There are good reasons why President Donald Trump wants to join Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Houston for the ‘Howdy, Modi’ rally.

COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

For one, American democracy even at the height of Barack Obama’s popularity and the fame of past US presidents, has never witnessed a political rally of the size proposed at the 50,000-capacity NRG Stadium hosted by the Texas India Forum, which is a complete sell-out.

Crowds of this size are seen only at major sporting events such as the Superbowl. President Trump, aware of the growing relationship between India and the United States — as well as the importance of elections next year — could not be unaware that Houston is the fourth largest city in the US, and along with surrounding areas and nearby cities, there is an Indian-origin population of more than 1.5 lakh.

Texas itself is estimated to have more than 2.5 lakh Indian Americans and every vote will count in a tough election next year. The fact that the rally will be addressed by top Democratic lawmakers suggests the kind of bi-partisan support that India enjoys in the United States.

It also reveals that Modi has been able to transcend the political divide; his relations with Republican Trump are as warm as they were his predecessor, Democratic Obama. Coming as it does at the back of developments in Jammu and Kashmir, it is a sign that the shared democratic values and rule-based world order of the two countries have a lot in common.

Just when there were signs of a rift over President Trump’s reported offer to mediate in Kashmir, comes the Houston icing on the cake. While it is no absolute guarantee against future ‘offers’ by a highly voluble American president, it does show that the path ahead is less bumpy.