The honour being conferred upon Modi has more implicit meanings than are visible. More than polishing the bilateral relations or strengthening shared commitment to a free, open, prosperous and secure Indo-Pacific and elevate strategic technology partnership, including in defence, clean energy and space, this visit has wider implications for Biden and especially for America.

The red carpet for Modi sends a strong message that India will work as the pawn for US in the South East Asia to counter the ‘expansionist vision of China’ and put a check on the ‘Russian obstinacy’. But the most crucial issue that throws open this US gesture is, whether Modi will really come up to Biden’s expectations.

It is worth recalling that India joined Biden’s 14-member Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, which primarily aims to reduce China’s economic dominance through manufacturing, but without drawing up a formal trade agreement. This was a machination to convince India that in future it does not need to depend on Chinese manufacturing.

Experts feel both countries see their strategic interests converge in countering China’s threat, as it becomes more expansionist and ambitious on the global stage. China has emerged as the biggest enemy of US. Washington wants to tell New Delhi that Beijing has not been its friend.

A copious analysis of the US approach towards India and China would unravel the fact that it wants to rewrite the Indo-Chinese history by presenting China as the number one enemy of India, followed by Russia. In its endeavour the US digs out the old disputes. It points out how India has been embroiled in territorial disputes in the Himalayas ever since it fought a brief war with China in 1962.

After independence from British rule in 1947, India was more closely aligned with Russia during the Cold War era due to U.S. distrust and estrangement over India’s nuclear program, while the U.S. had a stronger partnership with India’s rival, Pakistan.

The Biden administration is using this historical visit of Modi to tell India that a strong U.S.-India partnership is essential to achieving its Indo-Pacific goals—maintaining a free, open, prosperous, resilient Indo-Pacific region. The new relation that Biden intends to build will propel to new growth height. It is because of this that this administration has been willing to overlook some of India’s policies toward Russia.

The message is loud and clear India should choose the West. So far India has been meeting the security challenges on its own, but now the message from US is, in a situation where China further encroaches into Indian territory, on their disputed border, or even conducts an invasion, India will want international support for its territorial sovereignty. With this, a warning clause has also been added that India might not get that support since it is not speaking in favour of Ukraine for defending its territorial sovereignty. This is a sort of coercive warning, which India must rebut.

Modi must tell Biden that India was strong enough to defend its own interests. It does not need any third-party support. US valuing India’s partnership does not mean that India should allow US to dictate it. US officials say that the partnership is extremely important for their core national interests and India’s core national interests as well. And that partnership has many dimensions and takes many forms.

Modi has been trying to create an impression that India has so far not received respect amongst the global fraternity. This he has been doing with ominous intentions to serve the rightist cause. Ever since he took over as the prime minister, he has been talking of being a ‘Vishwa Guru’. What does it imply? In his effort to project himself as the creator of the New India, he has had the support from the Indian diaspora. Actually during his visit to US, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made efforts to pursue the diaspora not to take to the rightist political line.

Though the US administration talks of boosting trade with India, the real motive has been to take India into its fold and let it indulge in proxy fight against China. The NSC Coordinator, John Kirby said that the US supported "India's emergence as a great power" and was looking to improve and deepen the defence cooperation between India and US. He also said: "This state visit is also not about Russia. And what we're trying to do with our bilateral relationship with India is improve the bilateral relationship for its own sake and on its own foundation, because it's that important to us. It's not about forcing or coercing or trying to convince Prime Minister Modi or the Indian government to do something different. It's about focusing on where we are in this relationship and making it more important, more robust, more cooperative going forward". What prompted Kirby to come out with this statement is really intriguing. At some level it underlines the scepticism that grips the global fraternity about the real intentions of the visit.

It is no more a secret that US aims to strengthen ties with India, viewing it as a potential counterweight to China. In its pursuit, the Biden administration is also not too keen to listen to the objections raised by the human rights activists and groups. Nevertheless human rights advocates are concerned that geopolitical considerations will overshadow the discussion of human rights concerns. In March, the State Department's annual report on human rights practices highlighted significant issues and abuses in India. The lawmakers are urging Biden to have an open and honest conversation with Modi, addressing the areas of concern alongside shared interests. The rights groups nurse that the celebratory dinner is a de facto endorsement of India’s far-right turn under Modi.

Edward Mitchell, the deputy executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) sought to know, “How can the White House honour a leader who is an open anti-Muslim bigot, a right-wing ideologue who censors journalists and turns a blind eye to lynchings? You can work with India and Modi without taking this extra step to celebrate him.” In an open letter drafted by Hindus for Human Rights, a Washington DC-based advocacy group, several Indian Americans, human rights advocates, and concerned allies have also urged Biden to “push back” against the Indian government’s “escalating attacks on human rights and democracy.”

Dozens of U.S. President Joe Biden's fellow Democrats urged him on Tuesday to raise human rights issues with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Washington this week, according to a letter sent to Biden. A total of 75 Democratic senators and members of the House of Representatives signed the letter, sent to the White House on Tuesday and first reported by Reuters. "And we ask that, during your meeting with Prime Minister Modi, you discuss the full range of issues important to a successful, strong, and long-term relationship between our two great countries," the letter said.

Nonetheless, Modi's visit has split America’s Democratic Party ecosystem into two. The section of Democrats which wields considerable influence in media, academia, social sector and the deep state, is nervous about India’s rise and the enthralling welcome to PM Modi which the US government and the powerful Indian diaspora has planned. They recall how Biden as the presidential candidate has made defending human rights and democracy a cornerstone of his foreign policy agenda. Critics argue that his embrace of Modi, who over his two terms as Prime Minister has overseen significant democratic backsliding in India, is doing just the opposite.

The Washington Post’s Editorial Board wrote on Saturday that the case for India as a “bulwark against China” has never been more urgent for Washington. Similarly, on Friday, the Time magazine had cited foreign policy experts as suggesting that Biden’s welcoming of Modi is because of India’s “indispensable role” in American efforts “to deter Chinese aggression”.

Meanwhile, Chinese media has slammed the US for "pushing India and ramping up its efforts to harass China's economic progress". China's top diplomat Wang Yi, in an opinion piece in the Global Times said, "The US' geopolitical calculations are not difficult to read. As feared by many Indian elites, Washington's vigorous efforts to strengthen economic and trade cooperation with India is primarily to slow down China's economic development. However, this geopolitical calculation of the US is doomed to fail, because China's position in the global supply chain cannot be replaced by India or other economies.”

A section of the Indian diaspora feels that Biden intends to use Modi’s support in his re-election in 2024. It is a known fact that a section of the diaspora strongly subscribe to the ideals and ideology of RSS, which has a strong network in US. In 2019, Modi had solicited their support for Donald Trump. (IPA Service)