The Narendra Modi government got a hard lesson in US politics “ cheers and standing ovations don’t always translate into a vote of confidence. Days after Modi and President Barack Obama inked a pack elevating India to the status of ‘major defence partner’, the Senate rejected an amendment which sought to raise defence partnership between India and the US to the level of the ties shared between Washington and NATO. New Delhi sought to downplay the setback and a senior bureaucrat said it was too early to read anything into the snub.
The only takeaway from this development is that senators and Congressmen sought to endorse the agreement inked between the two countries, which in some way is a step forward in the process. India and the US have been moving towards a strategic partnership and the Obama administration is supporting stronger defence ties which would have allowed sale of sensitive defence equipment and technology. With China looming large in the world of international politics the US is attempting to create a ring of containment with India as the linchpin. New Delhi sees several advantages in being closer to Washington as Beijing warms up to Islamabad. Sadly, the Senate saw it differently.
