'Interests supersede values' as Trump, Modi duck rights abuses in India

US President Donald Trump and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed issues ranging from weapons sales to trade when they met in Washington on Thursday but in public remarks avoided the sensitive subjects of human rights and minority abuses.

Concerns over India's human rights track record have taken a bipartisan backseat in Washington in recent years as India gained clout by boosting its US trade and emerging as a partner in countering China, experts say, noting Trump's second presidency will continue that trend.

The leaders' formal remarks as they met at the White House and then spoke at a joint press conference made no mention of rights issues, and neither did their online statements.

"Trump is unlikely to take a position on rights issues in India. And that's largely because his foreign policy is staunchly interests-based, affording little space for values-based considerations such as human rights abroad," said Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center think-tank.

While former President Joe Biden also maintained strong India ties, his top diplomat Antony Blinken occasionally condemned minority abuses.

State Department reports on human rights and religious freedom have noted abuses in India in recent years. New Delhi calls them "deeply biased."

Chietigj Bajpaee, a senior research fellow at the Chatham House think-tank, called Modi and Trump "strongman" leaders with shared perceptions.

Kugelman said their similarities, including their approach to human rights, strengthen their chemistry.

Modi denies discrimination

Rights groups have over the years criticised both Trump and Modi's records.

Trump has stopped US engagement with the UN Human Rights Council and his plan to take over Palestine's Gaza is called a proposal of ethnic cleansing by rights experts.

Trump says he is advancing US interests.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch fault Modi's government over its treatment of minorities.

They point to rising hate speeches, a religion-based citizenship law the UN calls "fundamentally discriminatory," anti-conversion legislation that challenges freedom of belief, the removal of Muslim-majority India-administered Kashmir's special status and the demolition of properties owned by Muslims.

Modi denies discrimination and says his policies, like food subsidy schemes and electrification drives, benefit everyone.

Trump has prioritised handling irregular immigration while India advocates for US visas for skilled professionals. Indians account for the bulk of H-1B visas, which Trump backs.

In the press conference on Thursday, Modi urged dialogue to eradicate human trafficking that he blamed for irregular immigration.

Separately, since 2023, India's alleged targeting of Sikh separatists has emerged as a wrinkle in US-India ties, with Washington charging an ex-Indian intelligence officer in a foiled US plot.

Kugelman noted that given his nationalist politics, "it's hard to imagine Trump pushing for (the case) to be halted."

India labels Sikh separatists, including in the US, as security threats.