K N Pandita
The question why President Trump is treating India harshly is widely debated in political circles. About 20 countries world over are locked in tariff question. India is not an exception. But Indo-US tariff narrative has relatively some angularities. Various reasons, some not very convincing, are given.
Some observers have evaluated Trump – Modi bonhomie during Trump’s first stint in office as Modi’s naivety. Hugging gesture of top leaders is outsidethe diplomatic protocol. It creates false sense of warmth, and hence,a surprise and a shock when things go awry. That is a take from current see-saw relations between the two countries.
Historically, Indian political leadership would not warm up to Democrats. Nehru, during his visit to the US, didn’t warm up to President Kennedy.Twice, during a boat trip, President Kennedy wanted his views on Vietnam war but Nehru did not respond, writes B K Nehru in his book Nice Guys Finish Second.However, when China attacked Arunachal in 1962, Nehru had no qualms of conscience to beg the US for arms reinforcement.
Maybe Modi had expectations that Trump would show better understanding of India and her revamped foreign policy. But in realpolitik things don’t go by surmises and wishes; diplomacy is fueled by harsh and objective realities.
Two instincts are strongly shaping the thinking of Trump in his second stint. One is his obsession of “America first”, which, for him, means ‘America first at the cost of every other country. He himself put it, albeit very crudely, in a public statement (60 countries came to lick my ….).
Soon after taking the oath of office for second term, Trump addressed the Canadian Prime Minister as the Governor of US’ 51st state. He claimed to take back Panama and stirred a row with Denmark by threatening to seize Greenland, the largest island on the globe. He asserted that Gaza will be cleared of its population and converted into American Riviera.
These examples will explain Trump’s concept of America First. One wonders how come the greatest and strongest democracy in the world is harbouring indefensible expansionist ambitions normally attributed to the left leaning nations.
The second instinct is his phantasma of laying claim to the role of a peacemaker, and hence, his unbridled aspiration of winning a Nobel prize. Recollect that in his election campaign, he often spoke of putting global conflicts at rest in weeks and not in months after he settled down in the White House. He began with banters with Putin trying to create an impression that he knew the art of ensnaring Putin into a compromise formula. Exasperated by Russian veteran’s bargaining skills, Trump exuded his ire on Zelensky by threatening to stop arms supply to Ukraine if he did not take his diktat.
Trump’s harassment of President Zelensky of Ukraine angered the NATO members and the EU to whom Trump’s policy towards them had already become an enigma. Trump’s anti-NATO posture was criticized and disapproved first by President Macron of France and then by other members of the EU. British Prime Minister , Keir Starmer assured Zelensky of his full support in his battle against Putin.
Trump had also asserted that he would see putting an end to the complicated and chronic Middle East conflict within weeks of assuming power. More than six months have gone by and IDF continues to pound Gaza and turn more structures into rubble. Neither Zelensky felt convinced that Trump was the person to deliver peace nor did Hamas feel that a Messiah was born to change the destiny of the beleaguered Palestinians. A ray of hope has appeared for them with some countries — not including the USA — willing to recognize the Palestine a sovereign state.
Disenchanted with his foggy idealistic dream of arbitrating peace in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, Trump ruefully waited for an opportunity which he would cash upon to satisfy his penchant for Nobel Prize. With skillful manipulation, he picked up Pakistan to sound the beguile of his “merit” for the Nobel. Since Pak civil administration would be loath to run the anger and even retaliation by home-bred fundamentalists, Trump feted Pakistani power center by hosting its chief over a lunch in White Hose. There and then, Pak army chief announced that Pakistan proposed Trump’s name for Nobel prize. On Trumps behest, the army chief not only belittled but even humiliated the elected government of his country by doing a job which was entirely outside the jurisdiction of his powers. He was rewarded with promotion to next higher rank. Thus, the President of the world’s strongest democracy representing the historical American nation sealed a deal with the chief of an Asian country’s army known to be the architect of world’s epicenter of terrorism.
Knowing that India was not an easy nut to crack, he resorted to an act of bullying and trounced Indian Prime Minister into agreeing to ceasefire but attributing the credit to himself. That is why at least 35 times after May 10th events, Trump repeated that he had brokered ceasefire. His Vice President, played the second fiddle went to the length of stating that the representatives of two warring nuclear states would meet in Dubai to resolve all outstanding issues between them.
The crisis in Indo-US relations surfaced with a jerk when India bluntly said that it never asked for Trump’s intervention and he did not play any role in bringing about the ceasefire. Prime Minister Modi said on the floor of the Parliament that India did not ask any country in the world to play any mediatory role. He asserted that after Indian DGOMO received a telephone call from his Pakistani counterpart for ceasefire, India responded. Responding to the question why India stopped firing when we were in full control, the Prime Minister said that India had made it clear to Pakistan and the world at large that her goal was only to destroy the terrorist camps wherever these had been established because they trained terrorist and sent them across the border to indulge in terror and subversion within our territory. Since that objective had been achieved, continuing firing of missiles would not be accepted by the world community and India had no intention of destroying Pakistan
It is clear that India’s repudiation of Trump’s claim that he architectured ceasefire has proved gall for Trump. He is not irritated but frustrated. For personal glorification, he has done greatest harm not to India, not to any adversary but to the noble American nation. It is for the American nation to see how they can safeguard their interests and the interests of their future generations. Should America be called a terror abetting nation or the sentinel of freedom and civil rights of the people of the world.
This write-up makes it clear that Indo-US spat has two dimensions. One is of tariffs with its fallout and repercussions worldwide including India. The second is the American president bullying his own people in believing what is not believable. The key lies with the people of America.
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