World leaders on Wednesday (Sept 17) made phone calls to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sent messages of good wishes to him on is 75th birthday . The first phone call came at midnight from US President Donald Trump from his plane Air Force One.
Trump later wrote on Truth Social: “Just had a wonderful call with my friend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I wished him a very Happy Birthday! He is doing a tremendous job. Narendra: Thank you for your support in ending the War between Russia and Ukraine! President DJT.”
Modi responded on X: “Thank you, my friend President Trump, for your phone call and warm greetings on my 75th birthday. Like you, I am also fully committed to taking the India-US Comprehensive and Global Partnership to new heights. We support your initiatives towards a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict.”
The phone call between Modi and Trump took place after a gap of nearly three months. The last time, they spoke on phone was on June 17, when the Prime Minister had gone to Canada to attend the G7 Outreach Summit, which Trump had left earlier than scheduled.
Wednesday’s phone call was significant because there were media reports that Modi did not receive several calls made by Trump, after he consistently claimed that he had brokered the India-Pakistan ceasefire. The relationship soured when the US slapped the highest 50 pc tariff on Indian goods, but when Modi went to SCO Summit and met Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump changed his stance and said, India is a trusted partner.
The main reason behind making the midnight phone call to Modi is the Russia-Ukraine war which Trump wants to end early. It appears Trump wants to take Modi’s help because he knows the Russian President to be a good friend of Modi. The Indian Prime Minister had requested Putin to end the Ukraine war at the soonest. Overall, it is a good development for India.
Putin also phoned Modi and in a message published on the Kremlin website, he wrote: “Dear Mr Prime Minister, please accept my heartfelt congratulations on the occasion of your 75th birthday. You are making a great personal contribution to strengthening the special privileged strategic partnership between our countries, to developing mutual beneficial Russian-Indian cooperation in various areas.”
The prime ministers of Italy, New Zealand, Australia and Israel were among the world leaders who sent birthday wishes to Modi. Italian PM Georgia Meloni, in her social media post, described Modi as her inspiration.
Those sceptics in India who had declared Modi’s foreign policy as a failed one, should have realized by now that Modi’s stature among world leaders is still intact.
Those who were jumping in joy over the tense relationship between Trump and Modi have now found their hopes dashed.
Those who were describing Modi as a weak leader vis-à-vis Xi Jinping, have found their celebrations spoiled. After reading the messages from Putin, Netanyahu, Albanese, Meloni and other world leaders, they may be having some cause for worry.
People of Indian origin living across the globe are witness to the fact that India is now respected throughout the world. And credit for this goes to Narendra Modi.

Pakistan Cricket Team’s Drama Misfired in Dubai

Pakistan cricket board created a drama before its team’s Asia Cup match against UAE on Wednesday evening.
First, Pakistan refused to play the match with UAE and asked its team to go back to the hotel, but a few hours later, it tamely sent its team to the stadium to play the match.
PCB wrote two letters to the International Cricket Council demanding that the match referee Andy Pycroft be removed. At the same time, PCB threatened to walk out of Asia Cup tournament, if the match referee was not removed.
ICC rejected PCB’s request twice and refused to remove the match referee. When the Pakistani players were about to board the bus to go to the stadium, a phone call came from Lahore, and the team went back to the hotel. It was claimed that Pakistan will not play the match.
It was a cheap pressure tactic against the ICC, a mere drama.
Soon afterwards, PCB held a press conference in Islamabad to clarify that no final decision has been taken for boycotting the match and talks with ICC are in progress.
The match was delayed for an hour, and soon after, orders came for the team to leave for the stadium. The match referee was not changed and it was Andy Pycroft who conducted the toss ritual.
The question is: if Pakistan wanted to play the match, why such a big drama? If they wanted to boycott the match, why did they send the players to the stadium? What was Pakistan’s compulsion?
One thing is sure. Team India has given such a pain in the neck to Pakistan that their cricket officials are still groaning. Putting up a brave face, Mohsin Naqvi, Pakistan’s Home Minister and chairman of PCB, claimed, “Pakistan got what it wanted and therefore sent its team to the ground.”
Another former PCB chief Najam Sethi told a big lie. Sethi said, Pakistan had demanding Andy Pycroft’s apology for the handshake controversy, and Pycroft has apologised to the entire Pakistani team.
When the match against UAE was hanging in suspense, Pakistani fans who had bought tickets worth 700 dirhams (Rs 17,000 approx) asked, what was the need for such a big drama? If the team is unhappy with India, let it give its reply on the ground, why such a rigmarole? By doing this, they are bringing insults to their nation.
The claim that is being made that Pycroft apologized is a white lite. The fact is: all conditions set by Pakistan were rejected.
First, Pakistan demanded that Andy Pycroft by removed as match referee for the rest of the tournament. It was rejected.
Then it demanded that Pycroft be removed from matches involving Pakistan. It was also not accepted.
Ultimately, with Pycroft as referee, Pakistan played the match against UAE.
Whatever claims that Pakistani officials make, the truth is Pakistan could not summon the courage to boycott the Asia Cup, because PCB officials know that if they had boycotted the tournament, PCB would have been slapped with a $16 million (Rs 140 crore) fine. With its finance in dire straits, Pakistan could not face such a big loss. In the end, a drama was enacted to save its face.
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