Call it Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s uncanny ability to remain in the limelight at all times. It is not as if the media, or his party cohorts or even his opponents like to always be thinking, writing or talking about Modi. But he somehow manages to accomplish this feat even without trying. Shortly after attending the G-20 summit, his first since he assumed power in May, Modi undertook a tour of Australia, addressing the Indian diaspora. Hardly had the sheen worn off that successful visit, Modi has now sprung another surprise. He has invited US President Barack Obama to be chief guest at the 2015 Republic Day Parade, Raj Path, New Delhi. President Obama has accepted the invitation, and truly, this could be considered a highly significant achievement in international diplomacy by an Indian leader.
The Republic Day Parade is unquestionably our most significant annual national extravaganza, where apart from the cultural shows and floats depicting India’s soft power, the might of our armed forces is on display, as is the thrilling air show – our way of letting the world know that we are ably and well-equipped. It has been a tradition, since the first Republic Day in 1950, to invite the head of another state to witness the show as chief guest. Many heads of state, small and big, have so far attended the show, but never before has a US President witnessed it. This was perhaps because the US Government did not take India as seriously as it deserved to be or our leaders and the diplomatic corps failed to impress upon the US the might of India. But Modi seems to have managed to do so. Kudos to him for this achievement. Modi’s predecessor, Manmohan Singh, and many of his cabinet colleagues, have had friendly relations with the US administration and politicians. Singh had put the existence of his UPA-1 Government at stake when he signed the Indo-US nuclear treaty against the wish of the Left parties and many from his own. The government had to face a no-confidence motion, which it then narrowly won, thanks to the alleged infamous ‘note-for-vote’ scandal. However, neither Obama nor his predecessors, like George W Bush or Bill Clinton showed willingness to celebrate the ‘Pride of India.’ This became possible perhaps because of Modi’s US tour last month, when apart from registering an impressive presence in the UN General Assembly and a fruitful meeting with President Obama, Modi cornered the popularity stakes with his Madison Square Garden, New York speech. USA has hardly ever played host to a such a charismatic, popular leader before. Notable heads of state who have visited the US include Nikita Khrushchev, Fidel Castro, and Nelson Mandela, but none of them could command the rousing reception that Modi received in that country, not even from its government but from the Indian diaspora. This factor must have been duly noted by the White House and thus, Modi’s invitation was accepted with alacrity. This is also a victory for the ‘second line diplomacy’ from the Indian side, which struck when the iron was hot.
President Obama had earlier visited India in 2010 and had addressed our Parliament. Surely, India now has high expectations from his forthcoming visit, coming as it does in the middle of his second and final term of presidency. India has many issues pending with the US; one of them being increased nuclear cooperation. For speedy development, India must answer unflaggingly the need for more energy and nuclear power seems to be the answer. There are also various environment protection clearances pending. Then there is the perennial issue of US visas for Indians, be they visitors, students or on business. A resolution of these issues would be most welcome. President Obama’s visit to India will surely be viewed with envy by Pakistan as well as the Kashmir separatists in India, and they will make yet another attempt to internationalise the Kashmir issue. But Modi would have already anticipated such eventualities and will be duly prepared.
All in all, inviting President Obama to participate in our Republic Day celebrations and his acceptance of the invitation is another of Modi’s masterstrokes.
