Narendra Modi, rock star

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Narendra Modi had promised better governance and "Achchhe Din" before his spectacular electoral victory. But now he's a diplomacy addict, going places, banging drum with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the island nation and hosting Xi Jinping, the all-powerful Chinese President, at Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad, his home town. However, his moment of truth will be in the US later this week, where he was declared unwanted and denied visa in 2005 under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) provisions of US Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), for his alleged failure, between February 2002 and May 2002, to prevent violence in Gujarat.

It is quite possible that the revocation of Modi's B1/B2 visa in 2005 resulted from a particularly narrow view of India's future, held by the State Department in the high noon of friendship between former President George W. Bush and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, when dignitaries of the latter's party reportedly welcomed a US thumbs down to Modi as its own political triumph. And as far as the State Department's deplorable short-sightedness is concerned, it's best explained by a stinging comment coming from Robert Blackwill, a former US Ambassador to India, who said the decision to deny Modi a visa could have originated from people who thought it was "pretty safe, as he (Modi) is never going to be Prime Minister".

President Barack Obama, it seems, is now ready to go more than half way to normalize relations with Modi. The Indian Prime Minister was of course headed for America to attend meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, but the Obama Administration has now sought to turn the page on Modi. He will, perhaps, be the first Indian PM to spend a night in White House as the President's guest, between September 29, when he'll have a private dinner with Obama, and September 30, when the two are meeting again over an official luncheon. Prior to that, there will be a series of PR fireworks that bear the signature of Modi—including an address by him at New York's Madison Square Garden. The "Garden", as locals call it, was the venue of great musicians and troupes performing there, including The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and, of course, the late Pandit Ravi Shankar. Media expectations are that Modi too will emerge from the Garden like a rock star.

Things are indeed going in that direction. Modi will address 26 meetings in the US during his 5 day stay, which are all sold out. And remember, he will be fasting during the Navratras. Therefore, Obamas will have to order special liquid meals in the White House. Though Modi is not to type to travel with a large entourage of media persons—in fact only eight of them engaged by government media are accompanying him officially—over 200 private-sector journalists from India are following him in the US, as it would be. They have the full knowledge of Modi's proverbial inaccessibility, be it in India or abroad. Yet they are going. You have to follow social media religiously to get to know Modi's itinerary.

Modi's first visit as Prime Minister of India to the most powerful nation in the world is still a significant event to watch and ponder over, for, as I think, three reasons. First, there are serious misgivings about the future of the "strategic partnership" of 2004 between Delhi and Washington. It's true that it had brought to India some outstanding rewards, such as the reversal of America's decades old nuclear non-proliferation policy that had made possible the civil nuclear deal between the two nations. The N-deal with America has a pivotal role in India's future energy security. With the country having to import 80 per cent of oil, and its coal reserves, though abundant, being generally of inferior calorific value, it has no recourse other than nuclear power in meeting its energy requirements.

Unfortunately, India over-depended on President Bush, just as the US Department of State blindly trusted its 'soothsayers' in Roosevelt House, its Embassy in New Delhi, and their 'friends' among politicians and civil servants in Lutyen's Delhi, about the permanence of UPA rule. So New Delhi got paralyzed when American nuclear suppliers pointed at the hard fact that they'd in no case accept anything beyond a limited liability for an unforeseen plant disaster. But political opinion in India would have nothing short of full liability. On clearing this deadlock hinges not only the future of US suppliers but the prospect of India's industrial growth and urbanization.

Second, despite America's stated and unstated continued clout over Pakistan and its army, specially the rogue elements in it, Washington did next to nothing to help India get justice for the 2008 state-sponsored attack from Karachi on Mumbai, killing 164 persons. If India itself had retaliated, despite its superior military might, it could be provoked a nuclear showdown, a disaster that would have imperiled the world. But, in India's view, America America left it to its own devices because it was then counting on Pakistan to neutralize the Taliban while it could withdraw its troops from Afghanistan.

Manmohan Singh left red faces when he told President Bush that India “loves” him. Modi is remarkably free from the cold war mindset in which one must latch on to a superpower. Though he has yelled at China for violating the border at the drop of a hat, he has given absolutely no indication that he might be an American ally to “contain” China. Nor is he hostile to any of America’s known ‘bad guys’—be it Iran, Russia or Brazil. 

White House must think

hard why Modi must

enter the US with

the A1 visa

Obama, and the American political class, will have an opportunity to know an Indian leader who hasn’t come to play the second fiddle, or to win a symbolic recognition. He’s of course willing to do business with America, but he carries with him the support of not only Indians but the 4.7-million Indian Americans, the second largest Asian community in the US after the Chinese. And they’re smart and entrepreneurial. The Obama administration recognizes it. It has recently made one of them America’s ambassador to India, an extremely unusual step

Modi would not have visited the country that had banned his entry if he had smelt that he’d be ignored. But White House must think hard why Modi must enter the US with the A1 visa meant only for heads of governments. This visit should give the US an occasion to undo a historic mistake and declare that Modi is always welcome, PM or no PM.

(The author is

National Editor of

Lokmat group)