Bastille Day welcome for Modi as France courts India

By AFP

President Emmanuel Macron’s pink carpet welcome comes weeks after Modi was given the uncommon honour of a White House state dinner in Washington — a metropolis he was as soon as banned from visiting.

That go to noticed offers on arms gross sales, semiconductor funding and house cooperation, breezing previous human rights considerations over India’s Hindu nationalist authorities and accusations of rising spiritual intolerance in the direction of the nation’s Muslim minority.

Further strategic and financial tie-ups are anticipated in Paris, which is looking for to broaden its engagement in Asia alongside different Western nations to verify rising Chinese assertiveness within the area.

Modi’s go to alongside Indian troops becoming a member of the annual Bastille Day navy parade marks “a new phase in the strategic partnership between France and India”, Macron’s Elysee Palace workplace mentioned in June.

Both nations have “a shared vision of peace and security, especially in Europe and in the Indo-Pacific region”, the assertion added, utilizing a time period utilized by the US and its allies for the Asia-Pacific area.

Modi, who greeted the French chief together with his customary bearhug throughout the latter’s first state go to to India in 2018, mentioned on Twitter final week that he was “looking forward to meeting with my friend President Macron”.

“The India-France Strategic Partnership holds great significance for global good,” he added.

India is already a buyer for French arms, together with Dassault’s Rafale fighter jets, because it seeks to modernise its forces to match potential future threats from its northern neighbour.

The urgency of New Delhi’s job has been heightened by simmering disputes with Beijing over the nations’ immense Himalayan frontier, the location of a 2020 conflict that killed 20 Indian and 4 Chinese troops, and despatched relations between each capitals into free fall.

Balancing Game

India as soon as confronted crushing poverty, however its center courses have swelled in current many years on the again of a quickly rising economic system, which final yr overtook former colonial ruler Britain to develop into the fifth-largest globally.

In April, the nation welcomed its first retail shops from Apple, wanting to faucet a burgeoning marketplace for upscale shopper items in what’s now the world’s most populous nation.

The US tech big can be ramping up semiconductor and cellphone manufacturing in India to militate towards the specter of politically pushed provide chain disruptions in China.

India’s rising financial clout has dovetailed with diplomatic assertiveness as its leaders relish the nation’s newfound prominence on the worldwide stage.

This yr, India is internet hosting the G20 summit for the primary time and Modi has used the assembly to burnish his picture at house as a steward of nationwide energy and prosperity.

Modi has struck a advantageous stability between historic ally Moscow and its new Western suitors, declining to criticise final yr’s invasion of Ukraine whereas India snaps up discounted Russian oil.

At the identical time, his authorities has been enthusiastically welcomed into nearer safety cooperation with the West via the Quad alliance, a grouping that additionally consists of the United States, Australia and Japan, and is seen as one other countervailing power to China.

Modi attended a cricket match at a stadium bearing his identify in March with visiting Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese, who likened the charismatic Indian chief to rock musician Bruce Springsteen at a rousing Sydney reception two months later.

“It is to do with containing China,” mentioned Manoj Joshi, a New Delhi-based writer and geopolitical commentator.

“China is becoming a difficult market… and in terms of size and strength of its economy, India is a very good fit”.

Rights Concern

But final month’s enthusiastic welcome to Washington from US President Joe Biden noticed minor ructions when a number of lawmakers boycotted Modi’s joint tackle to Congress, citing his human rights report.

Rights teams say India’s 200 million Muslims have confronted elevated discrimination and violence since India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept to energy in 2014.

Modi himself was as soon as topic to a US State Department journey ban over 2002 spiritual riots throughout his tenure as chief minister of western Gujarat state that killed round 1,000 folks, largely Muslims.

He has denied any accountability for the violence and subsequent authorities probes have cleared him of culpability.

His authorities has additionally been accused of stifling impartial media, with India falling 21 locations to 161 out of 180 nations within the World Press Freedom Index since he took workplace.

Indian places of work of the BBC had been raided by the tax division in February, weeks after the British broadcaster was hit with a barrage of presidency criticism for airing a documentary questioning Modi’s position within the Gujarat riots.

The ruling social gathering denied the raids had been politically motivated, whereas diplomats in London and Washington demurred from criticising them.

President Emmanuel Macron’s pink carpet welcome comes weeks after Modi was given the uncommon honour of a White House state dinner in Washington — a metropolis he was as soon as banned from visiting.

That go to noticed offers on arms gross sales, semiconductor funding and house cooperation, breezing previous human rights considerations over India’s Hindu nationalist authorities and accusations of rising spiritual intolerance in the direction of the nation’s Muslim minority.

Further strategic and financial tie-ups are anticipated in Paris, which is looking for to broaden its engagement in Asia alongside different Western nations to verify rising Chinese assertiveness within the area.googletag.cmd.push(perform() googletag.show(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2′); );

Modi’s go to alongside Indian troops becoming a member of the annual Bastille Day navy parade marks “a new phase in the strategic partnership between France and India”, Macron’s Elysee Palace workplace mentioned in June.

Both nations have “a shared vision of peace and security, especially in Europe and in the Indo-Pacific region”, the assertion added, utilizing a time period utilized by the US and its allies for the Asia-Pacific area.

Modi, who greeted the French chief together with his customary bearhug throughout the latter’s first state go to to India in 2018, mentioned on Twitter final week that he was “looking forward to meeting with my friend President Macron”.

“The India-France Strategic Partnership holds great significance for global good,” he added.

India is already a buyer for French arms, together with Dassault’s Rafale fighter jets, because it seeks to modernise its forces to match potential future threats from its northern neighbour.

The urgency of New Delhi’s job has been heightened by simmering disputes with Beijing over the nations’ immense Himalayan frontier, the location of a 2020 conflict that killed 20 Indian and 4 Chinese troops, and despatched relations between each capitals into free fall.

Balancing Game

India as soon as confronted crushing poverty, however its center courses have swelled in current many years on the again of a quickly rising economic system, which final yr overtook former colonial ruler Britain to develop into the fifth-largest globally.

In April, the nation welcomed its first retail shops from Apple, wanting to faucet a burgeoning marketplace for upscale shopper items in what’s now the world’s most populous nation.

The US tech big can be ramping up semiconductor and cellphone manufacturing in India to militate towards the specter of politically pushed provide chain disruptions in China.

India’s rising financial clout has dovetailed with diplomatic assertiveness as its leaders relish the nation’s newfound prominence on the worldwide stage.

This yr, India is internet hosting the G20 summit for the primary time and Modi has used the assembly to burnish his picture at house as a steward of nationwide energy and prosperity.

Modi has struck a advantageous stability between historic ally Moscow and its new Western suitors, declining to criticise final yr’s invasion of Ukraine whereas India snaps up discounted Russian oil.

At the identical time, his authorities has been enthusiastically welcomed into nearer safety cooperation with the West via the Quad alliance, a grouping that additionally consists of the United States, Australia and Japan, and is seen as one other countervailing power to China.

Modi attended a cricket match at a stadium bearing his identify in March with visiting Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese, who likened the charismatic Indian chief to rock musician Bruce Springsteen at a rousing Sydney reception two months later.

“It is to do with containing China,” mentioned Manoj Joshi, a New Delhi-based writer and geopolitical commentator.

“China is becoming a difficult market… and in terms of size and strength of its economy, India is a very good fit”.

Rights Concern

But final month’s enthusiastic welcome to Washington from US President Joe Biden noticed minor ructions when a number of lawmakers boycotted Modi’s joint tackle to Congress, citing his human rights report.

Rights teams say India’s 200 million Muslims have confronted elevated discrimination and violence since India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept to energy in 2014.

Modi himself was as soon as topic to a US State Department journey ban over 2002 spiritual riots throughout his tenure as chief minister of western Gujarat state that killed round 1,000 folks, largely Muslims.

He has denied any accountability for the violence and subsequent authorities probes have cleared him of culpability.

His authorities has additionally been accused of stifling impartial media, with India falling 21 locations to 161 out of 180 nations within the World Press Freedom Index since he took workplace.

Indian places of work of the BBC had been raided by the tax division in February, weeks after the British broadcaster was hit with a barrage of presidency criticism for airing a documentary questioning Modi’s position within the Gujarat riots.

The ruling social gathering denied the raids had been politically motivated, whereas diplomats in London and Washington demurred from criticising them.