Will India-US bonhomie remain unchanged under Biden?

While Donald Trump has been a success where India-US ties are concerned, and President Barack Obama established a legacy of trust together with PM Modi, it remains to be seen whether Joe Biden will ensure an even closer partnership between the two biggest democracies.

Hyderabad:With Democrat Joe Biden all set to be the new President of the USA, hopes are high that he will continue strengthening the India-US relationship.

The relationship between the two nations is being seen as especially crucial for India, where the economy shrank by 23.9% in the first quarter of the 2020-2021 fiscal year -- an adverse effect of the coronavirus pandemic.

With Kamala Harris set to be the first Indian-American Vice President of the United States, many believe the position has the potential to change Indian engagement with American politics, as well as the United States' response to issues in India.

While Biden has committed to strengthening the US-India relationship, it remains to be seen to what extent the new US administration engages with India.

Trump and Modi, both right-wing leaders, had forged a strong connection between 2017 and 2020, with the Indian PM featuring heavily in the US President's re-election campaign advertisements targeting Indian Americans. Meanwhile, back home in India, Modi had also used the relationship to signal India's rising global stature.

However, what might worry India is that both Biden and Harris have spoken out against the Modi administration's actions in Kashmir and Modi's nationalist leadership.

Kashmir and CAA

When the Modi government revoked Jammu and Kashmir's special status under Article 370, Democrats rallied against Trump's dismissive attitude at the 2019 House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on human rights in South Asia.

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Further, Biden campaign's agenda for Muslim American communities addressed the situation in Kashmir as a 'pain' to the community alongside the Uyghurs in China and Rohingyas in Myanmar. It also opposed the contentious Citizenship Amendment Bill.

However, Biden's push against India's actions is unlikely to be immediate, as issues on the domestic front will likely take precedence for the new US President, who will have to find a way to steer the nation out of the economic crisis amidst the COVID pandemic.

H1B visas

One of Biden's promises included reforming the H-1B visa system and eliminating the limits of employment-based green cards by country. He had spoken about his plans to "protect American and foreign workers alike."

However, much like in the case of Kashmir, it is unlikely that these changes in the visa system will be a top priority.

Biden during VP term under Obama

During his term as the Vice-President under Obama, Biden was one of the key advocates for strengthening the Indo-US partnership, especially in strategic areas. During the time, the US officially declared its support for India's membership in a reformed and expanded United Nations Security Council. This had been a key demand of successive Indian governments, which was fulfilled by Washington during Biden's VP term.

Further, the Obama administration also named India a 'Major Defense Partner' -- which made it easier to share advanced and critical technology to India to strengthen defence ties.

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