Sadeq Khan
Fasting through nine days under devout Hindu custom for the period, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his triumphant appearance before a rapturous Indian diaspora in Madison Square, after a lively meeting of minds with young “global citizens” rocking in the Central Park of that city, a ceremonial tribute to 9/11 victims at Ground Zero, and advocacy of “multilateralism” as well as denunciation of terrorism taking “new shape and new name” in his first address in Hindu at the United Nations General Assembly, arriving as an “intriguing novice on the world stage.”
He also took his “make India” campaign to corporate America to the rapt attention of Chief Executives severally and collectively of many US multinationals and Indian-American entrepreneurs.
The Modi campaign then, as reported by AFP, wowed New York to the White House, where US President Barack Obama had his “first chance to size up Narendra Modi” in a private dinner along with key officials of both sides ahead of official talks. Through the exotic vegetarian dinner (with some sea-fish dishes aside) laid out in his honour, Modi sipped only tea and lemonade but acted out his part impressively. The result was a Modi-Obama “joint vision statement” issued after the dinner ahead of official talks. The joint “vision statement” promised that their “strategic partnership” would work to combat terror threats, respond to humanitarian disasters, prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction, and to “mitigate” the impact of climate change.
Indo-US cooperation
In 2010, Obama had conferred on the-then Indian leadership the status of “one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century” by a comprehensive range of US-India strategic cooperation. The “defining” role of that strategic cooperation practically fizzled out under the indecisive Congress regime in India. The understaffed Indian foreign office failed to match the demanding exercise of many Indo-US joint commissions set up in pursuance of 2010 Obama-Manmohan entente and declaration of US support for India’s permanent membership of the UN Security Council. Evidently, every moment of the frantic schedule of Modi-trip to USA has fruitfully contributed to the revival of US-India strategic partnership to the status of a “transformative” one. As the Modi-Obama joint vision states: “We have a vision that the United States and India will have a transformative relationship as trusted partners in the 21stcentury. Our partnership will be a model for the rest of the world.”
The lengthy bilateral talks of the US-India summit that followed in the Oval office of the US President, and the Obama-Modi walk-together through White House grounds to Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial further boosted the spirit of “trusted” partnership. Before the walk-together, Modi told the press in the White House: “We already have the foundation of a strong partnership, we now have to revive the momentum and ensure that we get the best out of it for our people and the world,” and in a joint Obama-Modi commentary published by Washington Post on its editorial page, the two leaders said: “The true potential of our relationship has yet to be fully realised.”
The jointly signed piece in Washington Post also said: It was time “to set a new agenda, one that realises concrete benefits for our citizens. This will be an agenda that enables us to find mutually rewarding ways to expand our collaboration in trade, investment and technology that harmonise with India’s ambitious development agenda, while sustaining the United States as the global engine of growth. As global partners, we are committed to enhancing our homeland security by sharing intelligence, through counterterrorism and law-enforcement cooperation, while we jointly work to maintain freedom of navigation and lawful commerce across the seas.”
Modi to cooperate on Afghan issue
After the official talks, Prime Minister Modi said: There was “great convergence” between the two sides on peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific. The US was an integral part of India’s Look East, Link West policy. India wants to resolve hurdles in the way of the civil nuclear agreement as this was important for the country’s energy security.
President Obama said there was much common ground between the two nations and that they had agreed to cooperate on tackling issues such as the Ebola outbreak, for which India pledged $12 million. “We discussed international situation, security issues and Middle East violence and extremism. We discussed trade and how we can work with each other and decided to deepen our existing ties with India.”
In the joint statement of the two governments as was issued at the end of official talks, Modi positively obtained from the Obama administration a 10-year renewal of Indo-US defence agreement, a pledge of US academic cooperation for the Indian project of a national defence university, easier entry and preferential treatment in the US market for Indian companies, commitment to expand the scope of WTO mandate to accommodate Indian food security concerns, and cooperation in renewable energy development.
But in the specifics of broader strategic co-operation, Obama prevailed and realistically concentrated on only one agenda for US-India common strategic goal. US policy makers did not goad India into any commitment for strategic involvement in South China or East China seas beyond cursory mention of maritime tensions in the former, and trilateral dialogue with Japan. India’s express sympathy for the US-led coalition waging aerial warfare to “degrade” Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in the Middle East notwithstanding, it was specifically agreed that India will not be a party to any military action against ISIL. The Obama administration focused instead on effective Indian strategic cooperation for keeping its southern doorway to the Eurasian theater, i.e. Afghanistan on the right track.
New security pact with Kabul
US-led NATO expansion and access to Central Asia has been effectively blocked by the Sanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in the north by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s surrogate armed resistance in Georgia and in Ukraine. In the south, the Talibans’ informal resistance is blocking the way, despite US-NATO military presence and US-installed jirga-approved “elected” government over essential infrastructure of Afghanistan. As Modi was visiting Washington, the US had obtained the signature of the new President of Afghanistan on a “security pact” for continuing US-NATO military presence in Afghanistan as guardians of Afghan government forces, after scheduled withdrawal of US-NATO combat troops from that country by the end of 2014.
The US had also obtained, by a power-sharing agreement between the new Afghan President Ashraf Ghani with his “Northern Alliance” legacy-holder rival, Abdullah Abdullah, appointed CEO of Ghani’s government, a Damocles’ Sword hanging over the head of Ghani by threats of rebellion from the north if he and Abdullah cannot get along together. In other words, US not only retains military presence in Afghanistan but also political clout through Abdullah Abdullah, whose Northern Alliance past was shaped by India during the years of Afghan civil war after Russian withdrawal. USA needs Indian cooperation to firm up that clout, in case Pakistan turns contrary to US presence across its western borders.
In recompense, the Obama administration ahead of Modi visit froze the assets of Pakistani terror-suspect outfits Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-i-Muhammad, etc. and in the India-US statement at the end of Modi visit, the two leaders reiterated their call for Pakistan to bring the perpetrators of the November 2008 terrorist attack in Mumbai to justice. The joint statement also stressed the need “for joint and concerted efforts, including the dismantling of safe havens for terrorist and criminal networks, to disrupt all financial and tactical support for networks such as Al Qaeda, Lashkar-e Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, the D-Company, and the Haqqanis.”
Af-Pak issue dominated talks
Interestingly, except for the for the Af-Pak region, other immediate neighbours of India, whether Himalayas-bound like Nepal and Bhutan, or with maritime stretches like Sri Lanka, Maldives or Bangladesh did not feature in any significant way in Obama-Modi talks.
In sharp contrast, the joint statement records: “Recognizing the importance of their respective strategic partnerships with Afghanistan, the leaders asserted the importance of a sustainable, inclusive, sovereign, and democratic political order in Afghanistan, and committed to continue close consultations and cooperation in support of Afghanistan’s future.”
The joint statement also mentions more mildly: “Noting India’s Act East policy and the United States’ rebalance to Asia, the leaders committed to work more closely with other Asia Pacific countries through consultations, dialogues, and joint exercises.”
Presumably, the Obama administration in USA wants to concentrate on confronting “enemy” Putin of Russia via possible future inroads into Central Asia by Indo-US control of Afghanistan, while Asia Pacific rebalance may pend, and Modi government may get time to re-orient its defence infrastructure from its Russian weapons system to high-tech US weapons system. Presumably also, the South Asian policy of USA under its Asia-Pacific rebalance blue-print may not be commensurate with Indian outlook, yet to be properly determined by “Modi-fied” New Delhi.
Source: Weekly Holiday
