“Howdy Modi”: PM to address over 50,000 people in Texas on Sunday

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Sunday address over 50,000 people in Texas at a sold-out event billed by the organisers as the largest-ever turnout for a foreign elected leader on US soil. Indian and US officials received him at Houston airport on Saturday. US President Donald Trump will join PM Modi at the event, ‘Howdy, Modi!’, organised by the Texas India Forum. “Howdy Houston! It’s a bright afternoon here in Houston. Looking forward to a wide range of programmes in this dynamic and energetic city today and tomorrow,” PM Modi tweeted. The Prime Minister will hold several bilateral meetings and address the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) during his week-long stay in the US. The US and India may agree to a limited trade deal to lower some tariffs on US produce and restore preferential treatment for some Indian exports to the US, news agency Reuters reported. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, who will also speak at the UNGA, is likely to raise the Kashmir issue.
PM Modi began his marathon tour with a roundtable with the CEOs of energy companies on Sunday. He had a “fruitful” meeting with top energy sector CEOs with discussions focussing on energy security and expanding mutual investment opportunities between India and the US, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.
On Tuesday, PM Modi and President Trump will hold a bilateral meeting in which they are likely to discuss the trade standoff over tariffs between the two countries. The White House has confirmed that President Trump will discuss ways to deepen trade relationship between the two nations.
On Wednesday, PM Modi will attend an investment roundtable with 40 major companies. The meeting is crucial for India, which is trying to spur growth after its Gross Domestic Product growth dropped to a five-year low.
PM Modi’s speech on Sunday will draw eyeballs amid tension between India and Pakistan over the scrapping of special status to Jammu and Kashmir. Khan, who will address the UNGA session shortly after PM Modi’s address, has said he will raise the Kashmir issue.
India has told the international community and Pakistan that Kashmir is an internal matter. “Article 370 is an internal issue. Terrorism is one among many issues. The focus will be on India’s role at global stage, the Prime Minister will present his vision in this regard,” Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said last week.
PM Modi will also take part in a big climate summit in New York. He will showcase what India has done to address climate change and spell out expectations and aspirations from the international community, Gokhale said.
There’s a strong political reason for President Trump to attend the ‘Howdy, Modi!’ event, according to a report in The Washington Post. “Democrats are making a big play for Texas in 2020 and Republicans are growing concerned. The rally for PM Modi provides Trump with access to a potential pool of Indian American voters that could turn out to be critical in next year’s presidential elections,” the newspaper reported.
Energy investors are keenly focused on what happens behind the scenes. A long-running trade war between Washington and Beijing has meant China hasn’t imported any American supply since February. By contrast, India is open to making purchases, and the nation is already the sixth-largest buyer of US liquefied natural gas.
India is likely to allow some US dairy imports, Reuters reported. The US is pushing India to remove high pricing barriers on imported US medical devices including cardiac stents.
In return, India wants the preferential trade status restored for a few more years, as PM Modi struggles to boost exports dampened by sluggish global demand made worse by the US-China trade war. New Delhi also wants market access for some of its farm products such as grapes to export to the US.
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