Indian Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu takes US’s top military honour

It should be a matter of pride that US President Donald Trump conferred US’s top military honour ” Legion of Merit”, on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his ” steadfast leadership and vision for India’s emergence as a global power and exemplary contribution by him for the advancement of the India-US strategic partnership.

Modi is among the other two leaders of the four-nation Quad group to receive this honour. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also received this honour.

The Legion of Merit Degree Chief Commander is a ” domed five-pointed American white star plaque of heraldic form border in purplish red named 215/16 inches circumscribing diameter with 13 white stars on a blue field emerging from a circle of clouds.backing the star a laurel wreath with pierced, crossed arrows pointing outward between each arm of the start and the wreath”. The reverse is engraved with words United States of America.

When Trump is out and Biden in as US President, has Trump not caused an embarrassment to the leaders of these Quad nations vis – a vis Joe Biden who is now the US President waiting to be inaugurated on January 20, 2021. Quad alliance will continue for all practical purposes because its a well thought out foreign policy initiative of the US government and not an independent action of Trump.

Finally, India would have been happier if US President Donald Trump, handling a transitional government, had announced the award before the US Presidential elections and not called India and China as filthy cities. So also the Quad nations.