On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in the United States on a state visit, signifying a major strengthening of ties between Delhi and Washington. Ahead of Modi’s visit, Western media and commentators have argued that India and the United States’ interests are clearly converging when it comes to cooperation on defence as well as on the economic front, especially amid China’s rise as the only global competitor to Washington. However, most of them have also argued that India’s “democratic backsliding” under Modi has created a tricky situation for Washington, which has projected the two nations’ shared democratic values…