India and the US have maintained cordial relations, especially in this century. The US has seen 3 presidents in the 21st century with Joe Biden emerging to be the 4th one after securing a majority vote in the latest US election. In the past 5 years, the relations have become better with leaders of either nation visiting the other. In 2015, the then President of the United States Barack Obama visited India as the chief guest for our Republic Day, followed by visits of PM Modi in 2015, 2016, and 2017, who had been denied US Visa earlier. Trump and his Republican party came into power in 2016 and the US maintained good relations with India. PM Modi and President Trump visited each other and huge events called ‘Howdy Modi’ and ‘Namaste Trump’ were organized in Houston and Ahmedabad to welcome them. Trump and Modi maintained friendly relations throughout Trump’s tenure despite Trump’s decision over the H1B Visa and his policies.
Now, that Trump is out of power we need to know about what Joe Biden and the Democrats mean for India. Before we move to what he means for India, we should know how Trump and Biden are different.
Joe Biden and Donald Trump offer a vivid contrast in thinking about how the United States should relate to the rest of the world. The United States’ interaction with the rest of the world is largely shaped by a president’s foreign policies, and hence Joe Biden will face an array of international challenges as his term begins. Change in leaders and parties means both allies and opponents will be unsure of Washington’s long-term commitments to countering the world’s most important issues.
International experts and analysts expect the United States to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement, strengthen policies for environment protection, restore funding for the World Health Organization, and better cooperate with countries around the world as a response to the COVID crisis. Biden says he would immediately restore the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) which permitted children brought to The United States illegally to remain as legal residents and end the restrictions on asylum imposed by Trump. Biden is also against Trump’s ‘Public Charge Rule’ which does not allow visas or permanent residency to people who use public services such as Medicaid, food stamps, or housing vouchers. Trump’s policies focus on the removal of all immigrants who have come to the country illegally but Biden is most likely to restore an Obama-era policy of prioritizing the removal of illegal immigrants who have been convicted of crimes or pose a threat to national security.
Biden has also promised to withdraw all funding for the construction of new walls along the U.S.-Mexico border. Biden called NATO “the single most consequential alliance in the history of the United States,” during a June 2019 debate and is now looking forward to prioritizing the reestablishment of international partnerships as Trump removed 12,000 troops from Germany while accusing it of taking advantage of the United States. Biden proposes resolving disputes through alliances, diplomacy, and global institutions. While Donald Trump promises to challenge international alliances, bring down US troop levels abroad, increase investments in the military and maintain trade tariffs on China, Biden spoke about repairing the strained relationship with United States’ allies.
As Kamala Harris becomes the first Indian-American Vice President of the United States, a new direction to change Indian engagement with American Politics, as well as America’s responses to Indian issues is anticipated. Both Kamala Harris and Joe Biden, have had mixed opinions on India’s leadership and the country’s issues. Reviewing their statements throughout the election process, the bilateral ties between the US and India remain ambivalent and predictable. Whilst they have expressed their disappointment towards the implementation and aftermath of CAA and NRC, undeniably the two leaders will remain consistent with reinforcing their ties with India.
In a recent statement, both the leaders spoke against India’s human rights violations and Modi’s nationalist leadership. Joe Biden’s remarks concerning India’s CAA, National Register of Citizens Project, and the restoration of liberties in Kashmir, seem to draw wrath in certain quarters in India. In Joe Biden’s attempt to work closely with Muslim-Americans, referred to as “Agenda for Muslim-American Communities”, he condemned the Modi Government’s new citizenship act. Quoting Biden, he said “In Kashmir, the Indian Government should take all necessary steps to restore rights for all the people of Kashmir. Restrictions on dissent, such as preventing peaceful protests or shutting or slowing down the internet, weaken democracy”. Biden and Harris have been outspoken on the issue related to Kashmir, although India has long maintained that the situation in Kashmir is India’s domestic issue, and does not require the intervention of any outside powers. These leaders have highlighted their willingness to hold India accountable for its actions in Kashmir. According to Biden, measures like CAA and NRC are inconsistent with the country’s secularism and sustaining multi-ethnic and multi-religious democracy. Likewise, Kamala Harris exhibited her support for Kashmiris by reminding them that they aren’t alone in the world. However, Biden expressed his commitment to strengthening the US-India relationship by standing together against terrorism and promoting a region of peace and stability. While addressing the Indian-American community on India’s Independence Day, Biden mentioned his leading efforts to approve the historic civil nuclear deal with India and asserted that if elected, his government would be standing with India against the threats faced by New Delhi. Besides focusing on US-India trade relations, Biden said that he will be working on expanding two-way trade between the two nations and confront big global challenges like climate change and global health security. Besides, he appreciated Kamala Harris’s efforts as a leader and her inspiring story, emphasizing the Indian-Americans.
Coming to the Indo-Pacific region, Biden has said that both India and the US share a strong interest in the region. Earlier in 2006, in an interview, he had said that it was his dream of India and the US being the two closest nations in 2020. He had said that the World would be a much safer place then. Seeing the current situation, it can be asserted that under Biden the US will continue its policy in the region. Biden’s policy paper during the campaign also states that the US will support India to get permanent membership of the UN Security Council and keep working cooperatively.
With time as the United States’ relations with India deepens and strengthens, the administration and presidency of the US undeniably play an important role not only on the nations’ political boundary but economic fronts as well. Discerning the past trend of increasing positive relationship between two democratic giants, with every newly elected US President, it can be apprehended that Joe Biden’s term would have a consistent effect, with the further systematic deepening of the strategic engagement with India. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and the world’s view of China, Biden may continue to view India as an ally in pushing back against China. Along with, Biden’s move towards reversing the decisions on the Paris Agreement and Iran Nuclear Deal is likely to have a gaining impact on India. A key to Biden’s positive impact on India is the way he comprehends the ongoing issues in India.