INTRODUCTION
Joe Biden assumed office on January 20, 2021 following the tumultuous tenure of Donald Trump and the January 6th Capitol insurrection by those who considered the election to be a part of a larger conspiratorial act by the Democrats, of which Joe Biden has been a member for decades. Biden had also been the Vice President to Barack Obama and cultivated several important relations and diplomatic friendships with a wide array of people over his long career in Washington and its famed corridors.
Biden has famously been in close alliance with the American-Indians and has favoured the cause of the expat demographic by recognising the economic, social, cultural and even political significance of the Indian diaspora in America. Whilst championing this cause, Biden has over thirty Indian-Americans in high ranking posts in his administration which is a huge jump from the measly dozen that were present under the Trump regime.
In this article, Team YLCC explores the dynamics of India-US relations in light of the Biden Presidency. Read on!
BRIEF HISTORY OF THE INDIA-U.S. RELATIONSHIP
The relation between the two countries has had some seismic moments in its nascent and budding diplomacy. The first such instance was Jawaharlal Nehru’s multi-week tour to the United States under the administration of Harry S Truman in 1949. This was followed by Martin Luther King Jr’s deep analysis of and study into the Gandhian principles and actions of peaceful protests, non-violence and reformation through peaceable resolutions. A decade after Nehru’s visit, Dwight D Eisenhower visited India at the height of the Cold War, in 1959, when India reaffirmed and restored its neutral stance between the diplomatic war of the polarising nations of USA and USSR. Its support of India in the latter’s war with China in 1962 was sharply rebuked by its opposition in the war with Pakistan in 1971. A decade or so later, Indira Gandhi mended the ties under the administration of Ronald Reagan paving the way for the industrial and technological boom of the 1990s and entry of American private players.[1]
THE STATE OF RELATIONS UNDER THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION
From the final days of Bill Clinton’s presidency to the single term of Donald Trump and the first 100 days of Joe Biden’s administration, the India-U.S. relationship has seen a broad positive arc, withstanding changes of administration in Washington.[2]
A Press Release by the White House detailed the specifics of the conversation between Biden and Modi on the 8th of February, 2021. The conversation was about the progress and development of the Indian and American interests, the renewed work to minimise the impact of COVID-19, the partnership on climate change and working towards a more economically robust system that benefits the Indo-Pacific interests.[3]
The trajectory that the Indo-American relation has taken over the course of the last few decades has been one of renewed hope and resilience in times of global economic peril and political vices. The Modi administration was, very visibly, quite close to the Trump administration due to the shared interests ideologically and the recognition that the image that it transpired in the voter base for both the leaders. However, the Trump administration was beset with internal turmoil and Biden has aimed at restoring stability in the economic relations, parity in the political alliances, and balance in the trade deficit by strengthening the manufacturing and services industries.
On the contentious issue of immigration and visa for the Indian expat diaspora, Biden has famously remarked that he understands the “tremendous economic, social, and cultural values” that the immigrants bring to his nation.[4]
ENGAGEMENTS BETWEEN THE COUNTRIES AND ITS ADMINISTRATIONS
The United States and India are part of the multinational group of countries, QUAD, which focuses primarily on security and trade in the Indo-Pacific Region. The strategic threat posed by China on the Line of Actual Control of the Indian landmass and soft threat in the economic and technological fields for the United States, has made the administrations of both the nations take serious cognisance of the rising threat and political-arm-twisting by Beijing and its seemingly autocratic party. The return of International Human Rights policy as an agenda of American foreign policy and India’s vehement accountability in the global world to abide by the United Nations’ Declaration of Human Rights has made it obligatory for both the nations to keep China’s growing authoritarianism in check.
Given the increasing bipartisan tension between Washington and Beijing over technological and geopolitical domination, Delhi will be seen as the obvious and the natural security partner and key player in determining the condition of the diplomacy. As India grips itself for even more militaristic threats along the border, Biden administration will be more vocal than ever before on the political clampdown on the freedom and liberties of people in Hong Kong and the state of the Uighur Muslims[5].
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Modi and Biden both have until 2024 before the respective populaces of the countries flock to the polling booths. While it seems clearer than ever that the former will have his third office at 10 Janpath, the latter’s re-election is dependent on several caveats from personal health to the Republican-led social conservatism. Until 2024, the ties between the two countries seem to be strong enough to withhold and sustain any impending or unseen global issues. With India being the President of the G20 this year, its presence in the global avenue has just increased manifold. While the countries seek unanimity over the resolution of global issues, it must also look at the more strategic problems. The most important being the dilution of the Veto Powers of the United Nations Security Council’s permanent members- of which United States and China are both members.
The other ominous challenge is that of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the key battles on the Ukrainian landmass which have posed a serious challenge to the Western countries as the sanctions have not stopped Russia from continuing its barrage on Ukraine while it has made the Western nations scramble to secure gas as the mercury, around the world, dips.
CONCLUSION
Challenges can create opportunities for cooperation. Just as the China challenge created a hitherto unseen strategic convergence between India and the United States and fostered a growing defence and security cooperation, hurdles in the domains of trade and economics, health security, and combating climate change could create new avenues of cooperation. A balance of pragmatism and sentiment rebuild bridges recently, before the bad taste of history could set in, and yet again produce echoes of past claims that the U.S. is an unreliable partner. In the final analysis, it be will incumbent upon New Delhi to sense the winds of change sweeping Biden’s America and adroitly navigate the relationship between two complex democracies.[6]
[1] US-India Relations, Council on Foreign Relations, Accessed on Date: 20-12-2022 at 10:45 am
[2] Monish Tourangbam and Priyanjali Simon, Biden’s First 100 Days and India-US Relations, The Diplomat, Accessed on Date: 20-12-2022 at 11:20 am
[3] Statement and Release (2021, February 8) Readout of President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India. The White House. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/02/08/readout-of-president-joseph-r-biden-jr-call-with-prime-minister-narendra-modi-of-india/
[4] Chothani, Poorvi (2020, October 12) Trump versus Biden: Who will be better for India when it comes to immigration?, The Economic Times, https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/visa-and-immigration/trump-versus-biden-who-will-be-better-for-india-when-it-comes-to-immigration/articleshow/78616777.cms
[5] Dave, Aaditya (2020 December 9) The Biden Administration and the Future of US–India Ties, Rusi. https://rusi.org/commentary/biden-administration-and-future-us-india-ties
[6] Monish Tourangbam and Priyanjali Simon, Biden’s First 100 Days and India-US Relations, The Diplomat, https://thediplomat.com/2021/05/bidens-first-100-days-and-india-u-s-relations/
YLCC would like to thank its Content Team for their valuable insights in this article.
