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‘India an important strategic partner:’ US amid concerns of democratic regression
Miller’s comments come after recent articles and reports on India, that claimed democracy was shrinking in the country
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US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller / Screengrab/State Department Briefing
The United States emphasized India's significance as a crucial strategic partner and expressed expectations for the partnership to persist.
In response to inquiries regarding apprehensions about democratic regression in India and recent expressions of concern from the State Department regarding the crackdown on opposition, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller reiterated that the bilateral relationship between the countries remains unchanged.
“India is the world’s largest democracy, it is an important strategic partner of the United States, and I expect that to remain true,” Miller said during a press briefing on Apr.15
Miller’s comments come after recent articles and reports on India, including "U.S.-India Ties Remain Fundamentally Fragile" from Foreign Policy and "Undemocratic Rule of Modi’s India Is a Security Threat to South Asia" from the South Asian Journal, underscored the mounting apprehensions regarding the rise of illiberalism under the leadership of the Modi government in India.
According to the article in Foreign Policy, the United States is concerned that Prime Minister Modi's Hindu nationalist government would reduce tolerance towards minorities, particularly Muslims, in India. Conversely, Indians have concerns about the state of U.S. democracy, particularly following events like the storming of the U.S. Capitol.
The South Asia Journal article stated that the arrest of prominent critics like Arvind Kejriwal and the designation of India as a "Partially Free Country" by Freedom House demonstrate the decline of democratic principles. The article emphasized that the United States has a problem if its democratically-allied partners, like India, do not maintain democracy in their own countries.
It claimed that, as a result, the rules-based order could be undermined and the hypocrisy of the West exposed, and China's influence in the Indo-Pacific region could grow. Additionally, professor Maya Jasanoff from Harvard University criticized Modi for delivering prosperity to some while repressing others, raising concerns about authoritarianism.
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