PM to address US lawmakers during his Washinton visit

Some 40 lawmakers, led by Congressman Jim McDermott, a founding member of the India caucus, had written to the speaker on June 30 urging him to invite the Indian Prime Minister. Typically, the executive plays no role in bringing about this engagement; it is left entirely to the desire of the lawmakers.

Foreign leaders addressing the US Congress is not common. Some leaders come here too often (Middle-East leaders), some are persona non grata (communists, dictators), some are not important enough, and some don’t care.

But New Delhi places great weight on the exercise and sees it as a great privilege that it extends only to very important leaders. Democratic India’scredentials in this respect also seem to find a resonance in Washington.

Then Prime Minister Narasimha Rao too addressed the Joint Session of Congress during his visit in 1994, the last Indian Prime Ministerial visit to Washington. Both Gujral and Vajpayee visited only New York for theUN General Assembly, making this the first state visit to Washington by an Indian leader since 1994.

The importance India attaches to the US Congress is commensurate with the support it has derived from the House in recent years. The India Caucus, a pressure group of lawmakers who typically support Indian causes and viewpoints, has swelled to nearly 120 members. The first country-specific caucus, it is now the envy of many countries across the world–especially Pakistan and China–which have also tried to rally lawmakers.

Legislators who had lobbied hard for the event were elated by the invitation. Recalling Clinton’s momentous address to the Indian parliament,Congressman McDermott said he was excited and thrilled at Hastert’s move.

“This will be a wonderful opportunity for India to engage the US Congress on a wide range of issues including the issues of trade and hi-tech commercethat are beginning to define the Indo-American relationship,” he added.

Republican Senator Sam Brownback, who led the effort from the Senate side, said “the reciprocal honour to Vajpayee will mark the strengthening of the bonds of friendship between the people of the two largest democracies.”

A joint meeting of Congress “will afford all our members the opportunity to meet and discuss issues of importance to the Indo-US relationship includingtrade, energy, investment, science and technology, and US-India cooperative efforts to combat terrorism and to achieve regional peace and security in South Asia,” he added.

Brownback and other lawmakers are now trying to persuade the administration into removing sanctions against India ahead of the Vajpayee visit. Callingfor further pruning the Entities list and ending the veto on loans to India from international financial institutions, Congressman Frank Pallone said instead of advancing American non-proliferation goals, sanctions were “holding back areas of cooperation that could benefit both the people of India and America.”

Vajpayee, who arrives in New York on September 5, is now expected in Washington from San Francisco on September 13 for his September 14 address to the Congress. His official US visit begins only on September 15–ten days after he touches down in this country–when the Clinton White House will welcome him ceremonially.

Strangely, while New Delhi has announced that Vajpayee will make a three-day state visit from September 15 to 17, the White House announcement speaks of an official visit on September 15 and 17, suggesting only two days are recognised as being part of the official visit.

But one Indian official laughed about what he called “protocolural exactitude,” saying the Prime Minister would be a guest of the White House and stay at Blair House at the invitation of the President from the time he landed in Washington on September 13.

It is likely that President Clinton will meet the Prime Minister at the White House only on September 15 (for talks) and September 17 (for the official dinner banquet).