Roving Periscope: The US woos India, praises PM Modi, again

Virendra Pandit

New Delhi: After failing to dissuade New Delhi from buying Russian oil, and ahead of the crucial G-7 decision expected on December 5 to cap the price of crude, aimed to control Russia and other oil-producing countries, the US has wooed India once again, praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for being “instrumental in forging a consensus” at the last week’s G-20 Summit held at Bali, Indonesia.

In the history of the India-US ties, 2022 has been a huge year and the next year will be even bigger, a top White House official said, asserting that the Biden administration sees this alliance as among the most consequential relationships for America anywhere in the world.

Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer also applauded PM Modi for helping to forge a consensus during the recently concluded G-20 Summit, according to the media reports.

“Looking around the world when the United States and (its) President (Joe) Biden look for partners that can truly help carry the load, truly helped move forward a global agenda, India and Prime Minister Modi is very high on that list,” he told a gathering of hundreds of Indian-Americans in Washington on Sunday.

“We just saw this in real-time at the G-20 where the Indian PM was instrumental in forging a consensus around a joint statement among a far-flung group of countries and in the comments and work that he has done and others in the Indian government have done to highlight the increased risk related to nuclear issues,” he said.

This relationship is being steered by Prime Minister Modi and President Biden who have met over 15 times, the latest one being in Bali last week, said India’s Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu, addressing the gathering at a lunch reception he hosted to celebrate the ‘Festival Season.’

The event organized by the Embassy of India showcased the syncretic nature of Indian culture. It saw festivals of different faiths—from Diwali to Hanukkah, Eid to Bodhi Day, and from Guruparab to Christmas—celebrated with aplomb.

Attended by top officials of the Biden administration, including Senior Advisor to the President Neera Tanden and Surgeon-General Dr. Vivek Murthy, the event showed India’s unique stature as the embodiment of ‘Unity in Diversity’ in a land where various faiths have not only coexisted but flourished.

“This event really demonstrates so much about what President Biden is talking about when he talks about an inclusive country, a country that celebrates our diversity and our strength in diversity,” Tanden said.

“I’m grateful for this partnership between the United States and India. I think it has been important in the past, but it will be even more important going forward,” Dr. Murthy said.

Reflecting on his views on the India-US relationship, Finer reiterated the Biden administration’s commitment to it and said 2022 and 2023 are two critical years for this.

“The year 2022 was huge in US-India relations. We think we have an even bigger year ahead in 2023. We have the Quad summit on the agenda coming up. We have India’s G-20 presidency, which I know we’re all looking forward to, including Prime Minister Modi,” Finer said.

He cited the 2+2 Quad ministerial meetings taking place this spring, the relaunch of Indo-US CEO dialogue, and the launch of critical and emerging technology dialogue early in 2023.

“That’s just the tip of the iceberg,” Finer said, adding that both 2022 and 2023 are emblematic of how this relationship has proceeded for decades now.

The entire Biden administration and indeed the President sees this as among the most consequential relationships for the US anywhere in the world, but also almost uniquely the relationship that still keeps some of the greatest potentials to continue to evolve and strengthen and improve, Finer said.

“We are deeply committed to doing just that. It’s easy to see why that is the case. At a time that can be extremely difficult to forge a bipartisan consensus in Washington on almost anything, there is a strong bipartisan consensus to support the US-India relationship and has been for decades and a high degree of continuity from one administration to the next,” he said.

“There is obviously an increasing alignment of our interests, both geopolitically and as two world-leading democracies. And then, of course, the deep ties and incredible dynamism of our diaspora community, our cultural ties or commercial ties.

“And then, finally, and I don’t want this to be lost, there are the ties of our leadership, which we consider to be hugely important,” he said.

Among those who attended the event included an array of dignitaries, with friends of India from the administration, the US Congress, from different states, the think-tank community, private sector organizations, and the Indian diaspora.

Notable attendees included Special Presidential Coordinator Amos Hochstein and Lieutenant Governor-Elect of Maryland Aruna Miller.