India and the US should cooperate broadly in a ‘strategic partnership’

The bond between the US and India is stronger and more dynamic than ever. President Biden said this at the end of Indian Prime Minister Modi’s visit. Both the countries have signed various agreements including trade and defense.

More than 1.3 billion people live in India, the most populous in the world. In the coming years, India will be among the top three largest economies. This makes the country an increasingly attractive partner for the United States.

Countries will jointly develop armed drones and advanced telecommunications. They also want to work together on AI technology and the supply chain of semiconductors. Striking is an agreement between General Electric and Hindustan Aeronautics to develop fighter jet engines. The US shares this technology with only a few other countries.

However, partnerships have sharp edges. During Modi’s visit to Washington, there was little talk of deteriorating human rights in India. India’s trade with Russia and Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine are not openly discussed.

Modi’s US state visit shows how important India is to US foreign policy. With tensions rising between the US and China, the Americans want to make sure they can count on India for support in Asia.

Analysts cautioned against high expectations. Because even as Modi talks about a new chapter in the strategic partnership, oil and fertilizer imports from Russia continue.

It is noteworthy that Modi did not talk about the alliance. Since independence from the British in 1947, India has followed a politically neutral course. The country refuses to take sides when tensions between the US and Russia arise and India keeps a low profile on Ukraine.

Modi has not always been a welcome guest in America. Washington held him responsible for the 2002 riots in Gujarat state that killed more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims. Modi was then the Chief Executive of Gujarat. In 2014, when Modi took office as the Prime Minister of India, the US ban was lifted.

During Modi’s US state visit, which began with a yoga session on the lawn of the UN building in New York, voices were heard criticizing human rights abuses in India, particularly discrimination against the Muslim minority. Modi expressed surprise at the criticism. According to him, discrimination has “absolutely no place” in India. Human rights groups accuse Modi and his party of inciting violent Hindu nationalism.

Modi has been a laughing stock to America for years and now Modi is allowed to address a joint session of the US Congress. Previously only leaders like Mandela, Churchill and Zelensky were given this honour.