Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama will hope to add substance to a relationship that can best be described as impulsive. There is an element of selfishness involved in a long-term enterprise that may be formed between two of the world’s biggest democracies. Modi seeks to improve his reputation amongst the people — his party’s ideology notwithstanding — as the ‘man with the grand plan’ while Obama wants to approach the last stretch of his stint at the White House by fashioning a satisfactory report card. These are the key elements behind Modi’s invitation to Obama — as chief guest during India’s Republic Day celebrations — and the latter’s acceptance of it.
Having dealt with former prime minister Manmohan Singh, at previous bilateral summits, Obama may find Modi to be an entirely different cup of tea. The latter makes a naked display of his ambitions and will stop at nothing to clinch a deal.
Modi wants to re-emphasise India’s growing influence in Asia and thwart China’s ambitions on military and economic platforms. Obama seeks to reassert Washington’s waning influence by using India as a strategic ally.
Defence is the buzzword. This is why discussions on two previously sensitive military pacts, one of which involves both militaries to provide logistic support, berthing and refuelling facilities for each other’s warships and aircraft, has been resumed.
The US has replaced Russia as a key supplier of military hardware to India and Obama is looking to up the ante by expanding the boundaries. There is a suggestion that something big is looming in the horizon.
Ironically, once opposing everything American, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in its stint at governance, is now wooing America unashamedly. There is a two-pronged approach to that. Thwarting China’s growing influence across Asia is one reason. Secondly, Modi is eyeing the overseas Indian vote bank and he has eased regulations considerably for the non-resident Indian.
Nuclear talks, climate change and investment are the other components of a growing Indo-US relationship. However, the underlying message herewill be simple: expect the unexpected.