‘Howdy Modi’ rally in Houston Texas was attended by more than 60000 Indian Americans. Many an American Senators, irrespective of party affiliations and senior members of US Administration were also present. It is pertinent to note that senior and prominent Democrats like Steny Hoyer and John Carnyn (Who chose to attend Modi’s function rather his wife’s birthday) also graced the occasion despite being in political opposition to President Trump. Prime Minister Modi emerged to be a super star even when the world famous rock stars of ‘Rolling Stones’ and ‘Metallica’ were performing on the stage. This was the biggest ever showing to felicitate a foreign head of the government in USA.
Despite the super success on all concerned matters on this show, few important policy guidelines were spelt out which could well prove to be harbinger of the new dynamic and pragmatic partnership between India and US on the world stage. However, anti-Indian growth story preachers (many in Pakistan) and Modi bashers at home pronounced this event as ‘public relation exercise’ by President Trump to garner the votes from imperium and preeminent Indian American community for impending elections in the USA.
On landing at Houston, PM Modi was received by Director Trade and International Affairs, Christopher Olson, US Ambassador to India, Kenneth Juster and host of US administration officials. Before the final event, Modi had numerous meetings and informal dialogues with myriad organisations. During his address, PM Modi was articulate enough to present the likely controversial subjects i.e Article 370, Islamic radicalisation of Kashmir and diverse issues in India including Hindu majority rhetoric by Pakistan etc in a very pre-emptively convincing manner. He was successful in addressing all issues to cater for the audience in USA in front of a humongous crowd as well as his audience back home and other parts of world.
PM Modi had round table conference with 17 global energy companies operating in 150 countries with a yearly budget of one trillion $. CEOs of Tellurian and Petronet signed MOUs with India for five million tonnes of LNG through equity investments. PM Modi also met a delegation of American Sikhs who requested Modi for resolving few post 1984 riots issues and even demanded that the IGI airport at New Delhi should be renamed as Guru Nanak Dev International Airport. PM Modi addressed a gathering of Kashmiri Pundits settled in USA and apprised them the nuances of post de operationalisation of Article 370. One of them even kissed PM Modi to thank him on behalf of seven lacs displaced Kashmiri Pundits. PM even had a dialogue with a congregation of Bohra Muslims who conveyed their gratitude to him for association with Syedna Sahib during his visit to Indore last year.
On the side lines of UNGA sessions, PM Modi had an extensive discussions on social, economic, military and diplomatic co-operations with the heads of island states in Indo Pacific Island Summit. He also addressed the Climate Summit wherein Indian was one of the early speakers and spelt out many initiatives to assume leadership of the ‘clean energy’ programme by the UN. India has embarked on the initiative to produce one Terawatt clean energy by 2020 besides gifting a solar power generation plant for UNHQ in New York. It has deployed 193 solar panels on roof of UNHQ building dedicating one panel each to all 193 member countries of UN. He also presented the case for inclusion of India in Nuclear Suppliers Group for production of clean energy.
PM Modi was also awarded ‘Global Goalkeeper Award ‘by Bill Gates foundation acknowledging the usefulness of ‘Swatch Bharat Campaign’. Many countries have been persuaded to start this campaign in their respective countries to make it and international movement worldwide. Indian delegation under the leadership of PM Modi is also on the verge of an economic agreement with USA on Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) and Tariffs. GSP is little different from MNF and this could pave a road to optimum utilisation of Indian Markets and resources for mutual benefits to USA and India while proving to be an effective counter to burgeoning might of China worldwide.
Few of Modi initiatives spelt out above herald a new USA –India strategic partnership which is based on President Trump proposition of “shared Dreams and Bright Future” which is a precursor to peace and prosperity not only for Indian but the entire South Asia and Indo Pacific Region. PM Modi has been able to make the policy makers to understand the enormity and relevance of security of national borders and deleterious toxoid Islamic Terrorism Philosophy spreading around the world. This has led to a confluence of ideas to combat it in a holistic manner in partnership with USA. President Trump also made it clear that the strides made by India in outer space i.e. Chanderyaan project and anti-satellite missile etc are a real giant leaps by Indian scientists and USA will like to partner with India in all such programmes. He also desired similar cooperation in cyber space programmes. As opined by Mohammed Rizwan, a noted journalist and policy analysist in conversation with Tahir Aslam Gora, “this is a major milestone successfully anchored by PM Modi in bumpy history of Indo-US Relations”. The growing alliance between USA and India is also a public manifestation of the desires expressed by then President George W Bush way back in 2003.
PM Modi and President Trump have signalled to the world in no uncertain terms that the origins of all forms of Terror Jihad perpetrated by Al Quada, ISIS, Talibans and all other ‘Tanzeens’ finds its roots in Pakistan. Though during his meet with Pak PM Imran Khan, President Donald Trump dodged the question from a reporter and pointed his figure towards Iran as epicentre of terror for obvious reasons. During the 13 minutes meet between Pak PM and President Trump, Pak PM was almost a passive spectator and used written (for the first time) text whenever he chose to speak. President Trump made it amply clear to all present that USA has embarked on a ‘DECISIVE’ journey to eliminate terror and its perpetrators from this planet without naming US partnership with India in this campaign.
In a question by a Pakistani reporter on alleged Human Right violations in Kashmir post de operationalisation of Article 370, he was assiduous enough to debunk him to realms of an imaginary world implying his support to the happenings in Kashmir Valley, while negating the fake new reporting by Pakistani press. This also assumes importance in wake of numerous admissions by Pakistan PM in a meeting with Mr Richard Haass at Council on Foreign Affairs New York wherein he almost accepted the fact that all terror organisations were trained by Pakistan. He also conceded that post 9/11, it was a mistake for Pakistan to have joined USA in the war against terror.
Post WW II, a lot of organisations, treaties and groupings were formed but due to ever-changing nature of diplomatic, military and economic paradigms in terms of security and peace, new prerogatives are emerging which have global ramifications. USA feels uncomfortable to achieve its national objectives due to meteoric rise of China post collapse of USSR. It natural blood brothers i.e. Britain and EU who are origins of US population, are not interested or their respective geographic location does not augur well to have an alliances which can counter fast growing influence of China in Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean.
Thus, India emerges as natural partner to USA owing to its size, location, market potential and the strides it has made in all fields including space and cyber world, especially in INDO-PACIFIC region. As regard position on Kashmir, PM Modi will reveal to the world the real position of Kashmir on 27 September in UNGA busting the ‘fake news’ lies. Even EU supports India on Kashmir. PM Modi has multifarious agenda of bilateral and multilateral engagements during this trip.
Pakistan, on the other hand, does not appear to have any agenda for UNGA except Kashmir. As Pak PM Imran Khan puts it during his address in Council of Foreign Affairs “I have enough on my hands with hostile Iran, Afghanistan in the West and India in the East”. But question should be asked by the public in Pakistan as to what led to this catastrophe? Could Pakistan have followed a line of peaceful coexistence and prosperity by not being the originator of fundamentalist Islam and thereby being the ‘Father of Islamic Terror’ all over the world? Dependence on ‘Islamic Terror Factory’ may be because of Soviet invasion of Afghanistan or then President of Pakistan Zia ul Haq’s ‘OP TOPAC’ against India (to bleed India by thousand cuts). Notwithstanding their chosen ideology or economic compulsions, Pakistan today stands isolated on the international stage. The economy has taken a serious hit and Allah’s sword by way of the Inspectors of FATF (meeting will be held in mid Oct) hangs over Pakistan’s head which will seriously jeopardise their balance of payments position.
Coupled with active insurgencies and blatant HR violations using sophisticated air assets in Khyber Pakhtunwa, Gilgit Baltistan, Baluchistan and Sind, it can be surmised that Pakistan has lot more on its head than few policy makers in Pakistan will like to believe. World is staring at Pakistan asking it to stop the Terror Factory. Presently, to give a verifiable proof to the world, Pakistan can, least, do is to elimate the likes of Hafiz Sayed, Masood Azhar, Lakvi, Dawood Abraham and others. He can also decimate its Taliban terror network of in Khyber Pakhtoonwa on Afghanistan border. Ostrich like attitude in Pakistan will not work today as a no of sane voices, crushed & coerced earlier, have begun to rise in Pakistan.
On the other hand, India is emerging as natural partner to USA in its fight against terror. As President Trump put it “PM Modi is ‘Father of India’ and will take care of radical Islam”. Even US Secretary of State in his major policy speech said “Modi Hai to Munkin Hai’. Besides, India has entered onto numerous security & economic alliances at all levels, be in ‘look East policy’, Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Australia, India , Japan and USA), JAI, CRI or its effort to connect International North South Trade Corridor(INSTAC) with Indian Ocean via Chahabar Port. India is in no hurry to solve Kashmir problem at International level where as Pakistan is.
The reason for the same is very simple. India today has an edge over Pakistan in every sphere be it diplomatic, economic, military, scientific, social, political and all perimeters of human index. Present, international crusade started my PM Modi to assert India’s lost prestige over the centuries is well on track. That why IT’S ADVANTAGE INDIA.
BRIGADIER(DR) VIJAY SAGAR DHEMAN,PhD
