Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the US Congress on Wednesday that the world’s two largest democracies can anchor stability and prosperity from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific in an aspirational speech that glossed over continuing divisions in the relationship.
Modi, who has ushered in closer bilateral ties since taking power two years ago, said that India and the US have overcome “the hesitations of history” and called for ever-stronger economic and defense links between the two countries.
Speaking in English, Modi used dashes of humor, drawing a parallel between the rough-and-tumble politics of his own nation and the US, which he described tongue-in-cheek as “harmonious” and well-known for bipartisanship.
Photo: AFP
Modi, a keen advocate of yoga, also referenced cultural ties, citing estimates that “more Americans bend for yoga than to throw a curve ball.”
Modi paid tribute to the role of US Congress, including through a civilian nuclear deal in 2008 that lifted US export restrictions on nuclear technology to India and which is hoped to lead to a contract by the middle of next year for the construction of six power reactors by US-based Westinghouse Electric Co.
He also praised US Congress for “refusing to reward” those who preach and practice terrorism.
Although Modi avoided direct mention of Pakistan, he was alluding to lawmakers recently blocking a proposed, US-subsided sale of F-16 jets to India’s archrival.
“A strong India-US partnership can anchor peace, prosperity and stability from Asia to Africa and from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific,” Modi said.
Modi’s 46-minute speech followed years of being shunned in the US because of religious violence in his home state. It came a day after a White House meeting with US President Barack Obama and was followed by a lunch with congressional leaders and a reception hosted by the US House and Senate Foreign Affairs committees.
US-India relations have been transformed since Rajiv Gandhi in 1985 became the first of five Indian prime ministers to have addressed a joint meeting of US Congress. During the Cold War, US was more focused on ties with Pakistan and many in Washington believed India, with its “non-aligned” foreign policy, was far too friendly with the Soviet Union.
Today, the US and Indian militaries conduct more drills with each other than with any other nation. While India resists the notion of becoming a US ally, both nations share concern over China’s rise and over freedom of navigation in the Asia-Pacific region.
Although Modi lauded both nations’ common democratic principles and hailed two heroes of nonviolence, India’s Mahatma Gandhi and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr, he did not address congressional concerns his government’s record on religious tolerance and other rights issues.
“I wish there had been an emphasis on cooperating with the US and every other democracy on combating all human rights abuses, especially human trafficking and slavery,” US Representative Chris Smith said.
However, the overall response from lawmakers of both parties was positive.
“We’re now standing shoulder-to-shoulder in ways that no one would have imagined a generation ago,” US Representative Eliot Engel, the top-ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said of the bilateral relationship.
Modi described the US as an “indispensable partner” for India.
He said his nation’s 1.25 billion people made India an “ideal partner” for US businesses.
Trade has expanded dramatically in recent years, from US$60 billion in 2009 to US$107 billion last year, although the US remains concerned over restrictions on foreign investment and bureaucratic red tape.
At his meeting with Obama, the two leaders consolidated strong bilateral ties, but fell short of major outcomes.
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