India-US relations: News and Discussions IV

pankajs · Post by **pankajs** » 21 Sep 2019 05:21

Lets say Modi or Trump says "India US are equal partners in the Indo-pacific".

Does that mean India == US? No right?

Some folks are just too enamored by White colonizer's goat droppings. We need to get out of that mental cage.

vijayk · Post by **vijayk** » 21 Sep 2019 06:19

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ihf-modi-p ... 2151488043
HF Modi Protest
by International Humanitarian Foundation

Description
REGISTRATION IS CLOSED AT THIS TIME. Information will be provided shortly about bus arrangements.

Join us for a peaceful protest in front of the NRG Stadium on Sunday, September 22, 2019, at 9 a.m., when the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, will conduct a summit with Indian American community members. Prime Minister Modi and his administration have been responsible for flagrant human rights violations and lynching/killing of minorities in India. Let's raise our voices for the victims of this humanitarian crisis and hold the Indian government to the highest ethical standards.

Buses are available to transport protesters from multiple locations throughout greater Houston. You may reserve a seat for yourself or a group. If you will arrange your own transportation, select the "No Transportation Needed" ticket.

PLEASE NOTE: IHF will keep your name and contact information private. However, if you have a grave concern about security, you may use a pseudonym or just your first name and an initial for the last name (it doesn't need to be the actual first initial of your last name).

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 21 Sep 2019 07:55

Car rally organised in Houston to signify India-US friendship ahead of Howdy, Modi event

ANI
Asian News International
Houston
September 21, 2019UPDATED: September 21, 2019 03:14 IST

A car-rally organised in Houston, ahead of the 'Howdy-Modi' event on September 22. (Photo: ANI)
Acar rally was organised in Houston on Friday (local time), ahead of the mega 'Howdy Modi!' event scheduled to be held on September 22 at the NRG stadium in the city.

More than 200 cars participated in the rally which was meant to signify the friendship between the world's largest (India) and the oldest democracy (US). Excited organisers and volunteers chanted the slogans of "NaMo Again" and said that they are ready to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi wholeheartedly.

The event organisers and volunteers participated in the rally in large numbers. The cars bearing US and Indian flags were seen moving on the streets during the rally.

Earlier, the organisers of the 'Howdy Modi!' said that the event will see the largest gathering for an elected foreign leader other than the Pope.

To be held at Texas' largest public gathering ground, the NRG Stadium, 'Howdy Modi!' will also witness a 90-minute-long cultural program consisting of music and dance featuring close to 400 artists.

Prime Minister Modi on Friday departed for a week-long visit to the US with an aim to boost bilateral visit and present India as a "vibrant land of opportunities."

The Prime Minister will have a stopover at Germany for a short time span before flying to New York where he will be following a packed schedule of events.

In his departure statement, the Prime Minister provided with the detailed the itinerary of his visit to the US where he will interact with CEOs of leading energy companies, besides attending a community event in Houston and addressing the 74th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The Prime Minister will hold talks with US President Donald Trump and will review the bilateral relations in order to bring even more benefits to both countries and its people.

Modi will also be honoured with the Global Goalkeepers Goals Award 2019 from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

"In Houston, I look forward to my meeting with and address to the Indian-American community. Their success in diverse fields, their contribution to the US in various walks of life, their strong bonds with India and their role as a living bridge between our two democracies is a source of pride for us," he said in a reference to the "Howdy Modi event", where US President Trump will also be present.

Nalla Baalu · Post by **Nalla Baalu** » 21 Sep 2019 08:56

CRS saar, Me was waitlisted due to late registration, thankfully confirmed earlier in the week but consigned to nose-bleed section onlee. Looking forward to the event.

CRamS wrote:
mappunni wrote:Yes, I too am traveling from Dallas but I am driving myself, planning on driving tomorrow afternoon. IANT is the organization thru whom I got my pass. Most of the buses are starting from locations familiar to the community.

Reached out to my cousin in Houston, the rains have stopped. The schools are closed today due to the stagnant water. But should clear up by Sunday morning.
Mappunni, awesome, let meet sometime. We might even bump into each other at NRG. Also, we could possibly organize a BR meet in Dallas.

Rudradev · Post by **Rudradev** » 21 Sep 2019 09:41

ramana wrote:RD, How about we look a facts and park our views for a moment?

Excellent idea. Now who is to judge what views are based on "facts" rather than poorly-informed prejudices?

Santosh · Post by **Santosh** » 21 Sep 2019 09:46

IndraD wrote:any input on why is Trump joining Modi's rally, whats in it for Trump? Being a businessman he won;t attend for free. Recently Kamla Harris also tried to get cosy to Indians by addressing them as 'South Asian' .

Presidential elections are next year. Urban areas are strong Democratic strong holds. Urban areas are also where Indians reside and they are in sizeable numbers in a lot of cities. Indians also generally vote democrat. So Trump wants to use this opportunity to get in the good books of Indian people and get them to vote for him.
BTW I have an invite too but I had to cancel. They still sent me the ticket. Hopefully they will give my seat to someone else.

srin · Post by **srin** » 21 Sep 2019 11:22

More than the Indian votes, he'll be hoping to get political funding from the Indians, which is much more substantial.

mappunni · Post by **mappunni** » 21 Sep 2019 11:34

CRamS wrote:
mappunni wrote:Yes, I too am traveling from Dallas but I am driving myself, planning on driving tomorrow afternoon. IANT is the organization thru whom I got my pass. Most of the buses are starting from locations familiar to the community.

Reached out to my cousin in Houston, the rains have stopped. The schools are closed today due to the stagnant water. But should clear up by Sunday morning.
Mappunni, awesome, let meet sometime. We might even bump into each other at NRG. Also, we could possibly organize a BR meet in Dallas.

Ram Saar I live in Phresceaux in North Dallas. Will DM you.

sooraj · Post by **sooraj** » 21 Sep 2019 13:35

The importance of Houston — why this Texan city was picked to host Howdy, Modi! show

PM Narendra Modi is about to address his biggest-ever overseas rally ‘Howdy, Modi!’ Sunday in the US city of Houston, a Texan metropolis that serves as the hub of NASA’s human spaceflight programme. It is a big oil player, and, on a side note, the birthplace of one of modern music’s most prominent icons, Beyonce.

It is also home to around 1.3 lakh Indian-Americans who have always been a force to be reckoned with in the political and business landscape of the US.

Such is the clout of the community here that several Indian companies such as Mahindra & Mahindra, Reliance, Larsen and Toubro, and Welspun have made Houston the headquarters for some of their operations.

With the objective of tapping into this community and also to enhance business-to-business ties between Texas and Indian states, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided to make Houston his first stop as he embarks on his week-long trip to the US.

A model community

Houston is the fourth busiest gateway for trade between the US and India. India is Houston’s 10th largest trading partner among nations, with $4.3 billion in trade a year, growing by 36 per cent annually since 2017.

Three of India’s leading public sector companies have corporate headquarters in Houston — ONGC Videsh Ltd, Oil India Ltd and GAIL Global USA — due to the large pool of educated and skilled Indian-American manpower on offer.

IT bellwethers like Infosys, Wipro, TechMahindra, Tata Consulting Services and Cognizant also have operations in the city.

In 2015, Indians became the second-largest ethnic Asian group in the US, next to the Chinese, according to a report by Pew Research.

Texas, being one of the few areas in the US that is growing rapidly and creating jobs, attracts a substantial proportion of the roughly 65,000–80,000 Indians who go to America on an H-1B visa annually.

Indians are seen as a model immigrant community. Almost all Indians in this area first came to the US on H-1B visas, which are reserved for highly skilled migrants.

Most Indian migrants have advanced or professional degrees and are employed in the hydrocarbons, healthcare, financial services, technology services and advanced manufacturing industries.

An appreciable, and growing, number of Indians hold senior to very senior positions in businesses.

The energy question

While energy is being touted as a new and emerging component in India-US ties, it traces its roots to former prime minister P.V. Narasimha Rao’s tenure when he visited Houston in 1994.

At the time, India was seen in considerably poorer light by the Americans for its Kashmir as well as inward-looking economic policies. However, Rao broke the ice with the US, then under president Bill Clinton, during his visit.

Rao was hosted in Houston by then Enron chairman Kenneth Lay, leading to an investment by the energy major in India. However, Enron’s JV with India’s Dabhol Power Co. ended on a bitter note after a huge scandal.

With his visit now, PM Modi is also looking to substantially increase India’s energy imports from the US, which currently stand at $4 billion. Houston is a crucial pivot to this plan.

The volume of oil that Texas produces could cover about 60-70 per cent of India’s oil consumption, according to official statistics by the Ministry of External Affairs. For India, which had to stall oil imports from Iran amid a threat of US sanctions, it is a significant prospect in terms of procuring oil and gas.

Texas has about 30 refineries that process around 50 lakh barrels per day, which constitutes about a third of all US refining capacity. The refineries are part of a massive petrochemical complex located in the US Gulf Coast in the states of Texas and Louisiana.

The ports of Houston, Beaumont and Corpus Christi are among the largest hydrocarbon terminals in the United States and much of its hydrocarbon and petrochemical exports and imports flow through them. All these factors have also made Houston a major oil trading centre.

In November last year, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner visited India with a high-level trade and business delegation.

“We expect that Houston will become a hub for energy exports to India. Virtually, all Houston-based oil majors are expanding their footprint in India,” Turner had stated at the time.

“Companies associated with the oil industry such as oilfield service and technology companies also have growing operations in India,” he added.

Howdy, Modi!

Former Indian Ambassador to the US Arun Singh said PM Modi’s visit to Houston “will signal that India is willing to build further on the now robust energy relationship” with the US.

“Houston is a place where there’s a significant Indian-American community. Besides, Texas is the energy capital of the US and energy is a new and growing component of US-India trade,” he added. “It also has the second-largest economy in the US.”

Former Indian ambassador Neelam Deo, who is now the director of Mumbai-based foreign policy thinktank Gateway House, echoed the view.

“Houston is one of the biggest cities in the US, with Texas having an Indian-American community of over 2,00,000. And they are present across all fields, from doctors to oil and gas,” she added.

“Houston could be for energy, as Silicon Valley is for IT. Having already visited other cities such as New York and San Jose (where Silicon Valley is located), it is quite understandable why PM chose Houston for this visit,” she added.

A massive 50,000 Indian-Americans have registered for Modi’s Howdy, Modi! rally, an attendance much larger than his 2014 address at Madison Square Garden in New York (19,000) and a 2015 event at Silicon Valley (18,000).

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 21 Sep 2019 14:40

KLNMurthy · Post by **KLNMurthy** » 21 Sep 2019 15:12

vijayk wrote:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ihf-modi-p ... 2151488043
HF Modi Protest
by International Humanitarian Foundation

Description
REGISTRATION IS CLOSED AT THIS TIME. Information will be provided shortly about bus arrangements.

Join us for a peaceful protest in front of the NRG Stadium on Sunday, September 22, 2019, at 9 a.m., when the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, will conduct a summit with Indian American community members. Prime Minister Modi and his administration have been responsible for flagrant human rights violations and lynching/killing of minorities in India. Let's raise our voices for the victims of this humanitarian crisis and hold the Indian government to the highest ethical standards.

Buses are available to transport protesters from multiple locations throughout greater Houston. You may reserve a seat for yourself or a group. If you will arrange your own transportation, select the "No Transportation Needed" ticket.

PLEASE NOTE: IHF will keep your name and contact information private. However, if you have a grave concern about security, you may use a pseudonym or just your first name and an initial for the last name (it doesn't need to be the actual first initial of your last name).

Yewston Yindoos need to take advantage of the anonymity and infiltrate the brotest.

KLNMurthy · Post by **KLNMurthy** » 21 Sep 2019 15:13

ArjunPandit wrote:what are chances that bakis will behave like they did in london?

With Texas cops? Really?

Peregrine · Post by **Peregrine** » 21 Sep 2019 15:25

X Posted on The Terroristan Thread

Trump to meet Pak PMImran on Monday, PM Modi on Tuesday in New York - PTI

HIGHLIGHTS

- US President Donald Trump will meet Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday, a day after he joins Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the mega "Howdy Modi" event in Houston

- The US President will again hold a meeting with the PM Modi in New York on Tuesday, a senior official has said

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump will meet Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday, a day after he joins Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the mega "Howdy Modi" event in Houston and will again hold a meeting with the Indian leader in New York on Tuesday, a senior official has said.

Both the meetings with the leaders of India and Pakistan would be held in New York on the sidelines of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly, a senior administration official told reporters on Friday in a preview of Trump's engagements in the Big Apple next week.

Trump is expected to arrive in New York on Sunday night after his participation with Modi at the "Howdy Modi" event in Houston where the two leaders will address over 50,000 Indian-Americans.

The US president will then travel to Ohio where he will be joined by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

"President Donald J Trump will be travelling to Houston for 'Howdy Modi: Shared Dreams Bright Futures’ wherein he will travel on to Ohio where he will be joined by Prime Minister Morrison of Australia where they will visit Pratt industry and celebrate US economic relationship with Australia," the official said.

On Monday (September 23), the first day of his stay in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session, Trump's first event will be the global call to protect religious freedom, the official said, describing it as a key event.

"After that the President is scheduled to meet with the following leaders. Prime Minister Khan of Pakistan, President (Andrzej Sebastian) Duda of Poland, Prime Minister (Jacinda) Arden of New Zealand, Prime Minister Lee (Hsien Loong) from Singapore, President al Sisi ofEgypt and President Moon of S Korea," said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

On Tuesday (September 24), Trump will deliver his address to the UN General Assembly. After that, he will hold a number of bilateral meetings.

"Prime Minister (Boris) Johnson of United Kingdom, Prime Minister Modi of India, the UN Secretary General, " the official said, adding that the president will also meet his Iraqi counterpart and end the day with a diplomatic reception.

With Modi-Trump meeting on Tuesday, the two leaders would be meeting for the fourth time in as many months. The meeting in New York is expected to set the tone of bilateral relationship between the two countries over the next few years.

The two leaders are likely to discuss a range of bilateral, regional and global issues, including efforts to address the growing bilateral trade disputes, potential defence and energy deals and peace process in Afghanistan.

Cheers

kit · Post by **kit** » 21 Sep 2019 18:01

KLNMurthy wrote:
ArjunPandit wrote:what are chances that bakis will behave like they did in london?
With Texas cops? Really?

would be interesting

it would be shoot first and maybe talk later

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 21 Sep 2019 18:15

srin wrote:More than the Indian votes, he'll be hoping to get political funding from the Indians, which is much more substantial.

Lucky I'm not going, or I would show up in my MAGA hat with NAMO Again T-shirt and bull horn shouting "Four more years!"

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 22 Sep 2019 13:27

Petronet’s new MoU with Tellurian Inc. hailed at start of PM’s U.S. visit

The agreement will give India access to up to five million tonnes of LNG a year

Indian Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) importer Petronet has decided to invest $2.5 billion in American company Tellurian Inc., in an agreement that will give India access to up to five million tonnes of LNG a year. The MoU, which was an updated version of the one signed in February this year, was exchanged here by officials in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his first engagement after landing here. According to the agreement, the finalised deal is due to be completed by 31st March 2020.

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 22 Sep 2019 13:47

the state on the deep state

Donald J. Trump Verified account @realDonaldTrump

Some of the best Economic Numbers our Country has ever experienced are happening right now. This is despite a Crooked and Demented Deep State, and a probably illegal Democrat/Fake News Media Partnership the likes of which the world has never seen. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

12:28 PM - 21 Sep 2019

ArjunPandit · Post by **ArjunPandit** » 22 Sep 2019 15:07

kit wrote:
KLNMurthy wrote: With Texas cops? Really?

would be interesting

it would be shoot first and maybe talk later

exactly my thoughts... It would be good of Indians to tease them with some naan timatar and my fav rabies vaccine

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 22 Sep 2019 16:29

When and how to watch 'Howdy, Modi' event in Houston: Narendra Modi, Donald Trump to attend mega event on Sunday at 9 pm IST

Sep 22, 2019

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address a crowd of 50,000 Indian-Americans at the Howdy, Modi mega event at the sprawling NRG stadium in Houston on Sunday

The event will also be attended by US president Donald Trump, making it the first time ever that the two heads of the states would meet in the US outside of Washington DC or New York,

The event is likely to be live-streamed from 8.30 pm on Modi's official Youtube channel, as well as on the English and Hindi news channels of public broadcaster Doordarshan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address a crowd of 50,000 Indian-Americans at the Howdy, Modi! mega event at the sprawling NRG stadium in Houston, Texas on Sunday (22 September). The event will also be attended by US president Donald Trump, making it the first time ever that the two heads of the states would meet in the US outside of Washington DC or New York, where the United Nations is headquartered.

When and how to watch Howdy, Modi event in Houston: Narendra Modi, Donald Trump to attend mega event on Sunday at 9 pm IST
File image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing a rally. ANI
Over 60 prominent US lawmakers, including Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, are also slated to attend the mega event hosted by the Texas India Forum (TIF).

What is the schedule of the programme?

The gates to the stadium will be open from 4.30 pm IST to 7.30 pm IST, after which a cultural programme will begin. The programme will continue for about an hour, after which Modi will begin his address to the rally.

How to attend the event?

The registrations for the free-for-all event were full as of 21 August; however, students continued to enroll for the event till 29 August.

When to watch the programme?

The Howdy Modi event — with the tagline “Shared Dreams, Bright Futures" — will begin at 10 am local time and 8.30 pm Indian Standard Time (IST) and is scheduled to end at 1 pm (local time) or 11.30 pm (IST).

How to watch the programme?

The event will be live-streamed on Modi's official YouTube channel. Viewers can also follow the event on Modi's Twitter account and the PMO India Twitter handle. Public broadcaster Doordarshan News will also telecast the event on its Hindi and English channels. Viewers can also follow the Press Information Bureau's website and social media handles.

https://twitter.com/PIB_India

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 22 Sep 2019 19:21

#WATCH USA: American Army band playing Indian National Anthem during the Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2019 at Joint Base Lewis, McChord.

https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1174514207095742464

mappunni · Post by **mappunni** » 22 Sep 2019 19:58

Humongous crowds in Houston. No signs of protests. Crowds going crazy.

Nalla Baalu · Post by **Nalla Baalu** » 22 Sep 2019 20:17

There is a rancous one on Kirby south of Westridge at the entrance to NRG Blue lot. Banners, flags and works!

mappunni wrote:Humongous crowds in Houston. No signs of protests. Crowds going crazy.

darshan · Post by **darshan** » 22 Sep 2019 20:54

pankajs · Post by **pankajs** » 22 Sep 2019 21:00

https://twitter.com/avatans/status/1175735795694604294

Avatans Kumar @avatans

Hello from #Houston. It’s 6:35 am and the approach road to the Stadium is already backed up for about a mile. @howdymodi

pankajs · Post by **pankajs** » 22 Sep 2019 21:01

pankajs · Post by **pankajs** » 22 Sep 2019 21:04

Karan M · Post by **Karan M** » 22 Sep 2019 21:06

Energy import from US is a great move. Reduces our dependence on Iran (never felt comfortable with their blackmailing over Islamist issues and put us in direct conflict with Israel who public smiles apart was always grimacing at us), gets us to address US carping about trade balance, most importantly wins us supporters in US industry.. all this without putting crown jewels i.e. military assets in US control.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 22 Sep 2019 21:14

Is the event safely over with both NM and DT gone?

Supratik · Post by **Supratik** » 22 Sep 2019 21:20

Also more leverage in J&K(POK) to keep shut.

CRamS · Post by **CRamS** » 22 Sep 2019 21:22

Ulan, I am inside the venue, the entertainment program is still going on. Neither ModiJi nor Trump bahadur have yet arrived

Mort Walker · Post by **Mort Walker** » 22 Sep 2019 21:23

UlanBatori wrote:Is the event safely over with both NM and DT gone?

They will show up at 11AM CDT. 12PM Outer Mongolia time.
Trump will speak for around 30 minutes. WH says he will be at NRG convention center for 100 minutes.

pankajs · Post by **pankajs** » 22 Sep 2019 21:25

From an 1.5 hr back

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 22 Sep 2019 21:30

Why is Trump going to Houston?
The cynic would say because the crowd will be bigger than that that attended his inauguration

CRamS · Post by **CRamS** » 22 Sep 2019 21:31

BTW, on my way in, saw that Hasan minaj comedy chutiya. While some were taking selfies with him, I looked at him said keep your cheap anti Modi rants to yourself. He gave me a shocked look

pankajs · Post by **pankajs** » 22 Sep 2019 21:32

https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1175776963346272256

ANI @ANI

Houston:United States Senator for Texas, John Cornyn arrives at NRG stadium. #HowdyModi ( pic: Texas India Forum)

IndraD · Post by **IndraD** » 22 Sep 2019 21:38

whats in it for India ?? What cld be Modi looking for ?

Karan M · Post by **Karan M** » 22 Sep 2019 21:39

CRamS wrote:BTW, on my way in, saw that Hasan minaj comedy chutiya. While some were taking selfies with him, I looked at him said keep your cheap anti Modi rants to yourself. He gave me a shocked look

Classic CRamS - great going!

VishalJ · Post by **VishalJ** » 22 Sep 2019 21:40

Karan M · Post by **Karan M** » 22 Sep 2019 21:43

IndraD wrote:whats in it for India ?? What cld be Modi looking for ?

What's not in it for India?

Modi is demonstrating the power of the NRI community to domestic US politicians. Its taking the wind out of the sails of the Hindu hating leftists in US academia, assorted lobby groups, Islamists and Khalistanis. They are being made irrelevant. India no longer needs the brown EJ wannabes to intercede for its interests in the US if it has the diaspora united in its interests and a poweful bloc of US industry supporting it. These events are equal to several squadrons of F/A-18 E/F purchases in their own right!

nam · Post by **nam** » 22 Sep 2019 21:49

There seems to be a trade deal in the pipeline. If it is true, with the recent tax cuts, US companies can be nudged to move sourcing to India.

This will help the Chinese more than any US naval group doing FOP etc..

Khan knows building those shiny Type 55 needs money made by selling XBox & Playstation to American kids.