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Modi lived up to his declaration that his visit was purely meant to strengthen India's relationship with the US, but there may be situations in which our silence on some issues will haunt us in the future, cautions Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.
The shock and awe created by President Donald Trump by his statements and executive orders had caused concern around the world regarding his world view.
His lack of respect for sovereignty of other nations and unprecedented territorial claims over Canada, Greenland, the Panama Canal and Gaza had bewildered the world.
Meaningful bilateral discussions with the Trump administration appeared difficult in the circumstances.
When Prime Minister Modi was invited as the 4th foreign leader to meet Trump after his inauguration, there was concern whether the visit would be fruitful.
On top of it, India itself tasted the rigor of deportation when about a hundred Indian deportees arrived in Amritsar in a US military aircraft, shackled and famished and it was revealed that this was not the first time that deportation took place according to 'standard operation procedure'.
Parliament and public opinion were agitated that Indian deportees were treated harshly and demanded that Modi should take up this matter personally.
Given this situation. Modi, in a masterstroke, changed the agenda of his meeting to bilateral matters to sidestep the various issues relating to the new global order that Trump had put forward.
There was nothing in those issues that we could support him and no purpose would be served by discussing them. This strategy helped the two sides to focus on matters of vital interest.
On Trump's favourite issue of deportation of illegal migrants from India, he took the easy way of agreeing to take back illegal migrants on the only condition that they should be verified as Indian nationals.
He did not bow to the pressures back home that he should raise the issue with Trump himself.
Consequently, even the second batch of Indians were handcuffed and flown by a military aircraft.
Modi, however, managed to get Trump to agree to repatriate Tahawwur Rana, who had remained in US custody for years after the Mumbai blasts he had masterminded.
In another major achievement, the two sides concluded a pact on defence supplies, particularly to co-produce anti-tank missiles.
The offer of the F-35 Stealth fighter was a bonanza, even though the Russian offer of the equivalent of F-35 might be a better choice for India.
The threat of a trade war was also removed by agreeing in principle to a reciprocal tariff system by unilaterally reducing tariff on US imports to India, for which Trump expressed appreciation.
Moreover, a time table was set for trade talks for an early agreement, to be followed by more talks on rationalising tariffs on both sides.
India readily agreed to balancing trade, not by reducing imports and exports, but by expanding trade from $190 to $500 billion.
The nuclear trade, which had remained suspended even after the nuclear deal on account of India's insistence that compensation for damages, if any, should be the responsibility of the supplier and not of the operator.
Many ways were explored from the time of Modi's first visit to the US and India has set in motion a process in Parliament to amend the law consistent with the international law on the subject.
This may result in small reactors being set up in India by the US and France.
Similarly, the increase in cooperation between ISRO and NASA was also blessed by the two leaders.
The India Middle East Corridor (IMEC), which had remained dormant for some time has also been revived.
Trump said publicly that the United States deep state had no role in ousting Sheikh Hasina and installing Mohammed Yunus and said that he would leave Bangladesh to India.
Trump had also opposed the persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh before the elections and gained some Hindu votes!
Trump's endorsement of any action in Bangladesh by India was music to Modi's ears.
In fact, the bonhomie between the two leaders went beyond the need for courtesy or friendship.
Both of them went overboard in praising each other and even the tough issues like migration, trade and defence supplies were handled with ease.
They even vied with each other to give compliments on every subject and Trump even conceded that Modi was a greater negotiator than himself.
The much acclaimed and clever MAGA+MIGA=MEGA formula had implications beyond the situation warranted as India has never before declared our intention to make India great 'again' and the MAGA slogan was controversial in US politics.
Beyond politics, India has always been proud of its inheritance.
By focusing on bilateral relations and highlighting the personal friendship between them made it appear that India had no concern about the most extraordinary declarations and projects by Trump.
Modi lived up to his declaration that his visit was purely meant to strengthen India's relationship with the US, but there may be situations in which our silence on some issues will haunt us in the future.
Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com