New Delhi: On June 8, Prime Minister Narendra Modi became the 6th Indian Prime Minister to address the US Congress. He became the 5th Indian Prime Minister to address the joint sitting of the US Congress (House of Representatives plus Senate).
PM Modi’s speech is being billed as ‘historic’, ‘ excellent’ and perhaps the best ever by an Indian Prime Minister who addressed US Congress.
But before we reach to any such conclusion, it’s essential to take a look at the highlights and the context under which all the 6 Indian Prime Ministers addressed the US Congress till this date and try to understand where does Modi’s speech stand in comparison to his 5 predecessors.
Jawaharlal Nehru (13 October 1949)
India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had the privilege to address the US Congress on 13 October 1949. Nehru, however, did not address the joint sitting of the parliament. He addressed the two houses separately although Nehru delivered the same speech in House of Representatives as well as Senate.
When Nehru visited US in 1949, there was a lot of scepticism in US regarding his policies of socialism and non-alignment. The US wanted India, a democracy, to be a natural partner of its alliance but Nehru’s socialist leanings were seen as a big dampener for Indo-US ties.
Nehru, however, steered clear of ideological moorings in his speech and instead sought mechanical and technological support from US in areas like agriculture, education and infrastructure.
“I have come here on a voyage of discovery of the mind and heart of America and to place before you our own mind and heart. Thus we may promote that understanding and cooperation which, I feel sure, both our countries earnestly desire,” Nehru said.
“We realise that self-help is the first condition of success for a nation, no less than for an individual. We are conscious that ours must be the primary effort and we shall seek succour from none to escape from any part of our own responsibility. But though our economic potential is great, its conversion into finished wealth will need much mechanical and technological aid,” he added.
Nehru, to his credit, also did some plain talk and politely but firmly reminded his American audience that India was not seeking any material advantage in exchange for any part of its hard-won freedom.
“We shall, therefore, gladly welcome such aid and cooperation on terms that are of mutual benefit… But we do not seek any material advantage in exchange for any part of our hard-won freedom,” he said.
Nehru’s speech was rich in terms of both content and intent but as pointed out earlier, the ghost of socialism and non-alignment proved to be a big speed breaker and the relationship failed to take-off.
Rajiv Gandhi (June 13, 1985)
After Nehru’s speech, no Indian Prime Minister got the opportunity to address the US Congress for quite a long time.
Indira Gandhi despite being a very powerful Prime Minister at home did not get this opportunity largely because during her regime, India was seen as a close ally of Soviet Union which was involved in a throat-cutting ‘cold war’ with United States.
The next Prime Minister to address US Congress was Rajiv Gandhi. On June 13, 1985, Rajiv became the first Indian Prime Minister to address the joint sitting of the US Congress.
Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure came as a breath of fresh air for Americans who were actually peeved with Indira Gandhi for her pro-USSR leanings. Rajiv also tried to overlook the bitterness of the past and focussed on the aspirations of a new India which was roaring to take a big leap forward into the 21st century. Rajiv sought US cooperation for India of his dreams that was strong and self-reliant.
“India is an old country, but a young nation; and like the young everywhere, we are impatient.I am young, and I have a dream. I dream of an India — strong, self-reliant, and in the front rank of the nations of the world in the service of mankind. I am committed to realising that dream through dedication, hard work, and the collective determination of our people. We will welcome all the cooperation that we can get,” Rajiv Gandhi told a receptive gathering of members of US Congress.
“Our task today is to bring India to the threshold of the 21st century. Free of the burden of poverty which is the legacy of our colonial past, and capable of meeting the rising aspirations of our people,” he added.
Interestingly, Rajiv Gandhi looking determined to take Indo-US relations to a new plane broke from the past and advocated independence for Afghanistan which came as a pleasant surprise to the Americans.
Prior to Rajiv’s speech, Americans always targeted India for supporting the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Rajiv, very cleverly, had pressed the right button which sowed the seeds of a new relationship that aimed to get rid of mutual suspicions.
It won’t be wrong to say that it was Rajiv Gandhi’s new approach towards US that set the stage for transfer of high-end technology as well as space cooperation.
Rajiv’s speech was very well taken by the US administration and a Ronald Reagan administration official was quoted by New York Times as saying: “There’s a night and day contrast between Rajiv and his mother… This fellow has an open mind. Reagan and Mrs Gandhi were roughly the same generation and the irony is that Reagan has far more rapport with Rajiv than he had with Mrs Gandhi”.
Even Secretary of State George P Shultz said that Rajiv Gandhi’s speech had “exceeded everything expected”.
PV Narasimha Rao (May 18, 1994)
PV Narasimha Rao, on May 18, 1994, became the third Indian Prime Minister to address the US Congress.
Rao had the privilege of addressing the joint sitting of the parliament at a time when cold war had ended and India, under his stewardship, had initiated a series of bold economic reforms. Obviously, Rao was not carrying any baggage of the past and in his address he underlined the need to look beyond the suspicions of the cold war era.
“US and India have learned a great deal from each other throughout history. Distances did not matter. Indeed, distances never mattered in the transmission of ideas because their medium is the mind. Then came the Cold War. That great opportunity seemed to be slipping through our fingers even as we tried to hold it in our hands. Today we have to worry about the fingers," Rao said.
Rao who was determined to chart a new course for India on economic front, focussed on the need to expedite development in India and sought US support for the same.
“Indo-US relations are on the threshold of a bold, new era. As India stands poised to contribute to global prosperity and peace in the next century, we look forward to continuing our partnership with America and with the American people. India is one of the developing countries in which the process of development is firmly established. We have realised that no quick fixes are possible and that there is no substitute for hard work with full involvement of the people,” he added.
Rao also asked US to help India become the “largest free market in the world” and pleaded for increase in U.S investments to India, and urged greater trade between the two countries.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee (September 14, 2000)
BJP’s first Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee became India’s 4th Prime Minister to address US Congress and 3rd PM to address the joint sitting of the two houses. He addressed the joint sitting of US Congress on September 14, 2000.
When Vajpayee visited US in 2000, his position was a little precarious because just 2 years ago, India had carried out nuclear tests and there was huge resentment in USA against Vajpayee government on this count. There was a lot of concern in US about nuclear proliferation after Indian tests.
Vajpayee, however, very judiciously, tried to allay American concerns on proliferation and called for the removal of the shadow of hesitation that lied between the visions of the two countries.
"Security issues have cast a shadow on our relationship. I believe this is unnecessary. We have much in common and no clash of interests. India understands your concerns. We do not wish to unravel your non-proliferation efforts. We wish you to understand our security concerns. Let us remove the shadow of hesitation that lies between us and our joint vision,” Vajpayee said.
The advantage that Vajpayee had was that India, by that time, had emerged as the hub for information technology and it was hugely appreciated and recognised in US. US had developed huge interest in India’s IT prowess.
Taking advantage of India’s success story in economic arena including IT, Vajpayee tried to send out the message that India can’t be overlooked because it is destined to play a significant role for bringing stability in Asia.
“In the years ahead, a strong, democratic and economically prosperous India, standing at the crossroads of all the major cultural and economic zones of Asia, will be an indispensable factor of stability in the region,” Vajpayee said.
Focussing on India’s economic growth, Vajpayee said that his government planned to double the per capita income of Indians within a decade.
“To achieve this order of growth we have ushered a comprehensive reforms. We are committed to releasing the creative genius of our people, the entrepreneurial skills of the men and women of the country, of its scientists and craftsmen,” Vajpayee added.
Dr Manmohan Singh (July 19, 2005)
The next Indian Prime Minister to address the joint sitting of US Congress was Dr Manmohan Singh. He delivered his speech to joint sitting of US Congress on July 2005.
Dr Manmohan Singh’s 2005 visit took at a time when India and US were coming closer in economic cooperation. Dr Manmohan Singh and the then US President George W Bush had developed a personal chemistry and Manmohan’s famous lines- Mr President, India loves you- is still quoted in diplomatic circles, sometimes with joy and sometimes with sarcasm.
Whatever may be the interpretation of Singh’s remarks, it’s a fact that the foundation of civil nuclear cooperation between India and US was laid during Singh’s 2005 visit to America when George W Bush was the President of the United States.
The framework of the civil nuclear agreement was signed a day before Singh’s address to the Congress. The agreement was finally signed in 2008 although President Obama had replaced President Bush by that time.
“President Bush and I arrived at an understanding in finding ways and means to enable civil nuclear energy cooperation… India’s track record in nuclear non-proliferation is impeccable. We have adhered scrupulously to every rule and canon… even though we have witnessed unchecked nuclear proliferation in our own neighbourhood… We have never been, and will never be, a source of proliferation of sensitive technologies,” Manmohan Singh had said in his address to the joint sitting of the US Congress .
Narendra Damodardas Modi (July 08, 2016)
After a gap of 11 years, Narendra Modi became the next Indian PM to address the joint sitting of US Congress.
It was a historic moment for Prime Minister Modi if seen in the context of US denying him visa from 2005 to 2014 when he took over as 14th Prime Minister of India. US had denied visa to Modi for his alleged involvement in 2002 Gujarat riots.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered an awesome speech that has been hailed in both USA and India as historic. Here was a confident Indian Prime Minister who was interested in a partnership with United States and was not pleading for doles from World’s most powerful and wealthy country.
Well, there are enthusiasts who are hailing PM Modi’s speech by pointing out that he received 9 standing ovations and 64 clapping. It’s true that PM Modi’s speech was well received by the members of the US congress but it should not be forgotten that the speech of the head of a government can’t be evaluated in terms of standing ovations and number of applauds.
Of course, ovations reflect the warmth of the audience but these are normal courtesies that US Congress extends to all the speakers who address its joint sittings.
Ovations were given to Pakistan’s military ruler Ayub Khan as well who addressed the US Congress on 12 July, 1961. Even former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto also received ovations when she addressed the joint sitting of US Congress on 7 June, 1989.
In the year 2015 alone, four dignitaries including Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani, Japan PM Shinzo Abe, Israel PM Binyamin Netanyahu and Pope Francis addressed the joint sitting of the US Congress and they were all given numerous ovations and clappings.
Prime Minister Modi’s speech stands apart from the addresses of his illustrious predecessors in terms of content, confidence, vision and display of a positive approach.
Nehru faced a credibility crisis because of his socialist leanings and non-alignment philosophy, Rajiv was trying to break free from the negative image of his mother that US officials found too difficult to forget, Narasimha Rao was facing the challenge of gaining trust for India in the aftermath of end of ‘cold war’ era, Vajpayee faced the uphill task on allaying the proliferation concerns of the Americans while Dr Manmohan Singh was working overtime to impress Americans to agree for transfer of sensitive technologies.
Narendra Modi, however, faced no such constraints. It was all very smooth for him. He was meeting President Obama for 7th time within a short span of 2 years. He is looked upon as someone who shares a close rapport with US President.
Most importantly, Modi was addressing US Congress at a time when the Americans need India as much as we need them. Concerned over the double-game that Pakistan is playing with them in dealing with terror and increasing assertiveness of China in South China Sea region, USA today looks upon India as a counterweight in this region. American officials have said it umpteen times that it is in their own interest to provide military, nuclear and economic aid to India.
There is no doubt that the personal chemistry between PM Modi and President Obama has changed the atmospherics of Indo-US relationship.
Feeling buoyed by this positive atmospherics, PM Modi touched all the right chords in his speech that will be cherished for long.
From Abraham Lincoln to Mahatma Gandhi and Swami Vivekananda to Dr B R Ambedkar, Modi remembered all the icons in his speech who are source of inspiration for the people of the two countries.
Aware of the reality that he is still looked upon by a section of Americans as a person who is not tolerant enough for people of other faiths, PM Modi made it a point to say that” Consitution is the real holy book for his government.”
“India lives as one; India grows as one; India celebrates as one.But, all the 1.25 billion of our citizens have freedom from fear, a freedom they exercise every moment of their lives,” Modi said.
Bringing an element of humour in his speech, Modi reminded his American audience that the US Congress and Indian Parliament share same experience as far as bipartisanship and “harmonious relations” between the two houses is concerned.
‘I am informed that the working of the U.S. Congress is harmonious. I am also told that you are well-known for your bipartisanship. Well, you are not alone. Time and again, I have also witnessed a similar spirit in the Indian Parliament, especially in our Upper House,” Modi said in a lighter vein which was applauded by the members of US Congress.
In an oblique reference to China, Modi reminded his audience how India was ready to safeguard the Indian Ocean region.
“India is already assuming her responsibilities in securing the Indian Ocean region. A strong India-U.S. partnership can anchor peace, prosperity and stability from Asia to Africa and from Indian Ocean to the Pacific,” PM Modi said.
He also did not forget to mention in his speech the role being played by India and America in Afghanistan.
“A commitment to rebuild a peaceful, and stable and prosperous Afghanistan our shared objective,” he said.
Interestingly, PM Modi did not hesitate in targeting Pakistan for its support to terrorists although he refrained from actually naming the Islamic Republic.
“Distinguished Members, not just in Afghanistan, but elsewhere in South Asia, and globally, terrorism remains the biggest threat. In the territory stretching from West of India’s border to Africa, it may go by different names, from Laskhar-e-Taiba, to Taliban to ISIS. But, it’s philosophy is common: of hate, murder and violence. Although it’s shadow is spreading across the world, it is incubated in India’s neighbourhood,” PM Modi said.
He also appreciated the role of US Congress in denying F-16 jets to Pakistan although he once again did not exactly take the name of Pakistan.
“I commend the members of the U.S. Congress for sending a clear message to those who preach and practice terrorism for political gains. Refusing to reward them is the first step towards holding them accountable for their actions,” PM Modi said that and it does not require any genius to understand who he was referring to.
The most striking part of his speech the politeness with which he reminded the Americans that all this cosiness does not mean that India has become a client state (like Pakistan) for USA.
He asserted that there will always be scope for differing perspectives of the two countries on different matters.
“As we deepen our partnership, there would be times when we would have differing perspectives. But, since our interests and concerns converge, the autonomy in decision making and diversity in our perspectives can only add value to our partnership,” Modi said in a polite but firm tone. The message was loud and clear.
PM Modi concluded his speech by quoting the lines of Walt Whitman which won the heart and minds of the American lawmakers who were present there.
‘In the lines of Walt Whitman, “The Orchestra have sufficiently tuned their instruments, the baton has given the signal.” And to that, if I might add, there is a new symphony in play,” PM Modi said in the final paragraph of his speech and those who attended US Congress that day agree that the impact of his speech was mesmerising indeed, to say the least.
As far as comparison of speeches of PM Modi and his predecessors is concerned, it has to be kept in mind that every one of them spoke in a different era and when the two countries were facing different challenges. Therefore, a direct comparison will be totally unfair.
However, it won’t be wrong to say that the atmospherics was perhaps the best in the history of Indo-US relations when PM Modi addressed the US Congress and his personal chemistry with President Obama made things further easier and cosy.
All this instilled immense confidence in PM Modi and since he is an orator par excellence, the Indian Prime Ministers definitely scored the maximum points for his speech compared to all his predecessors.
But yes, there is merit in the argument that if the Indo-US relations have reached to a level where PM Modi feels so confident then he should not forget that all his predecessors played equally important roles in doing the spade work for this task that looked so unreal not very long ago.
