Amulya Ganguli - End of India’s “Howdy, Modi” Bonhomie with the USA

By Dilip -

There are bound to be a few glum faces in India’s external affairs ministry over the news of seven American lawmakers approaching the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, for interceding with India on the farmers’ issue. The officials in the ministry will not mind Pompeo’s intervention in itself since he reports to a President whose friendliness towards India was highlighted yet again by the conferment of the prestigious Legion of Merit on Narendra Modi for his contribution to strengthening the strategic ties between the two countries and for his leadership aiding India’s rise as a global power.

Abki baar, Trump sarkar

What the bureaucrats may be concerned about, however, is the name of an Indian-American Congresswoman, Pramilla Jaypal, among the seven lawmakers. A year ago, Jaypal’s stand on Kashmir was resented so much by the Indian external affairs minister, S. Jaishankar, that he refused to attend a subsequent meeting with an American team which included her.

Senator Kamala Harris, who is now the vice-president-designate, found such conduct by a foreign dignitary unacceptable. But, considering that Jaypal currently heads the influential Congressional Progressive Caucus, making her one of the most powerful US lawmakers, Indian diplomats will not find it easy to avoid her.

It will be obvious to policy makers in New Delhi that the warmth which marked Indo-American relations during Trump’s presidency is coming to an end. There is little likelihood of a replay of the kind of “Howdy, Modi” and “Namaste, Trump” shows in the US and India demonstrating the coziness of the ties between the world’s oldest and the largest democracies....

https://www.theleaflet.in/end-of-indias-howdy-modi-bonhomie-with-the-usa/#


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