President Joe Biden wooed the world’s most populous country with a pompous reception of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a state guest in the USA.
At a bilateral meeting between the two on Thursday, according to the US side, several economic and military agreements should be decided, including the sale of US drones to India. Biden’s government is aggressively trying to bind India more closely as a major player in the Indo-Pacific and on the international stage. However, numerous politicians from the US Congress expressed concern about the human rights situation in India.
Biden said he was “convinced that the United States-India relationship will be one of the defining relationships of the 21st century.” It is about “two great nations, two great friends, two great powers” that could determine the course of the century. “The challenges and opportunities facing the world in this century require that India and the United States work together and take the lead together.”
Solemn welcome ceremony
Various members of the US Cabinet were present at the formal welcoming ceremony for Modi, including Vice President Kamala Harris, whose mother was from India. Thousands of Americans of Indian origin were also invited. In addition to the talks between Biden and Modi and a press appearance by the two, a speech by the Indian Prime Minister to both chambers of the US Congress was also planned, as well as a festive state banquet in the White House in the evening.
Unlike regular working visits, state visits are accompanied by special formal pomp, such as a state banquet. Modi is only the third foreign guest to receive this honor during Biden’s tenure. French President Emmanuel Macron made a state visit to the United States last December. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol followed at the end of April.
According to US information, the two heads of government wanted to seal various new partnerships during the visit, including the sale of armed MQ-9B drones from the US to New Delhi, US investments in semiconductor production in India and new cooperation in space travel and in the technology sector.
India’s influence is growing
India has overtaken China as the most populous country. With around 1.4 billion inhabitants, it is also the largest democracy in the world and has growing political and economic influence, especially in the Indo-Pacific. Biden’s government is trying to counter China’s striving for power in the region and has therefore significantly promoted partnerships with other countries in the region, including the so-called quad alliance with India, Japan and Australia.
The fact that Biden rolled out the red carpet for the Indian prime minister in this way also met with criticism. Modi of the Hindu nationalist BJP has been the country’s prime minister since 2014. During his tenure, India fell several places in rankings for democracy and freedom of the press. Critics complain that religious minorities are discriminated against in the predominantly Hindu country.
Open letter to Biden
Prior to Modi’s visit, more than 70 US politicians from the House of Representatives and Senate expressed concern about the human rights situation in India and wrote an open letter asking Biden to address these issues at the meeting. They warned that there were worrying signs that political rights and freedom of expression were being curtailed in India, that religious intolerance towards minorities was increasing and freedom of the press was suffering. The White House said in advance that the President would not duck these difficult issues. Individual MPs also wanted to boycott Modi’s speech in Congress because of these concerns.
Biden said in Modi’s welcome: “Equality before the law, freedom of expression, religious pluralism, the diversity of our peoples – these fundamental principles have endured and evolved – despite the challenges in the history of our nations.” Modi, in turn, said both countries were “proud of their diversity.”
Another not so easy issue between the two countries is the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. India has so far taken a neutral stance on this and does not support Western sanctions. The country has good relations with both Western countries and Russia, on which it depends for much of its military equipment. During the war, India also began buying more oil from Russia. The US, on the other hand, is Ukraine’s closest ally in the conflict and is at the forefront of the international alliance against Russia.
