Before PM Modi’s visit to USA, tricolour flies high outside White House

The Indian Tricolour was spotted waving outside the White House in Washington, D.C., on Friday in anticipation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip to the United States.

Jesal Nar, an Indian national living in New Jersey, said of the tricolour flying outside the White House, “It’s definitely an honour and a source of pride. I travel across America for work while carrying a tricolour.”

He further remarked, “However, the arrival of our honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington DC for the new generation, engines, and everything is signalled by the tricolour waving freely in front of the White House. Therefore, it would be a great honour to watch India grow technologically.”

Next week, Prime Minister Modi will make his first state visit to the US. PM Modi will speak to the Joint Session of the US Congress from June 20 to 24, and he will also meet with a number of American legislators, notable individuals, and well-known figures from the diaspora.

The ceremonial greeting of PM Modi is currently being practised on the South Lawn of the White House. On the invitation of US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, PM Modi is travelling to the US.

On 21 June, the trip will start in New York, where the prime minister will preside over the International Day of Yoga ceremonies at the UN building.

 On June 22, the prime minister will then proceed to Washington, D.C., where he will meet President Biden to carry on their high-level conversation after being given a formal welcome at the White House. The same evening, the Prime Minister will be honoured at a State Dinner hosted by President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, according to a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

On June 22, PM Modi will address a joint session of the US Congress at the invitation of US Congressional Leaders, including Speakers of the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy and the Senate Charles Schumer.

On June 23, US Vice President Kamala Harris and State Secretary Antony Bilnken will receive the prime minister at a luncheon.The Prime Minister will have a number of carefully planned contacts with top CEOs, experts, and other stakeholders in addition to his formal engagements. He’ll also get to know people from the Indian diaspora.

In his nine years as prime minister, this will be Narendra Modi’s first state visit to the US.

The last state visit to the US by an Indian was by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh from November 23 to 25, 2009.

Even though PM Modi has travelled to the US frequently during his term but none of the visits were categorised as a state visit, which are the highest rank in terms of diplomatic procedure.

Before knowing about PM’s visit to USA, we must know about state visits. What are State Visits?

A head of state or government will travel on a state visit when they are representing their nation abroad. As a result, they are referred to as “visits of the country name” rather than “visits of name of the head” in official papers. State visits to the US only occur when the US president makes an invitation on behalf of the foreign head of state.

State visits often span a few days and involve a number of intricate rituals, depending on the schedule of the visiting head of state. The visiting head of state is greeted at the pavement after landing during a flight line ceremony in the US. Other ceremonies include a White House dinner, a 21-gun salute upon arrival, an exchange of diplomatic gifts, an invitation to stay at the Blair House (the US President’s guesthouse across Pennsylvania Avenue), and flag streetlining.

Is a foreign leader’s trip always considered a state visit?

No, state visits are the highest-ranking class of international travel, carrying significant ceremonial weight, and are regarded as the pinnacle of friendly bilateral ties. These are nevertheless rather uncommon, mainly to preserve their standing as symbols and objects of pride. For instance, the president of the United States is only permitted to host one leader from each country once every four years, per US diplomatic policy.

Working visits (2014), working lunches (2016), and official working visits (2017) were all categorised as PM Modi’s past visits. According to the US Department of State website, during his 2019 visit, he took part in a rally in Houston, Texas.

Do State visits really work to strengthen bilateral relationship between nations?

State visits are the most prestigious, both formally and ceremonially, but for practical diplomatic activity, the type of visit doesn’t really matter. Working trips can contribute just as much to strengthening ties with another nation as state visits. Given the rarity of state visits and the ceremonial events they entail, other visits are actually where most work gets done.