New Delhi/Houston, Sep 21 Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives here on Saturday – as a confident leader sure of India’s role in framing the global agenda and championing the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi’s life and teachings.
In a sharp contrast would be his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan, who has tried to indulge in bravado without much substance since August 5 when the Modi government bifurcated the erstwhile militancy-hit and development-starved state of Jammu and Kashmir and abrogated the Article 370.
Imran Khan has lately told Jehadis - ''Anyone, who thinks that he will cross the border to join Kashmiris is a big enemy of them and Pakistan''.
A ‘not so sure’ leader Khan would not be quite pleased in the manner his diplomats and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi have conducted themselves lately. Pakistan has failed even to list a resolution by September 19 at the UN Human Rights Council against India on ‘Kashmir’ and in Bangkok, it got a setback as it has been judged to be very low in terms of taking actions against terror funding.
Thus, Imran Khan’s worst fear is about Financial Action Task Force (FATF) blacklist and thus during his US sojourn, the Pakistan Prime Minister is more expected to hold a series of meetings with a large number of heads of governments in various countries to gather support to keep Pakistan out of the FATF blacklist.
Indian diplomats led by a strong government and a decisive Prime Minister Modi have already started mocking as well as questioning Pakistan’s real intent during the UN General Assembly.
Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale dared Pakistan to raise Kashmir issue at the UN General Assembly, but said Mr Modi will focus on issues as a responsible and emerging economic power only. ''If they wish to dwell on this issue in the speech by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, they are welcome to do so.....Our Prime Minister will focus on what the United Nation General Assembly high level segments means to focus''.
Another senior mandarin, Syed Akbaruddin, the articulate Permanent Representative at UN, told pointedly that “Poison pens do not work for too long”. The reference was to Pakistan's latent support to the Jehadi violence and cross border terrorism.
"We are confident that we will soar. We will soar when they (Pakistan) stoop low," he said adding Pakistan has been a ‘mainstream terrorism’ nation.
Yet another bureaucrat and India’s envoy to the US, Harsh Vardhan Shringla has written in 'The New York Times' - "What Prime Minister Khan finds difficult to accept is that the Kashmir region is now back on the road to progress and prosperity because the Indian government has repealed an anachronistic and temporary provision of law that has hindered development there”.
He further wrote: "Under Prime Minister Khan’s watch, the people of Pakistan are reeling under economic depression, with inflation at a five-year high, national debt exceeding gross domestic product and an International Monetary Fund bailout for the 22nd time".
Heart in Heart, Imran Khan too would be knowing well, say Indian experts and officials on the difficult economic situation Pakistan has landed. His problems would be mounting further if FATF blacklist finally happens.
In contrast, notwithstanding some domestic challenges like joblessness, Prime Minister Modi has some inherent advantages. The difficult trade relations between US and China have somehow pushed the Trump administration to move closer to New Delhi. Already over 40 US Congress members have urged Trump administration to reinstate the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) status to India.
In fact, at Houston during ‘Howdy Modi’ rally, President Trump is likely to make some big ticket announcement.
During his week long tour, PM Modi will interact with CEOs of energy and oil sector global companies on Saturday in Houston and other major corporate houses on September 25 in New York.
Moreover, as BJP leaders in India say, in order to boost the economy, the Modi government is working hard and making efforts. The recent corporate tax reduction is seen as a major move and Prime Minister Modi is keeping fingers crossed with the hope that these initiatives will generate jobs.
BJP chief and Union Home Minister Amit Shah has also said that new measures will help India emerge as a manufacturing hub.
External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar has aptly summed up the ‘differences’ between India and Pakistan in global context and said: while over the years, Pakistan thrived on International Terrorism, India progressed with Information and Technology -- both IT.
Trade pact headway may offer both US and India - a win-win situation
New Delhi, Sep 18 India and the United States are working overtime to finalise an early trade pact and thus ensure that a powerful market of a combined population of world's largest democracy and most powerful democracy will offer a win-win situation to both the sides.
An improved trade ties with India - which is likely to be emphasised yet again in next few days especially during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US - will help Trump administration at a time when it is engaged in trade related confrontation with China.
Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has already said that both sides are involved in dialogue on a number of issues.
Giving broad hints that the trade disputes between New Delhi and Washington could be handled, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar told reporters here on Tuesday - that "only way not to have trade dispute is not to have trade at all".
Moreover, he said most trade issues crop up only when the relations are sound between two sides.
Dr Jaishankar also said that "sharper edges" in trade relations between India and the US will be addressed in the "not too distant future".
"I will talk about a glass that is 90 per cent full rather than a glass that is 10 per cent empty," he said trying to highlight his optimism and the upward trajectory in bilateral ties.
"...The trade problems are normal with people you are closest to since most trade happens with them," the External Affairs Minister has said and also pointed out that - "there is no facet of the relationship today which has not gone upwards over the past 20 years".
In the past few months, no less than US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has tried to forge a 'new kind' of cooperation with India.
Moreover, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer-led team is also on the job.
In terms of perspectives, it is presumed that the US could be expecting from India "easier and business friendly atmosphere" for the American companies to operate in India.
The new pact may also focus on agricultural market access, reduction in IT tariffs and medical device pricing. For its part, the Trump administration may allow India's 're-entry' to Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) and thereby help reduce prices of India-made goods in the US.
‘Howdy Modi’ and Decoding the Politics
Houston, United States, Sep 21 All eyes will be on two quintessential ‘masters of ceremonies’ – Narendra Modi and Donald Trump when they face over 50,000 Indian Americans in a record breaking 'Howdy Modi' rally here on Sunday.
Politicians – it is said – are always happy as long as they have the power and they may get votes for retaining that power. This well known maxim would be working in the minds of hundreds of Indian Americans who will be attending ‘Howdy Modi’ show in presence of the Prime Minister and President Donald Trump.
Though everyone is trying to underline that it is a bipartisan affairs with US Democratic Party leaders also attending the same, the big picture political messaging will not be lost however.
Indian Americans in the last decade has emerged as a ‘rising demographic force’ in Houston and in Texas region and local observers know their political importance. In last Presidential polls in 2016, Indians had overwhelmingly voted for Hillary Clinton and thus as he seeks re-election next year, President Trump as the Republican will be hoping to get a significant share of votes from Indian Americans.
Local politicians have lately tried to woo Indian Americans towards Republicans and often said that enterprising Indians are ‘more Republicans than most Republicans’.
Media analysis about a year back has said that In North Texas, there are large populations of Indians in Highland Park, West Plano, Frisco, Richardson and Valley Ranch. Indians are into all kinds of professions like business investment and overwhelming are doctors, software engineers and scientists.
Republicans and Trump’s poll managers also understand the importance of Indian demographic power in US polls and thus Trump had addressed a rally organised by the Republican Hindu Coalition in 2016 also.
With regard this year's ‘Howdy Modi’ rally thus it is not without good reason that Trump will be trying to woo 50,000 Indian Americans – from 48 provinces in the US who are expected to attend the mega show.
For his part, Mr Modi also needs such a grand show as Trump’s presence in such an event for any foreign leader’s address to diaspora is unprecedented.
It will add a feather in his cap, no doubt.
Mr Modi has addressed Indian diaspora in 2014 and in 2016 but on both the occasions in Madison Square and in Silicon Valley – the crowd presence was 20,000. The record breaking presence of 50,000 capacity crowd and a possible announcement of a ‘ mini trade deal’ by President Trump would be seen as his achievement from the US sojourn.
Mr Modi has already described US as an ‘enabler’ for India in achieving new milestones in economic growth and national security.
Nevertheless in the height of all these, issues related to security has certainly cropped up.
“As far as the issue of protests is concerned, we have seen such reports in the media. I have no doubt that those who handle these matters have discussed this with the US side. I am confident that United States, within the laws that prevail in that country, will take care to see that there is no disruption to the event or any threat to the security of the Prime Minister,” Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale has said.
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