Trump’s Turn Against India: A New Low in Indo-US Strategic Ties
The harsh remarks from the unpredictable US President Donald Trump, who imposed a 25% tariff on India, suggest indifference towards India's actions with Russia, implying they could ruin their economies together. These comments are likely to harm the Indo-US relationship for a long time, likening the situation to North Korea. Strategic expert Derrick Grossman remarked, 'This is the worst day for the strategic partnership between India and the US since May 1998.' Concurrently, the US President revealed a signed agreement with Pakistan to jointly develop its 'vast oil reserves,' seemingly mocking India, as there has been no progress on Pakistan's supposed oil reserves. The Indian government responded with caution and maturity, stating that decisions will be made in the national interest and emphasizing the enduring relationship with Russia. Despite India's measured response to Trump's threats, there remains a concern, as deteriorating relations with the world's most powerful nation, the US, are not in India's best interest.
Narendra Modi has tried very hard to build a good relationship with Trump. Remember, this time, in the second term of the Trump government, the attitude of the US President is anti-India. Trump is trying to make an ally of Pakistan, which the presidents before him considered untouchable. How did the country, which the world knows as a hub of terrorism and which is in a way an international beggar, defeat us in diplomacy? Trump is trying to overturn the power balance of South Asia, which was tilted towards us. What is the reason for Trump's changed attitude? One reason is that the Indian government is not ready to give him the credit for the ceasefire with Pakistan. Trump has said about two and a half dozen times that he got the ceasefire done, whereas the Indian government says that the ceasefire happened when Pakistan's DGMO requested for it. Pakistan is giving the credit to Trump and has recommended him for the Nobel Prize, which the egoistic Trump liked very much, while India's blunt reply was that the Nobel Prize should be discussed with the White House only. Our former ambassador to Pakistan, Gautam Bambawala, has admitted that Pakistan has 'played its cards right' by pleasing Trump's ego.
Harsh Pant, an expert at the Observer Research Foundation, states that Trump is upset because the trade agreement with India has not been finalized. US Finance Minister Scott Besant notes that President Trump and his trade team are frustrated with the negotiations with India. India was the first nation to initiate trade discussions with the United States. Initially, India offered several concessions to appease Trump by lowering tariffs. We are increasing imports from the US, including defense products. As a result, Trump has referred to India and Modi as 'friends,' but he has now imposed a 25% tariff and labeled our economy as 'dead.' Another major issue is our reluctance to open the agriculture and dairy sectors to them, as these sectors support about 65 percent of our population.
In the United States, each farmer receives an annual subsidy of Rs 26 lakh, while the average income for our farmers is less than one lakh rupees, making it difficult for us to compete. Another reason for Trump's frustration is Russia. Prior to his presidency, Trump promised to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office. However, this has not occurred because Putin remains firm on his conditions. To exert pressure on Russia, Trump is urging us to cease purchasing oil from Russia and to reduce our acquisition of defense equipment. The U.S. and its European allies have repeatedly accused India and China of funding Russia's war efforts against Ukraine through our purchases of oil and defense equipment from Russia. As equal competitors, we cannot take action against China, but Trump has also threatened us with fines. Our reliance on Russian oil increased from 2% before the Ukraine conflict to 40% by June 2024. Russian oil is inexpensive, and a significant portion of our defense equipment is sourced from Russia. The Brahmos missile, which proved highly effective during Operation Sindoor, is also produced in collaboration with Russia.
We cannot separate ourselves from Russia, nor can we go to the side of an untrustworthy country like America. This is not only a big challenge but also a test for our leadership. People remember Indira Gandhi for standing up to Nixon. This government also has the problem of showing that Modi and Trump are very close friends. What is called Godi media has done a lot of harm to the country. Those who were excited about the 'chemistry' between Modi and Trump have misled the country. Public opinion has become completely anti-American because people feel that we have been betrayed. If the government tries to make some compromise, people will consider it as surrender.
In Donald Trump's thinking, only strength is important, neither goodwill nor any alliance. The international scenario has suddenly become unpleasant for us. We do not see any friend. Our options are limited. Prime Minister Modi has said that no country stopped us from Operation Sindoor, but it is also a bitter truth that no country has openly supported us nor condemned Pakistan. Even our small neighbouring countries kept watching the spectacle. On one hand, China is hissing at the border and on the other hand, America has forgiven Pakistan for a hundred crimes.
America's total deficit is 1200 billion dollars in which our contribution is only 40 billion dollars. That is, this tariff-strike is not only related to the economy. It is also a strategic and political strike.
Bowding under pressure is not an option for us. Trump wants to end our economic, foreign policy and strategic autonomy. Countries like Brazil, Canada and South Africa have refused to bow down. The rude attempt to separate us from Russia is an attack on our strategic reputation. As Dr. Manmohan Singh's media advisor Sanjay Barua has written, 'For the first time after 1971, America and China are on the same side regarding Pakistan'. This will not last long because China, which has invested billions of dollars in Pakistan, will not quietly tolerate the growing closeness between the US and Pakistan. We will now have to reduce our dependence on the US and find other markets. This will not be easy. Former foreign secretary Shyam Saran has written, "There may be a price to pay for resisting Trump, but we must be prepared for it". The message should go out clearly that compromise cannot be reached at gunpoint, nor will it happen. For Narendra Modi, this is not only a challenge but also an opportunity to strengthen his leadership.
In conclusion: Donald Trump has called us a dead economy to insult India. We are the fourth largest economy of the world with a 4 trillion dollar economy and in a few months we will overtake Japan to become the third largest economy but Trump Sahib sees our economy as dead. NDTV asked several American AI systems, 'Is India's economy dead?' The answers are very interesting,
* ChatGPT - India's economy is far from dead. It is dynamic and powerful.
* Grok - No it is not dead. It is one of the fastest economies globally.
* Gemini - There is strong growth.
* Meta - India is the fastest growing large economy globally.
* Copilot - Far from dying, it is on the contrary growing rapidly.
It's regrettable that the US President, due to his significant ego, fails to acknowledge this, but the regret isn't limited to him. Some people in our country also share Trump's perspective, including opposition leader Rahul Gandhi. After challenging Prime Minister Modi in the Lok Sabha to say 'Donald Trump, you are a liar,' Rahul Gandhi mentioned outside the House that Trump is correct in stating 'the Indian economy is dead.' He noted that apart from the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister, everyone knows our economy is stagnant. This remark warrants endless criticism. Rahul Gandhi often undermines himself. Just when the nation starts to take him seriously, he does or says something that causes people to reconsider.