At ¡®Howdy, Modi¡¯ All Eyes Will Be On US-India Bonhomie But Kashmir Crisis Could Fuel Protests

US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi both rose to power on nationalist appeals to their countries' majority communities. Both scoff at traditional media and enjoy making pronouncements by Twitter.

These two global leaders, popular but equally controversial, will bond over an extravaganza of Indian culture as they visibly symbolize their alliance.

The US president will join the Indian prime minister at a football stadium in Houston where community representatives say they expect 50,000 Indian-Americans for performances followed by the leaders' remarks.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as he meets Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bilateral talks during the G7 summit in Biarritz, France, August 26, 2019. REUTERS PHOTO

Dubbed, with a nod to Texan twang, "Howdy, Modi!", organisers have described the gathering as the largest-ever reception for a foreign leader in the United States other than the pope.

The event "shows the personal chemistry and friendship" between Modi and Trump and "sets a bold precedent which is unconventional and unique," said Harsh Vardhan Shringla, the Indian ambassador to the United States.

Modi, who is serving as the prime minister of the world¡¯s largest democracy, is fond of mass gatherings on his travels overseas as he seeks to demonstrate his appeal and claim the place for Indian cultures on the global arena.

While no less fond of the limelight, Trump's presence is more unusual.

US presidents rarely join other countries' leaders before diaspora events, and Trump -- with a hard line on immigration one of his signature issues -- is hardly known for celebrating ethnic diversity.

French President Emmanuel Macron, U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Development (OECD) Secretary-General Angel Gurria after posing for a family photo with invited guests during the G7 summit in Biarritz, France, August 25, 2019. REUTERS PHOTO

But with US elections due in 14 months Trump's presence may help soften his image in Houston, one of the most multiethnic US cities and ground zero in the rival Democratic Party's recent gains in the state of Texas, a must-win bastion of his Republican Party.

The four-million-strong Indian-American community also forms an enticing pool of voters. With an average household income of $100,000, Indian-Americans are among the most prosperous US groups.

HOUSTON CITY. PHOTO CREDIT: VISITTHEUSA.COM

The joint rally indicates that the two leaders have turned the page since July, when the US leader startled India by saying in front of Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan that Modi had requested US mediation on Kashmir -- the divided flashpoint between the nuclear-armed powers.

India has for decades rejected any outside role on Kashmir issue.

India has taken sweeping measures including a communications blackout that has snapped off ordinary people's internet and mobile telephone service across much of Kashmir, reported AFP. Meanwhile, a Kashmiri-American group plans to protest outside of Houston's NRG Stadium against Modi, saying that India has violated basic human rights and cut off contact with relatives.

India defends the Kashmir crackdown by maintaining that Pakistan is seeking to stir up trouble through armed militants.

The mega event that is set to be televised extensively in India may be the country's big moment as Prime Minister Narendra Modi attempts to present the narrative of the new India his government claims to be building. The reception at this massive gathering will also be instrumental in the future course that is carved in Jammu and Kashmir, which is yet to return to normalcy.

A man feeds pigeons during a lockdown in Srinagar on September 20, 2019. AFP PHOTO

Pakistan backed events and protests may surface alongside in continuation of the country's persistent attempts to present India in the bad light vis-a-vis the situation in Kashmir. The protests may also attempt to present India as an occupying force in Kashmir and allege violations of human rights and civil liberties.

India will need its Prime Minister to be "the performer in chief" at least at the much anticipated event in order to demolish the claims made by Pakistan-backed protesters but it will also be binding on the prime minister to carry forward the mantle of the values and ethos that the country has long stood for.

Modi must not only dismiss the assertions of his critics but also assure the world that India continues to respect the values on which its foundations were laid.

With AFP Inputs