Trump and Modi do not forge American-Indian ties alone

As far as pure political theater is concerned, few can match Donald Trump and Narendra Modi, but during their recent meeting in New Delhi, the American President and the Indian Prime Minister were surprised by the avoidable tragedy unfolding across the city. .

In Indian capitalsworst community violence in decades, clashes between Hindus and Muslims left more than 50 dead and more than 200 injured. At least some local police officers, who fall under federal jurisdiction, failed to protect residents or even incited rioters. The calamity imposed on the American president a difficult test on how to react on foreign soil from an important but sensitive partner with the whole world to watch.

India's leadership has been strongly criticized for the context of the violence. After his re-election in 2019, Modi elevated the majority Hindu agenda of Bharatiya Janata Partys. He revoked the constitutional autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir, the only Muslim-majority state in India. His party launched a law accelerating the citizenship of religious minorities fleeing neighboring countries, but not Muslims have started nationwide protests and set the stage for the debacle in Delhi. Journalists, civil society and businesses are all under pressure, not to mention Indiasecular constitution.

As Trump himself has told, he chose not to discuss the bloodshed with Modi, but he did.to raisethe importance of religious freedom more generally. The Power of the Private Messages Trump Said to Have Delivered Was Dulled in Praiselavishedon the file of Indian leaders. Its result? It is up to india, said the leader of the free world with disdain, when asked about religious violence.

It is not surprising that Trump and Modi get along. Although one is the son of a millionaire and the other the child of a tea merchant, Trump and Modi share certain qualities. Neither shirks his reputation as a strong man, nor endure much criticism. The two enjoy a good show in front of worshipers wearing Make America Great Again hats orModi masks.

India's leadership has been pleased to embrace these qualities, especially when Trump has threatened trade wars and other ruptures. They imagine that the best way to deal with the unpredictable American president is to smother him in a warm, personal embrace. the commitment to return to his country of origin was simply irresistible.

But American-Indian cooperation predates one or the other of the leaders. Following US President Bill Clintons' trip to India in March 2000, 20 years of bipartisan efforts leading to Trump's visit have aligned, with great difficulty, the world's oldest and largest democracies. Successive administrations have understood that India's remarkable historic arc served as a beacon for liberal values ​​and its large and young population as an important market. United States to work closely.

However, imperfectly, this administration respected this consensus. In fact, under Trump, the US-India defense partnershiphas experiencedsome surprising successes. Despite lingering trade irritants with Delhi, Washingtons is focusing on Beijing as a strategic competitor has helped cement the relationship.

Against this background, the first day of Trump's visit went fairly smoothly. In front of more than 100,000 people, the president repeated several timesinvokedliberal values, emphasizing the generally peaceful and tolerant democracy of India.walkwith the majestic first ladyTaj Mahalsent a positive message about pluralism.

The second day in Delhi, however, was a grim return to reality. It was not just the haunting image of an American president and an Indian prime minister standing out as part of the cityliterally burned.The end of business trips proved to be insufficient, with a few notable exceptions.

The leaders didgatheringsignificant defense sales announcements, tangible signs of energy collaboration andnon-binding understandingsAs China expands its footprint deeper into the South China Sea, the Western Pacific and the Indian Ocean, the two countries have stepped up maritime security cooperation to safeguard well-established global standards. Theyagreed to establishan office in India to help finance high quality infrastructure. These and various other joint activities should not be minimized.

Yet American-Indian relations are shrinking significantly in ambition and drive. After more than a year of negotiations, a limited trade deal has always eluded Trump and Modi. A so-called mini-deal would not have covered large swaths of business activities (such as e-commerce and information technology), but it offered the prospect of building trust between savings in rather different places.environmental challengesApproaching Chinaworld leadershipIn green technology and India is moving towards ambitious renewable energy goals, the Trump administration has largely chosen to stay on the sidelines. Trump may have spent more time in his Delhi press conference minimizing the risks associated with COVID-19 than he had him discuss how the two countries can work together to combat it.

Even as bilateral relations develop, Trump and Modi allow each other more dubious tendencies.delivereda giant political scene by India in an election year, it should not be a shock that the President cannot find his voice as a wave of violence descended around him. With its Muslim travel bans andfalse moral equivalencesTrump has squandered his credibility. While remaining silent, after visiting Mahatma Gandhi's home, only covers the erosion of civil rights and the rule of law in India.

On trade, the transactional president is also ill-suited to persuade India that the opening of markets can revive aspray economyand create the jobs that India ifin urgent needAs Trump continues on tariffs, trade deficits and related details, it is no wonder that India's 2020-2021 budgetFeaturedmany service increases over the past month.

In Asia, the White House's unpredictability and inattention reinforce long-standing latent Indian tendencies to question the reliability of the United States in Afghanistan, Pakistan and China. schedule conflict with the Annual Conference of World Heads of Mission). The two anchors of administrationsIndo-Pacific free and opendiplomacy is gradually abandoned. If balancing China is a shared priority, the two countries must put their houses in order.

To set the fundamentals, one has to recognize what has brought India and the United States together in the first place: the solid foundation of democratic principles, economic openness and a more patient long-term vision of their relationship. With democracy in decline in some parts of the world, countries should exchange ideas on how to protect elections from direct and indirect attempts at foreign interference. Indeed, this type of cooperation, or working together to tackle the corruption role of black money in societies, would remind leaders of the American political spectrum why they placed a strategic bet on the 39; India in the first place.

India still has extraordinary potential as a lasting partner in a region that could be the center of gravity of the world for decades to come.William J. Burns recalledeveryone that the relationship is bigger than these two leaders. It certainly has been in the past and may ring true in the days to come. As soon as governments and corporations can take Burnss' vital message to heart , the better.