The visit to India by the secretary of state of the United States of America, Marco Rubio, has laid bare a fundamental truth about the current state of ties between New Delhi and Washington: the relationship is more tense than it has been in years but it will outlive those stresses. Mr Rubio began his trip in Calcutta, visiting Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity, which has previously been in the crosshairs of sections of the political ecosystem aligned with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. He then flew to New Delhi where he held meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the external affairs minister, S. Jaishankar, and the national security adviser, Ajit Doval, while participating in other events. The tensions have been on display. Standing next to Mr Rubio at a media interaction, Mr Jaishankar pointedly spoke of India's strong relations with not just the US, Israel and the Gulf nations but also with Iran. He described Russia as an ally.
Mr Jaishankar also complained to Mr Rubio about visa restrictions for Indians. And a question from an Indian journalist about anti-India racism emerging from quarters close to Donald Trump — in April, the US president had reposted on social media a rant describing India as a hellhole — left Mr Rubio scrambling for an answer.

At the same time, the depth of the India-US relationship has also been on show during Mr Rubio's visit. India has agreed to increase energy purchases from the US. From trade to nuclear energy, the two nations appear poised to bolster ties. The talks aimed at finalising their trade deal are ongoing. Mr Rubio referred to India as an important partner; and during an event to celebrate 250 years of the US, Mr Trump called in to speak of his love for India and for Mr Modi. All of this is soothing but they may not even out the creases in the bilateral ties. Ultimately, India — like much of the world — has doubts over the trustworthiness of the US as partner. One key test lies in whether the US stays committed to the Quad, formed along with India, Japan and Australia, to counter China's expansionism in the Indo-Pacific. The Quad foreign ministers' meeting today could offer clues. It will take more than signals and words for trust to return to the India-US relationship. But neither county can afford to burn bridges: their ties are too important.