In a preview of what is by all accounts an exceptional departure in US Presidential visits, Obama's aide Ben Rhodes disclosed that Prime Minister Modi's invitation "took us by surprise," but considering the significance of the gesture, the US President was pleased to accept it.
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"This is an enormous event for the Indian people, and for the President to be invited and for him to attend sends a very important message to the world about our commitment to embrace the potential of this relationship," Rhodes, who is also the White House deputy national security adviser, told journalists at a White House briefing.
Asked if any US President had attended the national day celebrations of any country, Rhodes said he didn't know about previous presidents but Obama certainly hadn't. The closest analogy he could summon for the US President's unprecedented exposure was Obama reviewing his own inaugural parade, and in that sense, the New Delhi engagement "is a unique event."
"There is great affinity between people of India and the United States, but also complicated history that would have made it seem highly unlikely that the President would be seen as chief guest for India's Republic Day," Rhodes conceded, reflecting on what some pundits have described as a "black swan" moment in US-India history to describe its sheer unexpectedness. "But the President was personally honored (by the invitation) and he saw it as building on a transformational moment.""It is a seminal moment in bilateral ties and the invitation sets a different tone to this relationship," added Phil Reiner, Senior director at the White House national security council.
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In a thinly-veiled reference to China and the shifting dynamics in Asia, the officials said just as the US was undertaking its rebalancing in Asia-Pacific, India was also looking east, and the Washington welcomed that posture because it would bring US and India to the table to address a range of issues from maritime security to free trade."The goal is to lead ties to a fundamentally different place when they both took office and we have a unique moment of opportunity," Rhodes said, describing the chemistry between Obama and Modi based on their respective political journeys.
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The officials confirmed that First Lady Michelle Obama will accompany the President, but not their daughters Malia and Sasha, who would be preoccupied with school. The First Couple will go to the Taj Mahal in Agra on Tuesday after their engagements in New Delhi on Sunday and Monday.
Former house speaker Nancy Pelosi, Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, Senator Mark Warner, and Congressmen Joe Crowley and Ami Bera would be among those accompanying the US president on his three-day trip.
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