Following a discussion between PM Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden, the US readout did not highlight any mention of Bangladesh. This circumstance led to speculations that maybe, Bangladesh was not a significant item brought up in their dialogue. On the other hand, the external affairs ministry of India promptly clarified that the matter regarding Bangladesh was ‘considerably’ addressed, and their issued press release accurately portrayed the accurate proceedings of the discussion.
The Indian press releases interpreted the conversation as both leaders expressing concern regarding Bangladesh and stressing the importance of securing the rights of Hindus and other minority communities residing in the country. The foreign affairs office expressed that allegations about Bangladesh not being an important part of the dialogue were misguided, biased, purpose-driven, and demonstrated a complete unfamiliarity with how such leader-level interactions are strategized and pursued further.
Sharing more insights on the matter, the ministry’s spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, stated that press releases following these types of leader-to-leader conversations should not be understood as joint statements, where every single word is precisely negotiated and mutually agreed upon.
Moreover, these press releases do not aim to provide a complete summary of the conversations that transpired. Both sides might often shed light on distinct facets of the same dialogue within their respective readouts, and it’s a common occurrence.
He clarified an immensely crucial point, saying that the absence of a specific aspect from a press release does not serve as proof that the same was not discussed during the actual conversation. He confirmed that he had thorough knowledge concerning the contents of the discussion and asserted that the issue in question was discussed considerably.
That being said, what becomes clear in the discourse of leaders at this level is that every word matters. Perhaps even, the absence of specificity in mentioning Bangladesh in the U.S. version of the readout was a tactical maneuver from President Biden to avoid highlighting an issue that might not be of priority to him or his administration.
While these discussions measured on any other scale should be seen as a diplomatic achievement, they seem to have been overshadowed by the tactical management of President Biden and his representatives who aimed at excluding topics that are not in their immediate interest.
It should ring alarm bells that Biden was apparently comfortable with sidelining international issues of such concern, giving more hints about the priorities or the lack thereof by the Biden administration.
To some observers, this event only adds to an increasing pattern of Biden’s presidency steering away from pressing world issues and instead, choosing to keep conversations seemingly comfortable and within their chosen narrative.
Few may argue that both Kamala Harris and Joe Biden have been known to handle conversations and public relations maneuvering in a way that steers away from controversy and instead focuses on an image-cleaning rhetoric.
However, these tactics don’t serve the best interests of the international community as a whole. When issues concerning minority rights and international security are downplayed to play it safe, it’s a signal that this administration is not living up to their responsibilities on the global stage.
While Biden and Harris continue to market their administration as one connected to reality and concern for all, there seems to be a growing dissonance observable between their public presentations and actions.
Unfortunately, rather than addressing the key issues at hand, these diplomatic conversations are becoming more about managing the Biden-Harris image, leaving us to question where their true priorities lie.
An ironic reality indeed, as marketing and image management seem to trump the need to openly discuss global challenges and foster solutions in these leader-level discussions.