| President Donald Trump's high-voltage visit to India has further cemented the close ties between the world's oldest and largest democracies. The two sides have agreed to elevate relations to a Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership. The addition of the word "comprehensive" acquires new salience in a time of flux, particularly in the Indo-Pacific. The two sides have agreed to work together on defence, technology, terrorism and homeland security, energy, trade, checking narco-terrorism and organised crime, connectivity and people-to-people ties. |
| This is the eighth time that the two leaders have met since Trump came to power in 2017, of which the last eight months alone account for five meetings. President Trump flew 8,000 miles, or 12,875 km one way, on his first official trip to India. As the visit unfolded, the first images of the ecstatic crowds, both along the route and in the Motera stadium, filled TV screens. The festooning around the city and the gala turnout suggested that vast numbers of people were welcoming the Trump entourage in the best traditions of atithi devo bhava. |
| Trump came down hard on terrorism, both in Motera and in his press remarks. He spoke of the two countries being firmly united in their ironclad resolve to defend their citizens from the threat of "radical Islamic terrorism". It balanced his description of US-Pakistan relations as "very good" and the distinction he drew between the deep state in Pakistan and the "terrorist organisations and militants operating on the Pakistani border". He probably meant both Pakistans western and eastern flanks, but the truth is that the Pakistani army plays a direct role in the infiltration of terrorists into Kashmir, even if it has less sway on groups operating along the Afghan border. |
| Trump's public address in Motera was replete with resounding endorsements of Modi and the achievements of his government, interspersed with laudatory remarks about India as a great nation. That he did not utter a single word in Motera about recent political developments in India reflects Trump's political maturity and the importance attached to a deeper engagement with India. |
| Trump was mindful of India's sensitivities. A reference to Kashmir came up only in response to a question during his press briefing, and, in saying that he was willing to help, he was only reiterating his earlier position. The motivated din in certain sections of the international media about the Citizenship Amendment Act notwithstanding. Trump said in response to a question at the press briefing in Delhi that he did not discuss it since it was an internal matter of India. He would have been conscious of the US ban, enacted in 2017 and recently expanded on January 31 to include more countries, restricting travel, immigration and entry of refugees from a number of mostly Muslim-majority countries. The expanded list now also includes Myanmar, which has a Buddhist majority, ostensibly with an eye to restricting the entry of the Rohingya. Though the CAA was enacted by Parliament for entirely different reasons, both are sovereign decisions. When asked about violence in Delhi and religious freedom, he once again termed these as matters best left to India. |
A) American visa rules
B) Americas relations with its neighbours
C) American citizenship bill
D) Americas bill of rights
Correct Answer: A
Solution :
(a) The motivated din in certain sections of the international media about the Citizenship Amendment Act notwithstanding. Trump said in response to a question at the press briefing in Delhi that he did not discuss it since it was an internal matter of India. He would have been conscious of the US ban, enacted in 2017 and recently expanded on January 31 to include more countries, restricting travel, immigration and entry of refugees from a number of mostly Muslim-majority countries
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