<p>The Prime Minister of India should not be blowing the poll bugle of someone else in another country, yet that’s exactly what Prime Minister Narendra Modi did for US President Donald Trump at the ‘Howdy Modi’ event in Houston with the ab ki baar Trump sarkar slogan. In doing so, Modi violated India’s policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries and may well have shredded the bipartisan consensus and support for India that successive Indian governments have built up in the US. While Modi was well within his rights in heaping praise on Trump if it served to iron out some current wrinkles and helps better the bilateral relations between the two countries, openly canvassing for Trump and signaling to the large Indian-American community to back his re-election bid amounts to direct interference in the domestic politics of the US.</p>.<p>When Trump announced he would attend the Modi event in Texas, it was clear that he was doing so to use Modi’s popularity among Indian-Americans for his own re-election bid in 2020. Indian observers and Indian-Americans understood this well, although the Modi government and the BJP, as is their wont, sought to project Trump’s appearance as an extraordinary personal honour for Modi. The presence of the two leaders together and their body language, Modi’s praise of Trump and his seeking a standing ovation for the US leader should have been enough to convey the message of his support for Trump, if indeed that was what Modi intended to convey. Instead, what Modi did in a display of utter lack of tact and subtlety, may well prove detrimental to protecting India’s interests in the long term. Trump scored a narrow victory in the 2016 presidential elections, and there’s no certainty that he will win re-election in 2020. In the fleeting sands of politics, nothing can be predicted, and Modi would have done well to take a lesson from the fate of his other “good friend” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. Even if Trump wins re-election, India will still need the support of Democrats in the US Congress on a variety of issues. Many Democrat Congressmen and Senators may well decide to play tough with Delhi after Modi’s Texas indiscretion.</p>.<p>Much good may come of Modi’s ongoing visit to the US, but all of it will now be under a shadow. The endorsement of Trump has raised the question whether the ‘Howdy Modi’ event was deliberately orchestrated for that purpose, especially given that the Texas vote will be crucial for Trump in 2020. More worrying is the carte blanche Modi has now given to the US and its political parties to interfere in India’s domestic affairs. </p>
<p>The Prime Minister of India should not be blowing the poll bugle of someone else in another country, yet that’s exactly what Prime Minister Narendra Modi did for US President Donald Trump at the ‘Howdy Modi’ event in Houston with the ab ki baar Trump sarkar slogan. In doing so, Modi violated India’s policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries and may well have shredded the bipartisan consensus and support for India that successive Indian governments have built up in the US. While Modi was well within his rights in heaping praise on Trump if it served to iron out some current wrinkles and helps better the bilateral relations between the two countries, openly canvassing for Trump and signaling to the large Indian-American community to back his re-election bid amounts to direct interference in the domestic politics of the US.</p>.<p>When Trump announced he would attend the Modi event in Texas, it was clear that he was doing so to use Modi’s popularity among Indian-Americans for his own re-election bid in 2020. Indian observers and Indian-Americans understood this well, although the Modi government and the BJP, as is their wont, sought to project Trump’s appearance as an extraordinary personal honour for Modi. The presence of the two leaders together and their body language, Modi’s praise of Trump and his seeking a standing ovation for the US leader should have been enough to convey the message of his support for Trump, if indeed that was what Modi intended to convey. Instead, what Modi did in a display of utter lack of tact and subtlety, may well prove detrimental to protecting India’s interests in the long term. Trump scored a narrow victory in the 2016 presidential elections, and there’s no certainty that he will win re-election in 2020. In the fleeting sands of politics, nothing can be predicted, and Modi would have done well to take a lesson from the fate of his other “good friend” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. Even if Trump wins re-election, India will still need the support of Democrats in the US Congress on a variety of issues. Many Democrat Congressmen and Senators may well decide to play tough with Delhi after Modi’s Texas indiscretion.</p>.<p>Much good may come of Modi’s ongoing visit to the US, but all of it will now be under a shadow. The endorsement of Trump has raised the question whether the ‘Howdy Modi’ event was deliberately orchestrated for that purpose, especially given that the Texas vote will be crucial for Trump in 2020. More worrying is the carte blanche Modi has now given to the US and its political parties to interfere in India’s domestic affairs. </p>
