Aditya Sinha: Modi on the hunt for a Trump card

Japanese PM Shinzo Abe left was the first foreign leader to meet US Presidentelect Donald Trump on Thursday PM Modi had apparently asked Abe to put in a word on his behalf with Trump for a preinauguration meeting PicAFPPrime Minister Narendra Modirsquos big concern these days other than the nagging doubts over how angry voters are going to get mdashparticularly those in underindustrialised UP mdash over the noendinsight demonetisation exercise is whether or not he can get a meeting with US Presidentelect Donald Trump before the latterrsquos inauguration on January 20 2017For Modi a big believer both in big surprises as well as in personal bonding with other world leaders it would be a coup more dazzling than last winterrsquos which was his impromptu visit to Pakistan on Christmas Day to wish his counterpart Nawaz Sharif a Happy Birthday Though Donald Trump professed admiration for his affluent Hindu supporters during the US election campaign his stated position is lsquoAmerica Firstrsquo which means other countries last Modi may get a bear hug from his fellow antiMuslim but possibly not much elseStill heavy guns have been deployed Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar who has been our ambassador in Washington DC and whose tenure ends in Januaryend went to the US soon after Trumprsquos election Securing a preinauguration meeting for Modi with Trump topped his agenda Jaishankar went to the US after Modirsquos postdemonetisation visit to Japan where he met his counterpart Shinzo Abe another strongman leader Both Modi and Abe share a belief in the importance of a personal relationship in highlevel international relations Abe in fact became the first foreign leader to meet Presidentelect Trump last week to forge a personal equation despite the potential pinpricks in their bilateral relationship over trade Accompanying Trump for that meeting was daughter Ivanka and his nominee for National Security Advisor Lt Gen Michael Flynn Modi apparently asked Abe to put in a word on his behalf with Trump for a preinauguration meetingModi is also planning a visit to Israel next year which will among other things mark the 25th anniversary of the IndiaIsrael bilateral relationship His proposed trip was discussed during Israeli President Reuven Rivlinrsquos visit to India last week and India apparently requested Israeli help in securing a preinauguration meeting between Modi and Trump The Israelis have special access through Trumprsquos soninlaw and Ivankarsquos husband Jared Kushner who is close to his fatherinlaw and is being speculated for a key White House position such as senior counsel His power can be seen in the way he managed to have New Jersey Governor Chris Christie Trumprsquos first major political supporter dumped from the transition team Christie as US Attorney in New Jersey had Kushnerrsquos father also a real estate magnate sent to jail Kushner is an orthodox Jew from a prominent family that supports Jewish causes Incidentally Ivanka converted to Judaism for their marriage Kushner has pushed Trump to a proIsrael line and even lined up a visit for him to Israel that cancelled at the last minuteAnd not to be forgotten Shalabh Kumar the Chicagobased businessman who organised a rally of Indian Republicans for Trump in New Jersey in October and who described Trumprsquos electoral victory as a lsquosecond Diwalirsquo is also working behind the scenes with his Republican Party contacts for the preinauguration meeting that Modi has sought Shalabh Kumar in fact attended Modirsquos address to the US Congress as a guest of US Speaker Paul RyanNew Delhi is hopeful that a meeting will come through The team that Trump is assembling has so far been music to Indiarsquos ears NSAdesignate Mike Flynn is far more outspoken in his antiIslamism than his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval though Doval is no dove in these matters The next CIA director Mike Pompeo has accused Imams of aiding Islamist terrorists Indiarsquos spy chief will seek a rapport on this Thus Modi and Doval are optimistic that a strong foundation for personal bilateral relationship already existsRealistically speaking however Indiarsquos relationship with America will largely depend on how the Trump administration sees Pakistan While there is a view here that Trumprsquos people will view Pakistan unfavourably the fact is that both the State Department and the Pentagon have deep institutional ties with Pakistan and often see Islamabad as a key in fighting terrorism How matters turn out also depends on who Trump selects as his Secretary of State Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is meeting Trump for the job but some in the US media see Romney as a smokescreen for the actual candidate Incidentally Romney would be a good choice in Indiarsquos view In all likelihood both India and Pakistan will get welcome relief from the kind of hard scrutiny each would have received from a Hillary administrationThatrsquos why Modi is keen on nailing down a preinauguration meeting with Trump At the very least it will make for a dazzling show mdash and Trump recognises the value of a good show if his unlikely electoral victory is any indicationSenior journalist Aditya Sinha is a contributor to the recently published anthology House Spirit Drinking in India He tweets autumnshade Send your feedback to mailbagmiddaycom