At a political level this is simply a victory for the majority-Gujaratis and like minded American browns, who stood behind their tea-server boy and watched proudly as the bird spread its wings. That is the Hindu truth and we live in a Hindu land for now and forever.
It is interesting (and significant) that such letters are usually written in bipartisan spirit. This exception points to (a) deep R-D polarization in Washington, and/or (b) discomfort amongst Ds with such a blatant u-turn so fast.
The most important question remains: what will Hilary think (or do)?
………..
Two
American lawmakers have written to US House Speaker John Boehner
requesting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi be invited to address a
joint meeting of Congress in September when he travels to Washington at
President Barack Obama’s invitation.
…
“India is a critical
partner of the United States. In every aspect, whether it be in
political, economic, or security relationship, the United States has no
more important partner in South Asia,” Congressmen Ed Royce [Republican from California-39] and George
Holding [Republican from North Carolina-13] wrote in their June 20 letter to the House Speaker, echoing
Obama’s oft-cited statement that US-India relationship will be one of
the defining partnerships of the 21st century.
Royce
and Holding said the US must now work closely with Modi to strengthen
the relationship given that he has promised to focus on private
enterprise, reduce bureaucracy, and strengthen trade ties with major
partners. Since 2001, US-India trade has experienced impressive growth,
but our commercial relationship remains far below the scale of our
markets, they said.
Royce, a California Republican who is
chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee and former co-chair of
the India Caucus, has been a ardent votary of a Washington outreach to
Modi even as some of his colleagues worked to keep the former Gujarat
chief minister out of the US in view of his alleged inaction during the
2002 Gujarat riots. The State Department complied with the pressure from
a few lawmakers and their human rights constituents.
…All
that is now in the past after the White House, pilloried for allowing
the India relationship to drift, initiated a policy turnabout,
ostensibly impressed by the mandate the Indian electorate gave the
Modi-led BJP. Efforts are now on to reset the relationship amid the
discovery in Washington of Modi’s many perceived strengths and virtues.
……..
…….
…….
regards