US President Donald Trump's decision to join Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the mega 'Howdy Modi' rally in Houston over the weekend is a truly historic tribute to the contributions of the Indian-Americans, a top US diplomat has said. The White House has announced that Trump would join Modi at the mega Houston rally, which would be attended by more than 50,000 Indian Americans, on September 22.

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'Howdy, Modi!' Meet tribute to US-Indian relations

'Trump joining Modi for the 'Howdy, Modi!' event in Houston is a truly historic tribute to the contributions of the Indian-American community to the prosperity of our country and the strength of US-India relations', Alice G Wells, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, tweeted on Tuesday.

Senator Ted Cruz and a former Republican Presidential aspirant said he was looking forward to welcoming Modi to Houston to celebrate the culture and contributions of the Indian-American community and the vibrant US-Indian alliance, which is critical to America's national security and energy future.

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According to Ronak D Desai, Law & Security Fellow at New America and a scholar at Harvard University's South Asia Institute, with the partnership confronting several significant irritants at present, Trump's appearance with Modi is a welcome reminder of the importance of symbolism in US-India ties and the strong foundation underlying them. He observed that the overall partnership remains strong, regardless of ongoing bilateral challenges

"President Trump's appearance with Prime Minister Modi in Houston confers tremendous political benefits to both leaders at home and abroad," Desai added.

The strategic partnership continues to grow: US scholar

The bipartisan consensus around the relationship remains firmly intact despite being tested in recent years. The event - like the relationship - enjoys strong, widespread support from both Democrats and Republicans alike at virtually every level, he said. The last 15 years have illustrated over and over again that while personalities matter, the strategic partnership continues to grow and evolve regardless of who occupies the White House in Washington or the Prime Minister's residence in Delhi, he said. Stating that Trump's appearance with Modi in Houston is a significant win for India diplomatically, Desai noted that it will signal clear support for India at a time when New Delhi is inviting increasing scrutiny over its handling of Kashmir.

The Houston event - Modi's biggest to date - makes clear that the Diaspora remains a central priority for the Prime Minister as his second term gets underway, he said. Desai also added that US president standing alongside the PM Modi after Article 370 revocation is a sign of India's changing place in the world.

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The 'Howdy, Modi!' event

The Houston event will be Modi's third major address to the Indian-American community after he became the Prime Minister in 2014 and the first after his re-election in May. The previous two were at the Madison Square Garden in New York in 2014 and the Silicon Valley in 2016. The 'Howdy, Modi!' event is being organised by non-profit Texas India Forum, a recently-formed representative body of hundreds of Indian American organisations in Texas and other parts of the US.

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