Worlds collided as Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his western counterpart US President Donald Trump at the massive ‘Howdy, Modi’ podium witnessed by 50,000 Indian-Americans. The event was a contrasting image as Modi backed Trump by quoting 'Abki Baar, Trump Sarkar'. Unlike the usual 'Make America Great Again', Trump was in the midst of a large number of brown people whom he has fared badly because of the broad brush accusation of being anti-immigrant.
Held at Houston's NRG stadium, it was broadcast live nationally by some channels. The international media gave mixed reactions to this bilateral meet. Trump, who likes to be the centre of the universe, was not the main speaker at the rally for Modi. Taking this into account, The New York Times said he was playing a "second fiddle". It states “In the United States, Mr. Trump is preparing to run for re-election in a bitterly divided country with polls regularly showing him receiving well short of 50 percent support. His participation in Sunday’s rally with Mr. Modi offered a chance to woo a constituency — the four million American residents of Indian descent — whose support could prove helpful.”
Meanwhile The Washington Post wrote it was "an unusual role of warm-up act". It further wrote, “The leaders of the world’s two largest democracies took the stage together in Houston before a roaring crowd of tens of thousands of Indian Americans, where Modi delivered an unmistakable endorsement of Trump’s presidency and cast their joint appearance in historic terms.”
BBC covered the mega event titled as 'Howdy, Modi!': Trump hails Indian PM at 'historic' Texas rally. The BBC however, mentioned the Kashmir issue that was mentioned at the event. It wrote, “He (Modi) is likely to face criticism over tensions in Indian-administered Kashmir, which he stripped of its special status last month, promising to restore the region to its "past glory”.”
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) editorial opined, “The joint appearance also underscores the growing strategic significance of U.S-Indian ties. The world’s two largest democracies are a vital check on China’s ambitions to dominate the Asia-Pacific region, as Mr. Trump recognizes and Barack Obama did as well.”
Overall, the camaraderie shared by Modi and Trump came to the fore during the event. Modi also hailed the Indian-American community for its contributions in providing new heights and dynamics to the warm and friendly ties shared by India and the United States.
