Delhi shrugs off hearing on human rights in US Congress, not without a reason

Modi’s address to a joint session of the US Congress was made possible by bi-partisan efforts of House Speaker Paul Ryan of the Republican Party and Democratic Party’s Nancy Pelosi, Minority Leader of the House of Representatives. Both powerful figures on Capitol Hill chipped in to throw their weight behind the event. The Modi government believes that there is broad consensus in Washington for improving ties.

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That’s why officials shrug off the hearing. “India is too big. The PM, representing the largest democratic country, will address people of America and the representatives of another large democracy. The next day, those elements in Washington will get the response from the leader of 1.2 billion people.”

Officials said that even though June is uncomfortably close to Modi’s last visit in March 2016, both countries think this is an appropriate time to visit the US and take the bilateral relationship to the “next level” just before the new president takes over, said the source.

Although who will be better for India — Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton — isn’t a question that’s bothering too many minds in Delhi.

“He will make an appeal for ‘sab ka saath’ for development of the Indo-US relations though his speech,” said a source. The assessment in Delhi is that given current trends, the winner of next Presidential elections may win with a small margin and so Congress will remain powerful “representing many shades of American politics.”

In March 2016, on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, President Obama had invited Modi. India wanted another summit before the parties’ conventions begin to select their respective presidential candidates.

Modi’s visit to the US in 2014, 2015 and now in 2016 and Obama’s visit to India in 2015 will nudge both countries towards making the high-level summit an annual event. India has such annual bilateral summits with Japan and Russia while with Germany it’s every two years. Between India and China, too, the trend is to make highest-level visits an annual event.

In the last two years, Modi and Obama have met, barring brief exchanges, four times giving them enough space to have expansive talks. This time, trade and defence will dominate the talks more than regional or international challenges.

Modi will also attend the annual event of US India Business Council which is considered the “strongest permanent community” supporting India in Washington.