July 14, 2018
Is Modi government betraying its lack of gumption on the foreign policy front by inviting Trump?
India has invited US President Donald Trump to attend the Republic Day celebrations in 2019. Washington is said to have communicated to New Delhi that the Trump administration is favorably considering the invitation.
Apart from its foreign policy implications, the event & there should be little doubt that the Narendra Modi govt. will try to turn it into a spectacular event, will have an impact on domestic politics as well.
If Trump visits India for the celebration, it would come barely a couple of months before the onset of the polls in early April 2019.
On Prime Minister Modi's invite US President Barack Obama became the first United States President to be part of the Republic Day celebrations as the Chief Guest in 2015.
President Obama's visit as Chief Guest elated everyone. However, Congress President Rahul Gandhi criticized the Prime Minister for his outfit calling the Modi government a 'suit boot ki sarkar'.
But unlike Obama, Trump is more unpredictable. New Delhi's invite to Trump comes in the wake of unsettled India-US bilateral relations. There's uncertainty over the Trump administration's position on H-1B visas & on whether spouses of H-1B visa holders will be allowed to work.
The Ministry of External Affairs has been trying hard to persuade the US to not tighten rules related to issuing of H-1B visas, but to little avail as of yet.
The US recently postponed its 2+2 dialogue with India & US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley on her recent visit to New Delhi dictated to Prime Minister Modi that India should stop importing oil from Iran. There's also an ongoing tariff battle between the 2 countries.
For the better part of Modi's Prime Ministerial tenure, India has somewhat ignored nursing its relations with its traditional ally Russia, but has invested heavily in consolidating India-US relations, which saw a further uptick during the last 2 years of the Obama presidency.
By inviting President Trump, the Modi government must be having something in mind on the foreign policy front. First visiting China, then Russia & now inviting Trump for the Republic Day parade - looks more like part of strategic plan regarding foreign policies.
It can be hoped that in interests of India & that of millions of Indians living & working in the US, who're a source of foreign remittances that are crucial for India's GDP, the Trump visit bears fruits.
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