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Showman!

President Donald Trump visited India in February 2020 with the hope of
seeing a country living up to its high claims of progress. All he got to see was
anti-Muslim riots in Delhi – and shaken investors.

By Atif Shamim Syed | April 2020


President Donald Trump’s visit to India in late February was nothing short of spectacular. Flashing lights, Indian film stars and blaring music – Modi seemed to understand exactly what Mr. Trump wanted. He had promised that not less than seven million Indians will gather to greet Mr. Trump in Ahmedabad. This was a staggering exaggeration keeping in mind that the entire population of Gujrat’s capital city is just above eight million.

Modi also knows Trump’s penchant for big walls. That is why he hastily erected a six-footer on the president’s way from the airport to the cricket stadium where the show was scheduled. The one-kilometer wall served to hide the ugly slums of Ahmedabad that could have ruined the jubilant mood of the American president. Modi is ashamed of India’s poor and did not want the sight of them offending the beloved US president.

Modi was hoping to use Trump’s visit as an occasion to boost India’s standing within the international community. Modi has recently come under fire for the worsening situation in Kashmir, and the enactment of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Despite its extravagances and a show of wealth and pomp, it is a fact that India is in an economic jam and in desperate need for foreign investment.

Once inside the world’s biggest cricket stadium, the ‘Namaste Trump’ event started amid great fanfare. The two leaders repeatedly hugged, and praised each other throughout the proceedings as they celebrated the dawn of a new strategic partnership between the two nations.

The act played out to perfection in Ahmedabad was in stark contrast to the reality on the streets of India’s capital Delhi. The city erupted in the worst anti-Muslim communal riots in decades. Dozens lost their lives and many more were injured. Property was looted and burned. Muslims make up 14% of India’s population and 13% of Delhi’s. They are an impoverished group that dwells in the slums of the historic city.

Delhi’s deadly riots not only undermined Trump’s visit, but also laid bare Modi’s tall claims of democratic inclusion for all communities living inside the country. The international press who were accompanying the American president were pulled away from the celebrations in order to cover the violence witnessed live throughout the world.

Modi has been vehemently criticized at home for spending exponential public funds in order to satisfy his own exhibitionist tendencies at a time when the economy is in a shambles, unemployment is climbing at a sustained pace, and the real income of Indian households is sliding down rapidly.

Modi’s was hoping to dazzle Donald Trump with projection of India’s soft power. Moreover, he also wanted to let the president know that he has the unequivocal support of the vast majority of Indian-Americans residing in the US. Trump also needs their votes in order to win the next US elections.

The Delhi riots were a foreign policy disaster. They washed away all the high hopes Modi had been pinning on Trump. In the US, Indian-Americans were seen protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in front of Indian consulates. The CAA was one of the main reasons for the Delhi riots. These scenes sent a message that Modi does not enjoy unconditional loyalty of the Indian Diaspora in the US - a fact that will not go down well with Trump and his incumbent administration.

One of the hallmarks of India’s diplomatic achievements in Washington over the past few years is that it has succeeded in forming working relationship with both the Democratic and the Republican parties. This bipartisan support is vanishing in the aftermath of the CAA and the ruling BJP’s excesses against India’s minority Muslims. Democrats are seen publicly criticizing the BJP’s anti-Muslim rhetoric and the violence that usually follows.

Modi did manage to impress Trump with his grandiose welcome performance. But a delighted Trump alone cannot bring US investments into India. One of the main features that attract wealthy investors towards any market is the prospect of its long-term stability.

The Delhi riots and the dismal performance of the police department have revealed India’s latent sectarian fault lines. Moreover, the US media has almost unanimously blamed the BJP government and India’s law enforcement agencies for having not only failed to stop the massacre but also abetting the instigators in many instances.

These allegations are followed by reports emerging from Delhi according to which witnesses saw policemen perpetrating violence against unarmed Muslim civilians. These policemen are under the direct control of the Federal government owing to the city’s status as the country’s capital. Why the Delhi police did nothing to contain the violence is a big question mark.

Foreign investors are worried about the rest of the country after watching a government-sponsored bloodbath in the streets of the capital. Their confidence is shaken, and they are in no hurry to bet their money only on Modi’s promises.

Towards the conclusion of his 36-hour visit, Donald Trump announced that India will purchase 3 billion dollars’ worth of US military equipment and hardware. However, regarding a wider trade deal with his host, Trump was again sarcastic about India’s high tariffs. There was no mention of any trade deal happening between India and the US in the coming months.

February’s Delhi riots were a manifestation of India’s deep-rooted sectarian rifts. They happened at a time when the entire world had its gaze fixated on India. In that sense, Trump’s visit was counter-productive because it brought India’s communal tensions into the international spotlight. Modi failed to eke out any economic concessions from Trump either. A trade deal with the US is still far out of his reach.

The entire episode with Donald Trump proved to be nothing more than a hollow display of non-existent wealth and increasingly diminishing soft power. It is time to underscore if Modi has decided whether He wants to be a showman or a prime minister because he cannot be both at the same time.

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