'Not Who America Thinks He Is': How Did Foreign Media Cover PM Modi's US Visit?

Here's how prominent American newspapers and leading news organisations reported on the Indian PM's visit.

(Photo: PTI)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the United States has captured significant attention in the media over the past two days. Thursday witnessed the highly anticipated events of the trip, including Modi's crucial bilateral discussions with US President Joe Biden, his address to the US Congress, and the grand state banquet hosted at the White House. Modi previously led Yoga day celebrations at the United Nations Headquarters.

While many are calling PM Modi's visit to the US a turning point in bilateral relations between the two countries, several lawmakers and critics urged Biden that during his meeting with Modi, he "discuss the full range of issues important to a successful, strong, and long-term relationship between our two great countries."

Here's how prominent American newspapers and leading news organisations reported on the Indian PM's visit.

From significance of the visit to strong criticism of ties, Here's how American media reported on the Indian PM's visit.

India and the US Need a People-to-People Alliance: The Washington Post

In a column for The Washington Post, Farid Zakaria claimed that people-to-people alliance between the United States and India will not only strengthen government-to-government relations but also contribute to the evolution of Indian democracy. He said that deepening ties with American businesses, press, academia, activists, and other sectors will enhance India's moral authority in a world experiencing growing fractures and divisions.

Zakaria also said that while the US acknowledges India's resistance to becoming a full-fledged U.S. ally, it is crucial for the Washington to navigate the complexities of "India's democratic decay."

"In any event, lecturing Modi on human rights is not the best way for the Biden administration to deal with him. That would backfire — not only with him but also with most Indians who would resent Western bullying. Far better to ally with India’s society itself, expanding ties with its businesses, press, nongovernmental organizations, cultural groups and others. India is one of the most pro-American countries in the world, something that is palpable when you are there. Companies, students, scholars, activists — all want closer ties with the United States. This people-to-people alliance will inevitably strengthen the government-to-government relations. But more importantly, I believe that an India that is more deeply connected to the United States will be a country that will naturally seek to perfect its democracy at home. It will also give it moral authority in a fracturing world that could use more of it."

Farid Zakaria

Red Carpets and Yellow Yoga Mats: USA Today

For middle-market daily USA Today, Micheal Collins remarked that US President Joe Biden's plans to publicly embrace PM Narendra Modi, while may be an attempt to forge closer ties, he also seeks to counter China's growing influence in South Asia.

The paper notes that while Modi was not allowed to set foot in the US before becoming PM, "times, titles and political agendas change," and highlighted the five moments from Modi's State visit.

"For nearly a decade, Narendra Modi wasn’t allowed to set foot in the United States. But times, titles and political agendas change. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden welcomed Modi, the prime minister of India, to the White House on Thursday for a state visit filled with the kind of pomp and pageantry afforded only to the nation’s closest friends. Standing next to Modi on the White House South Lawn, Biden said he has long believed that the relationship between the United States and India will be “one of the defining relationships of the 21st century.”

Micheal Collins

Narendra Modi Is Not Who America Thinks He Is: The New York Times

Writing a guest opinion for The New York Times, Harvard history professor Maya Jassanof laid down a strong critique of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, drawing light to India's falling press freedom rankings, claims of religious persecution, the spread of Hindu Nationalism and PM Modi's political history.

Jassanof also brought forward gender gaps in the Indian workforce and an unequal wealth distribution, which she claims "Western commentators enthusing about the 'new India' tend to breeze past."

"As an American of Indian origin, I welcome the economic transformations in India that in my lifetime have slashed the number of people living in extreme poverty, swelled the middle class and modernized infrastructure (though not enough to prevent a devastating train crash this month). I’m glad, too, that the rising profiles of India and the diaspora in the United States have mitigated the ignorance and stereotypes I so often encountered while growing up, when people balked at the spicy food, gasped at the poverty, mixed up the “Hindu” religion and “Hindi” language, and could scarcely place India on a map. Deeper, wider awareness of India in this country is long overdue. The outreach to Mr. Modi — the democratically elected leader of the world’s most populous nation, with polling favorability numbers recent American presidents can only dream of — appears, superficially, to make good diplomatic sense."

Maya Jassanof

India’s Modi Gets a State Visit With Biden, but the Glitz Is Shadowed by Human Rights Concerns: Los Angeles Times

In a report for the Los Angeles Times, Aamer Hadhani, Coleen Long and Seung Min Kim said that while President Biden hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House and highlighting the strong partnership between the United States and India, the trip was overshadowed by talks of human rights concerns.

The story highlighted concerns from human rights activists about honoring Modi" due to issues related to political, religious, and press freedoms in India," but said that despite the controversies, the visit saw several significant developments.

"Thousands gathered on the White House South Lawn for the welcome ceremony, listening to performances by violinist Vibha Janakiraman and the a cappella group Penn Masala. As Modi arrived, the crowd — including many members of the Indian diaspora — broke out in a chant of 'Modi, Modi, Modi.'...At the welcome ceremony, Biden said he believes the U.S.-India relationship 'will be one of the defining relationships of the 21st century. Since I’ve become president, we’ve continued to build a relationship built on mutual trust, candor and respect.' But as Biden fetes Modi, human rights advocates and some U.S. lawmakers are questioning the Democratic president’s decision to offer the high honor to a leader whose nine-year tenure over the world’s biggest democracy has seen a backslide in political, religious and press freedoms. Administration officials say honoring Modi, the leader of the conservative Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, is Diplomacy 101."

Aamer Hadhani, Coleen Long and Seung Min Kim

Biden Defends India's Democracy As Modi Visits: The New York Times

Reporting for The New York Times, American journalist Toluse Olorunnipa highlighted the biggest talking points from the second day of PM Narendra Modi's 3-day-visit to the United States and said that while the Indian PM tries to improve India's global standing, the US believes that the ties could be advantageous to Washington.

The Indian PM spent his day addressing the United States Congress, participating in the official state dinner, and holding an important one-on-one bilateral discussion with US President Joe Biden.

"Modi is seeking to bolster his country's global standing, which White House officials say could in turn benefit U.S. interests. Modi joined Biden for a meeting in the oval office, addressed a joint meeting of Congress and attended a state dinner. He is scheduled to have lunch with Vice President Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken on friday. In his address to Congress, Modi appeared to bolster Bidens view of China without mentioning the country by name, saying that 'the dark shadows of coercion and confrontation are casting their shadow in the Indo-Pacific.' In contrast, he did not condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine as U.S. officials want him to, saying only, 'I now say directly and publicly - This is not an era of war, but it is one of dialogue and democracy. And we all must do what we can to stop the bloodshed and human suffering.'"

Toluse Olorunnipa

Can America Rely on Modi’s India?: Wall Street Journal

In a column for the Wall Street Journal, Sadanand Dhume lays down an image of the current situation of United States-India ties, especially given the multiple areas of co-operation being undertaken by PM Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden.

However, he also expresses concern at the political situation in India and said that while "Biden is right to pursue closer ties," the presence of "sluggish growth and civil unrest pose long-term risks."

"In the long term, India’s value as a counterweight to China depends on its getting a handle on economic underperformance and domestic unrest. ... India doesn’t need to match the Chinese economy to challenge Beijing along the two countries’ Himalayan frontier. But if the economic and technological gap continues to grow, prolonged confrontation may become unsustainable, diminishing New Delhi’s main value to Washington. India’s ability to play a larger role on the world stage also depends on its ability to control domestic strife. Nine years after he became prime minister, Mr. Modi retains powerful appeal in the most populous parts of India. A Morning Consult poll regularly shows Mr. Modi as having the highest domestic popularity of the 22 global leaders it tracks. But the BJP’s strident Hindu nationalism has little appeal to the 1 in 5 Indians who follow other faiths. In recent years unrest has flared in Muslim majority Kashmir, Sikh-majority Punjab and the northeastern state of Manipur, home to a large Christian minority."

Sadanand Dhume