Vikrant Shekhawat : Jan 10, 2025, 05:00 PM
Donald Trump News: Donald Trump will be sworn in as the President of the United States for the second time on January 20. Trump has invited many global leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, to attend his swearing-in ceremony. However, the name of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not in this list, which has intensified the discussion in political and diplomatic circles.Previous developments and Modi-Trump relationsThere were many speculations about a possible meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Trump, who arrived in New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly in September. Trump had expressed his desire to meet Modi in a press conference at that time. According to him, a high-profile meeting with Modi could strengthen his electoral image.Earlier, during the 'Howdy Modi' event in 2019, both the leaders shared the stage. This was seen as Trump's electoral lead. However, the Indian Foreign Ministry was cautious this time and decided to keep a distance from American electoral politics.Invitations to global leaders, but Modi missingTrump has invited leaders like Argentine President Javier Milley, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for his swearing-in ceremony. All these leaders have either supported Trump or are considered ideologically close to him.Despite deteriorating relations with China, Trump sent a special invitation to Xi Jinping. However, Jinping has decided to send one of his senior representatives.Reasons for Modi not getting an invitationDespite good personal relations between Trump and Modi, not inviting Prime Minister Modi to the swearing-in raises many questions. Experts believe that behind this is India's strategy to maintain diplomatic balance between the two countries.After the 2019 'Howdy Modi' program, India realized that supporting a single candidate in American electoral politics is not in long-term interest. If Modi had met Trump and Democrats' Kamala Harris had won the election, it could have had a negative impact on India-US relations.Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar's visitAmid speculation that Prime Minister Modi would not be invited, Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar visited the US in late December. He met the Trump administration's transition team and other top officials.Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the visit was aimed at reviewing the progress made in India-US relations. He also clarified that India aims to maintain equal relations with both parties in the US—Democrats and Republicans.India's balanced stanceIndia has always ensured that its relations with the US are not limited to any one political party. Despite the good personal relationship between Trump and Modi, India decided to maintain its diplomatic balance.This strategy is part of India's long-term foreign policy, which prioritises global diplomacy rather than engaging exclusively with any one leader or country.What is the way forward?Prime Minister Modi's absence from the swearing-in ceremony will not have any long-term impact on India-US relations. The strategic and economic partnership between the two countries will remain strong.However, this incident is an indication that India now views its foreign policy from a more balanced and long-term perspective. The focus of India's diplomacy with the Trump administration will be to raise the relationship above personal sentiments and keep it towards practical and strategic objectives.The direction of India-US relations will depend on how the two countries can take mutual cooperation to new heights in the coming years.