banned

      Narendra Modi, the Indian prime minister, was previously excluded by the United States of America. He was denied a visa due to "serious violations of religious freedom," and as a result, was virtually prevented from visiting the nation for more than 10 years.

   But in the nine years since that ban was removed, Modi has gained more and more support from the White House.

  During a state visit to Washington this week, the head of the most populous country in the world will have a meeting with US President Joe Biden. The trip is anticipated to strengthen defense, trade, and technology ties as well as "the warm bonds of family and friendship" that bind the two nations together.

   As an example of India's soft power, Modi will also preside over celebrations for the International Day of Yoga on Wednesday at the UN's New York headquarters.

    The next day, he will address Congress—a privilege usually reserved for close US allies—and attend an opulent state banquet given by Biden, showing just how important Modi has grown to the US as a strategic partner.

    On May 24, 2022, US President Joe Biden and Modi had a meeting at the Quad leaders conference at Tokyo's Kantei Palace. - File by Evan Vucci/AP

    However, analysts say Modi's visit will also be a test for the Biden administration, which has positioned itself as a democratic protector in an increasingly populist and polarized era while seemingly turning a blind eye to New Delhi's alleged human rights abuses playing out at home. This is in addition to the ceremonies and diplomatic niceties that will play out in Washington.

    Critics from rights organizations and opposition MPs have voiced their concerns about the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Modi, for its growing emphasis on Hindu nationalism and its persistent crackdown on dissent. As India is viewed as a significant regional ally by Biden, there is mounting pressure on him to address these issues during Modi's visit.

   Nevertheless, some observers argue that due to India's rising influence in the Indo-Pacific region and its large diaspora of 5 million people in the US, which is one of the largest immigrant communities and fastest-growing voting blocs in the country, it is unlikely that there will be any substantial criticism.

The United States Institute of Peace's (USIP) Daniel S. Markey, senior adviser for South Asia, stated that Washington views India as "a strategic swing state in a world order increasingly defined by competition between the US and China," adding that geopolitics has "generally taken a back seat" to human rights concerns.

    Markey said, "But I think they are still relevant, or should be. If only because India will ultimately become a more difficult and ineffective US partner due to its weakening democracy.

     The visit is a test, he continued, since Biden shouldn't appear to be supporting Modi's dictatorial policies.

     "In my opinion, the White House should embrace relations with India without making the alliance personal or adopting Modi's political views. It's difficult to thread that needle.

A challenge for Washington

    

The most recent of Modi's several diplomatic trips in recent weeks is to the US, but other Western countries have also put out the red carpet for him.

    He met Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Sydney last month, who praised Modi and referred to him as a "rockstar," a "boss," and a somebody who has improved Australia's democracy.

    Prior to that, Modi visited Papua New Guinea where he met with the prime minister, James Marape, and expressed support for the Pacific Islands, an area that China has also been expanding its diplomatic ties with.

     Days before, he had their first face-to-face encounter since the start of Russia's invasion when he spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky outside of the Group of Seven (G7) conference in Japan.

    This, according to Markey, is illustrative of Modi's emphasis on "earning praise from other democratic leaders in the Indo-Pacific and beyond."

     These interactions "serve Modi's political objectives in India," he concluded.

While his detractors are discouraged because their worries aren't taken seriously in other democracies, Markey added, "His supporters are encouraged by the respect he earns on the global stage."

    On May 24, 2023, Modi strolls beside Anthony Albanese, the prime minister of Australia, in front of Admiralty House in Sydney. Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty Pictures

Human Rights Watch (HRW) encouraged the White House last week to make human rights issues "the center" of the Modi-Biden meeting.

    "Modi and Biden should jointly acknowledge human rights challenges - both in India and the US - and agree to address them," said John Sifton, Asia advocacy director for the organization.

    Policymakers have been invited to a viewing of the BBC documentary that questioned Modi's management of the fatal sectarian riots that occurred in Gujarat in 2002, while he served as the state's chief minister, by HRW and Amnesty International.

    Soon after it broadcast, the program was outlawed in India, and tax authorities searched the BBC's headquarters in New Delhi, inciting outcry among rights organizations.

    Government critics and people who are uneasy with BJP control in India have taken notice of Washington's relative quiet on criticism of Modi.

    Sushant Singh, a senior scholar at one of India's top think tanks, the Centre for Policy Research, stated that the dishonesty toward Indian democratic principles, religious freedom, and press freedom irritates a lot of people in that country.

     People in India find it irritating that the White House goes out of its way to refer to India as the "mother of democracy" because they think that America has been dishonest.

 A watchful move

    Modi and Biden are anticipated to make a series of trade and defense announcements this week in Washington.

   Tanvi Madan, a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, believes that the visit is "significant" and "can't be seen in isolation."

   It expands on "nearly 2.5 decades of relationship progress," she added. "There are opportunities that present themselves with the potential to elevate relationships to a new level, and this is one of them," the speaker said.

Having common worries about China is a top priority.

   Over the past three years, India and China have been locked in a military standoff along their shared border with the Himalayas, which has resulted in the deaths of dozens of people. Both New Delhi and Washington are growing uneasy over Beijing's expanding military power, assertive territorial claims on land and at sea, and expanding economic influence over its smaller neighbors.

   However, while becoming closer to the US, India continues to rely significantly on Russia for its military hardware. For Western nations, that has been a major cause of frustration.

    Instead of breaking off business connections with the Kremlin, India has increased its imports of Russian oil, coal, and fertilizer, undermining Western sanctions and providing President Vladimir Putin with a crucial financial lifeline while his forces fight a savage war against Ukraine that has shared throughout the world.

    Additionally, New Delhi has consistently abstained from UN votes that would have punished Russia, giving Moscow the appearance of international legitimacy.

    On December 6, 2021, Modi and Vladimir Putin posed for photos at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, India. - T. Narayan/Getty Images/Bloomberg/File

This deft move perfectly encapsulates India's singular stance on the conflict: publicly separating itself from Russia but continuing to hold essential connections with Moscow and strengthening its ties with the West.

    And because of New Delhi's increasing influence, the West is prepared to be lenient with it, according to Madan.

     According to her, "the US has seen India as important in its own right -- as a large, economically-growing democracy, with military and technological capabilities that will play a key role in the international order," and that it is also an important "geopolitical counterbalance, economic alternative, and democratic contrast to China."

    There have also been indications of issues between Moscow and New Delhi in recent months. The Indian Air Force said in March that the conflict in Ukraine prevented Russia from delivering the armaments it had promised to India.

     Vinay Kwatra, the foreign secretary of India, described the defense partnership between New Delhi and Washington as "robust and dynamic" on Monday.

    He said at a press conference that the defense roadmap that the US and India have been debating "focuses on all aspects of defense, core production and core development" and might be a "key aspect" of Modi's visit.

    While this is going on, Biden's administration is trying to persuade businesses to turn away from China and toward India, a nation of 1.4 billion people, many of whom are young, educated, and primarily English-speaking.

    Due to India's expanding global and regional significance, Madan added, "Modi is being welcomed in various countries because India is seen as an attractive - and useful - partner by many countries."

    She said, "I don't expect the White House to publicly condemn this." The celebration of India and the US-India cooperation will be the main topic.