The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement on June 28.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s fifth visit to the United States of America during these three years has resulted in very little gains for India or even attention to be paid by the US to India’s immediate concerns. The joint statement issued with President Trump only reconfirms India’s status as a subordinate ally of the USA.

The status of H1B visas, crucial for lakhs of Indian youth and the IT industry, the racial attacks on the Indians in the US, the US withdrawal from the Paris climate change commitments etc have found no mention. On the other hand, Prime Minister Modi committed India to further opening of its economy.  This will be done while India has sharply increased its purchase of US defence equipments, particularly two billion dollar worth of aerial drones.

On foreign policy matters, PM Modi has reneged on many past commitments of India.  For the first time, India has joined the US in condemning DPRK, North Korea and in aligning India with the US on the South China Sea dispute.  What is worse is that India now appears to have subscribed to the US position of equating terrorism with Islam, negating India’s longstanding position reiterated  even by this government’s spokespersons in Indian parliament on several occasions that terrorism in India knows no religion. 

Overall, this visit of PM Modi to USA has further cemented India as a subordinate junior ally of US imperialism.