India’s Story, the High Note of PM Modi’s US Congress Speech

For a country whose reputation is irrationally stymied by negative propaganda and history besmirched by colonial bias and widely prophesied to perish, its steady economic rise amid conflicts and a global recession is nothing short of a miracle. This is the chronicle of India, which squandered her initial decades of independence in reckless abandon consumed by wanton idealism and rendered asunder the dreams of the freedom fighters who freed the country from centuries of invasion and colonialism. Sadly, for India, even the best analysts predicted gloom and despair for the country.

India’s democratic fall has been an obsession of domestic and foreign observers since its existence as an independent country. Derided unceremoniously and dishonored despite its benign, holistic, and inclusive civilizational values, India has been ingloriously pushed to a corner. Its modest attempts to break these jinxed assumptions and wonky predictions were met with limited approval. While the US Marshall Plan for the war-ravaged European countries and its investments in China facilitated their economic boom, India’s economic rise has been rather slow despite the odds.

Written off as a huge country on the brink of collapse by observers, India has surprised them all by making a massive turnaround. India is now the fifth-largest global economy with immense potential for growth. Interestingly, as India is growing powerful, it is facing intense scrutiny. Though its role in contemporary geopolitics has been well appreciated the inherent bias toward India still persists. To effectively counter the sanctimonious scrutiny, countries invest heavily in narrative building and deploy soft power to carry out their desired objectives.

To thwart the surging tide of counter-narratives India must tell the World its story. Availing the ‘exceptional privilege’ of addressing the joint session of the US Congress for the second time, PM Modi underscored the India Story. Trouncing the warped and bigoted perspective that continues to dominate the discourse, at the iconic chambers of the US Congress, PM Modi expounded India’s approach to the World.

Ahead of the Congress address, invalidating the dystopian fears of “democracy is in danger”, discrimination of religious minorities, and the crackdown on dissent, at the Press Conference post the Joint statement, Modi stated, “Democracy is our spirit”. He added, “Democracy runs in our veins... when you say democracy and you accept democracy and when we live in democracy, then there is absolutely no space for discrimination. And that is why India believes in moving ahead with everybody with trust and with everybody’s efforts”¹.

Invoking “sab ka saath, sab ka vikas, sab ka vishwas, sab ka prayas” Modi indicated that the basic principles of democracy etched in our constitution are the guiding framework for his government. To demolish alarming levels of skepticism and deeply entrenched chequered perception about Indian democracy which has reached a crescendo since Modi’s second term, Modi talked about India’s goals, objectives and world outlook in length in his address to the US Congress.

The information warfare against India has become more intense ever since steady India’s domestic political administration has become stable and more resilient under the leadership of PM Modi. Year after year, while the United States Commission on International Religious Forum (USCIRF) continues to designate India as a ‘country of concern’ based on trumped-up charges, the Pew Research Survey released ahead of PM Modi’s visit to India explicitly stated that “98% of Indian Muslims are free to practice their religion”². The survey based on face-to-face interviews with 30,000 people debunks the politically trumped-up narratives against India.

India has been a victim of bad press. Indeed, the same survey debunks the myth of the genocide perpetrated by the vested interests and anti-India forces with “90% of Muslims indicated that they were extremely proud and 4% said they were moderately proud to be Indians”. Had India been on the verge of genocide, the numbers would speak otherwise.

Driving home the message that democracy is the sacred value shared by both India and United States, Modi stated that India is home to all faiths in the World and we celebrate all of them. “In India diversity is the natural way of life”. Highlighting the diversity he said, “we have over two thousand five hundred political parties. About twenty different parties govern various states of India. We have twenty-two official languages and thousands of dialects, yet we speak in one voice. Every hundred miles our cuisine changes”.

India is a thriving democracy with flourishing competitive and cooperative federalism with a contest of ideas. “In the evolution of democratic spirit, India is the mother of democracy”, he said. Acknowledging the divergence of opinions, in an indirect dig at politicians both at home and in the US, he reminded, “But, we must also come together as one when we speak for our nation”. Welcoming the partnership between the oldest democracy and the largest democracy which will augur well for the future of democracy Modi pledged, “Together, we shall give a better future to the world and a better world to the future”.

India is now the fifth-largest global economy set to become the third-largest by 2030. As home to one-sixth of humanity, Modi surmised, “When India grows, the whole world grows”, just as India’s freedom struggle inspired many countries, India’s new inclusive vision for development “sab ka saath, sab ka vikas, sab ka prayas” (together will everyone’s growth, everyone’s trust, and everyone’s efforts) is ushering a new change in the country in terms of infrastructure development, digitization, health insurance, medical treatment, and banking and is emulated by others countries. This inclusivity indeed, has helped India to tide through the covid and emerge stronger.

Highlighting the underappreciated facet of India’s “Nari Shakti” and the foundation mantra of “empowering the women, transforms the nation”, Modi recalled India’s spectacular Mangalyaan mission and women’s increasing role in India’s defence forces. “India’s vision is not just of development which benefits women. It is of women-led development, where women lead the journey of progress. A woman has risen from the humble tribal background, to be our head of State. Nearly 1.5 million elected women lead us at various levels and that is of local developments”.

India’s outlook toward the World is shaped by democracy, inclusion and sustainability. This is reflected in India’s pledge to the Paris Accord which was reached nine years prior to the target of 2030, Mission LiFE-Lifestyle for Environment and One Sun One World One Grid. India’s emphasis has been “pro-planet progress, pro-planet prosperity and pro-planet people”. Indeed, India’s core civilisational spirit of “vasudaiva kutumbakam”, the world is one family is aptly mirrored in G20 theme of “One Earth One Family One Future” which it chairs.

Dwelling on the commonalities between India and the US and the values like democracy, upholding the rules-based international order, vision of free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific, countering terrorism and driven by common interests to “diversify, decentralise and democratize the supply chains”, Modi observed, “the scope of our cooperation is endless, the potential of our synergies is limitless and the chemistry in our relations is effortless”.

United by a common destiny, reposing commitment to the India-US friendship and the unlocked partnership potential it offers, Modi asserted, “when our partnership progresses, economic resilience increases, innovation grows, science flourishes, knowledge advances, science benefits, our skies and  seas are safer, democracy will shine brighter and the world will be a better place”³.

Modi’s momentous address comes at a time when popular discourse is dominated by US two-tier posturing with President Biden playing the good cop and former President Obama, the bad cop. Hours prior to Modi’s address to the US Congress, Obama warned of India’s potential breakup and oppression of Muslims. The dichotomy of the narratives is at its dubious best in the United States currently.

Modi’s speech has ticked all the right boxes in terms of communicating with the audience, the illustrious policymakers of the US, who have lined up for his autograph and selfie after his address. The 15 standing ovations and 79 applauses vouch for the rare bipartisan support the address has elicited.

Traditionally, the US Congress has been the most venerated platform for leaders to reach out to the US and engage with the Western world. With an eloquent oratory, vibrant messaging suffused with a pragmatic vision, PM Modi struck the right chords. But the deep-rooted iniquitous posturing of the US and a hovering nebula of skepticism keep India suspicious of the United States affirmations.

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