At the invitation of US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the United States from June 21 to June 24. Indian diaspora in the US is also eagerly awaiting PM Modi’s arrival. On June 22, more than 7000 Indian Americans are planning to be on the South Lawns of the White House when US President Biden and the First Lady would welcome PM Modi amidst a 21-gun salute.

In the US, PM Modi will also address the chairman and CEOs of top US companies at John F Kennedy Centre in Washington. During his visit, PM Modi will address a joint session of the United States Congress on June 22. The invitation to deliver such a historic speech was extended by both the House of Representatives and the Senate, demonstrating bipartisan support and respect for Prime Minister Modi in the United States. He would be the first Indian PM to address a joint session of the US Congress twice.

The invitation letter from the President and First Lady praised PM Modi’s last historic address seven years ago, which helped cement the connection between the two countries. The White House emphasised in its message that it was an occasion to reaffirm the two countries’ deep and close alliance. PM Modi expressed his thanks for the privilege and stated that he was looking forward to addressing the joint session. In his message, PM Modi reiterated the pride in having a Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership with the US founded on the principles of democratic values, close people-to-people ties and a staunch commitment to global peace and prosperity.

“We are here almost literally, on the eve of what we believe will be a historic state visit by Prime Minister Modi, one that will further solidify what President Biden has called the defining relationship of the 21st century,” said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. He said that US sees this (India-US) defining relationship as a unique connection between the world’s oldest and largest democracies, with a special obligation now to demonstrate that these two governments can deliver for & empower all of its citizens.

Hailing the ties between the two countries, Blinken said, “Last year, as you all know, trade between our nations reached a record $191 billion dollars, making the US the largest trading partner for India. American companies have now invested at least $54 billion in India. In US, Indian companies have invested over $40 billion in IT, pharmaceuticals and more, supporting 425,000 jobs from California to Georgia.”

Source: ANI

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“I would say the Indian Supreme Court has been debating the issue of gay marriage, LGBTQ marriage for a couple of months now. I would urge Prime Minister Modi to support this, to support the equal rights of the LGBTQ community in India and to understand that our children and LGBTQ folks are entitled to equal rights because we are all human,” Aruna Rao, executive director, Desi Rainbow, told PTI.

Rao was among the handful of Indian Americans who were invited to participate in the historic Pride Rally on the South Lawns of the White House which was addressed by President Joe Biden and the First Lady Dr Jill Biden. “My understanding is in the metro areas, there is some support for LGBTQ people. Legislatively also, the government has moved forward in terms of transgender rights. But there is a lot to be done, particularly not in the metro areas, in the small towns, in the villages where people don’t have support, don’t have access to any kind of equal rights,” she said.

“In every which way, economically, socially, culturally, LGBTQ folks in India, in South Asia need a lot of support,” Rao said. Another Indian-American participant at the White House Pride Rally, Lesley Kingston hoped that President Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have a good meeting later this month.

“I hope that their bilateral relationships between the two countries get stronger. But I do hope that Prime Minister Modi really spends some time taking a look at the South Asian, the Indian community here and learning how we are striving for progress and to be able to implement the same kind of things and give the rights of LGBTQ people in India: all the rights that we have here and more. Because they deserve it,” Kingston said.

“It’s 2023, and we all, including Americans need to get past it and realize that we share the same blood. We’re made up of the same things. We’re all human beings and we’re all deserving of equality. So I think the biggest challenge that we have is for us to recognize that we are colonized people and we have colonized minds, and we need to get past that,” Kingston said.

Source: PTI

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