Trump, Modi show unity at Houston rally; protesters raise rights of Kashmiris outside venue – World

The president of the United States, Donald Trump, and the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, shared a stage and doubted on Sunday at a rally of "Howdy, Modi!" In Houston, while protesters gathered outside to raise the voice of residents of occupied Kashmir who have been under confinement for 49 days.

Hundreds of people belonging to various ethnic groups came out to hold an "anti-Modi demonstration" outside the NRG stadium, where they drew attention to the "racist Modi regime" and its continuing human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir, occupied by India .

"People of all races, colors, genders and ages have taken to the streets to condemn the acts of the racist Modi regime. The mass protest is against the brutal interference of the supremacist government in Kashmir," a Twitter post from Pakistan Tehreek-i – Insaf said.

One of the participants, Maria Kari, said buses had been organized to tour the Houston area to pick up protesters.

"There are at least three groups that have organized protest demonstrations," Kari said. "Many Muslims and Pakistanis have gathered here. In fact, tons."

The crowd played drums, chanted slogans and some used rap lyrics as a way to communicate their message, asking world leaders to end the suffering of cashmere.

Last month, the Indian government repealed article 370 of its constitution, stripping occupied Kashmir of its special status and imposed a strict blocking and blackout of communications in the region that has disrupted the Internet and mobile phone service of ordinary people in much of occupied Kashmir. The closure entered its 49th day on Sunday.

According to reports, thousands have been illegally arrested or detained in the disputed territory.

Commercial tensions over low heat

Inside the stadium, deafening drums marked the entrance of President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi when they held hands and crossed the stage, sending a message of unity between the two largest democracies in the world despite commercial tensions .

Instead of stopping in trade, Trump highlighted the growth of US exports to India, the billions of dollars that India is spending on defense equipment made in the United States and joint military exercises with New Delhi.

"India has never invested in the United States as it is doing today," Trump said, adding that "we are doing the same in India." The president also discussed border security, an important campaign issue for Texas, which shares a border with Mexico

"We are taking unprecedented measures to secure our southern border and stop illegal immigration," Trump said.

Around 50,000 American Indians attended the demonstration, where the crowd chanted "Modi! Modi! Modi!", While taking the stage to present Trump as "my friend, a friend from India, a great American president."

Modi even used Trump's political slogan to say that the president had a strong determination to "make the United States great again."

"When I first met him, he told me & # 39; India has a true friend in the White House & # 39;" Modi said.

"Mr. President, this morning in Houston, you can hear the beat of this great association in this celebration of the two largest democracies in the world."

Trump said Modi invited him to the rally, one of the largest American meetings of the Indian diaspora in history, when they met last month in France, and Trump told reporters on Sunday that "I love India," explaining Your decision to attend.

Sunday marked his third meeting in the same number of months and his first time together on stage. The leaders, who seem to have developed a relationship, will meet again on Tuesday outside the UN General Assembly.

Modi, 68, won the biggest re-election India has seen in years after some 600 million Indians voted across the country earlier this year.

At the UN, Trump also scheduled a meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan, who recently told the president that he would appreciate his help mediating the Kashmir dispute.

Trump said the bonds between the US UU. And India is expanding, but tensions over India's trade surplus with the US. UU.

In June, the United States canceled India's special commercial privileges that allowed it to export certain goods with lower tariffs. India responded by imposing tariffs on more than two dozen US products.

The United States and India are discussing ways to negotiate at least a partial trade agreement, which would allow the president to win a victory while campaigning for re-election in November 2020. A partial agreement could include Washington restoring India's special tariff status if New Delhi gives the United States concessions related to access to Indian markets, possibly in dairy products and medical devices.

Several unresolved problems are frustrating efforts to sign a broader agreement. The United States wants India to buy more American products to reduce its trade surplus with the United States, which today is about $ 24 billion a year.