Latest news with #NamasteTrump
CNA
5 days ago
- Business
- CNA
Commentary: Howdy Modi and Namaste Trump were high points. It's been downhill for US-India ties since
SINGAPORE: In 2019 and 2020, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then-US President Donald Trump took the stage together in front of roaring rallies in packed stadiums in their respective countries, holding hands and seemingly best friends forever. The 'Howdy Modi' rally in Houston attracted over 50,000 attendees, and the 'Namaste Trump' event in Ahmedabad drew more than 100,000. But that was during Mr Trump's first term as president. Now deep into his second term, Mr Trump is more emboldened in the exercise of raw transactional power. And the US' rosy relationship with India, once touted as the strategic partnership of our time, has abruptly hit the rocks. The unravelling is not to be underestimated; it combines a clash of both geopolitical and domestic interests that will be hard to reconcile, and endangers decades of painstaking diplomatic work. 'I AM READY TO PAY THE HEAVY PRICE': MODI The first signs of strain in their bromance were already visible during Mr Modi's visit to the US in February. Although Mr Trump said he was thrilled to welcome 'his friend' Mr Modi back to the White House, he did not hesitate to publicly rebuke India's "unfair, very strong tariffs", calling them a "big problem". After months of negotiations, by July a trade deal was supposedly ready. Instead, President Trump slapped a 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods – and then an additional 25 per cent as punishment for New Delhi's continued purchase of Russian oil. The sticking point was not just Russian oil – which may not have been as big an issue if Mr Trump had succeeded in getting Russia and Ukraine to agree to a ceasefire deal he had promised his base. It was India's reluctance to allow market access for American agricultural and dairy produce. It is a fact that India needs internal market reforms; even as the economy grows at over 6 per cent, unemployment and underemployment remain chronic. Yet opening up agriculture and dairy to foreign competition would be untenable politically. Mr Modi faces a legislative election in Bihar, a largely agricultural state, in November. India will never compromise on the interests of farmers, fishermen and dairy farmers, said Mr Modi last week. 'I know personally, I will have to pay a heavy price for it, but I am ready for it.' As India celebrates its 79th year of Independence on Friday (Aug 15), many in the strategic community in New Delhi are rethinking the country's equation with the US following the tariffs, plus the notoriously mercurial president's recent jibe about India's 'dead' economy. Likewise in Washington DC, hardline America First ideologues with a binary view of the rest of the world that leaves little latitude for empathy are uncomfortable with precisely the strategic autonomy that India has been pursuing, in the shape of continued ties with Iran and, more importantly in this case, Russia. Mr Trump also insists he was instrumental in stopping the limited but intense clashes in May between India and Pakistan – a claim India denies. Mr Trump followed up with a two-hour private lunch with Pakistan's military chief Asim Munir at the White House. These events have left a sour taste in New Delhi and inflamed nationalistic public sentiment in India. Mr Munir returned to the US last week to attend a black-tie dinner for the retirement of General Michael Kurilla, the commander of US military forces in the Middle East. There, he spoke of a new dimension in US-Pakistan relations, and almost casually warned of nuclear war. HARDENING POSITIONS ON BOTH SIDES Certainly, the US-India relationship has historically not been entirely rosy, even though there is some fundamental ideological convergence; India and the US are both liberal democracies in recent years trending towards the illiberal. The US security establishment has long danced with Pakistan, in part to try to balance China's influence in that country. This has historically rankled India. Additionally, Mr Trump sees the growing BRICS group as a threat especially to the hegemony of the US dollar. He also seems fixated on cementing a legacy with the Nobel Peace Prize; for good or bad, it is not possible to separate the personal from the political in the case of Mr Trump. The India-Pakistan episode, with New Delhi cold to his ceasefire claims, may have left a sour taste for him as well. Meanwhile, domestic politics are hardening positions on both sides. Mr Trump was voted to power for a second time by a base that wants to revert to what it widely sees as core American values – white, conservative, patriarchal, Christian – and the country remains bitterly divided. Mr Modi's base largely sees its core value as a conservative and inherently strongly patriarchal Hindu identity. But the US-India relationship is also much more broad-based than it was during the Cold War. Shared concerns about an assertive China have helped nudge them closer. The US-India Civil Nuclear Agreement of 2008 was a significant turning point. The four-member Quad brings together Japan, Australia, and the US with India in a loose arrangement. The annual joint naval exercise Malabar hosted by India includes US, Japanese, Indian and Australian naval forces. Mr Trump's unpredictability has begun to revive doubts. Old contentious issues - Pakistan, trade and Indian protectionist tariffs with one eye on its vulnerable farmers, and of course Russia - are back on the table, wrapped in the heightened rhetoric of nationalism. In this new environment, some storms even if they pass can be imprinted in public memory. In India in particular, doubt and distrust of the US will linger in the public mind even when Mr Trump is no longer in office. That means the US, while valued as a hedge against China, may go back to being at arm's length, at least publicly, even as strategic security and military cooperation will quietly continue. TOUCHY RELATIONSHIPS In a recent essay in Foreign Affairs, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace scholar and former US official Ashley J Tellis - one of the architects of the 2008 civil nuclear cooperation agreement - argued that instead of pushing for 'multipolarity', Indian leaders should align more closely with the US given that, among other things, India can only hope to fend off China with American backing. It is a compelling argument and has triggered much debate in New Delhi and Washington DC. There is a counterargument, however - that India's geopolitical environment is complex, volatile and not easily understood by the West. With neighbours ranging from friendly to unstable to hostile, India feels it must hedge. It cannot, and will not, disengage or diminish its relationship with Russia. And though China has backed Pakistan, India and China are also beginning to mend relations after a low point in 2020 when they clashed at Galwan on their Himalayan border. Mr Modi is due to visit Tianjin on Aug 31 for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, where he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping. To be sure there are issues that could torpedo the touchy relationship – the succession of the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama looms large – so there are likely to be limits to India-China detente. Nevertheless, Chinese state media has been playing up Mr Modi's upcoming visit. One may have to wait until the annual Quad summit, to be hosted by New Delhi in the last quarter of this year, to gauge whether India and the US can return to the comfort zone of the first Trump, and subsequent Joe Biden administrations. Whether Mr Trump attends will be a key indicator. Meanwhile however, ironically for the US, recent developments reinforce precisely what India believes – that it is too big to be pushed around, and it cannot depend on the US but needs to be multi-aligned, as one pole in a multipolar world.
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First Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
Should India flatter Trump with Nobel nomination? Give him two, jokes Bolton
As world leaders line up to nominate US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, former US NSA John Bolton joked that India should hand over two nominations to Trump for better ties As countries line up to nominate US President Donald Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize, his former National Security Advisor John Bolton jokes about India offering Trump two such nominations for better ties. While speaking to Firstpost's Bhagyasree Sengupta, Bolton said Trump's sudden courting of Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir and his tariff tirade against India have nothing to do with 'strategic rethinking'. He maintained that the apparent change in the American leader's stance on India and Pakistan revolves around his dream to win a Nobel. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Soon after the India-Pakistan military confrontation, Munir met President Trump in the White House. He is currently in the US attending the farewell ceremony of the Centcom chief. Munir eventually used American soil to deliver nuclear threats to India. During Trump's first term, we saw events like ' Howdy Modi' and 'Namaste Trump'. So what changed? Bolton said it is all about a Nobel Peace Prize nomination. 'I don't think this is any strategic rethinking by Trump because he doesn't do strategic rethinking. One thing Munir did was to offer to nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize, which has become an obsession with Trump,' Bolton told Firstpost on Tuesday. 'It's part of a strategy of flattery, which often works with Trump as well. So my suggestion to Prime Minister Modi is that when he talks to Trump next, he should offer to nominate him twice for a Nobel Peace Prize and to keep nominating him until he gets it. Maybe that'll help,' he joked. How Pakistan seeks brownie points with Nobel nomination Soon after Operation Sindoor, Pakistan rushed to deliver a nomination for a Nobel Peace Prize to Trump. It was one of the first countries to take that initiative after Trump returned to the White House. With this, Pakistan attempted to reaffirm Trump's claim that he was the one who brokered a ceasefire deal following a four-day military escalation between India and Pakistan. Meanwhile, India maintained that the ceasefire between the two nations was a bilateral decision and no third party was involved; many believe that New Delhi's rejection of Trump's assertion might have also contributed to Trump's latest ire against India. Pakistan, on the other hand, was also not earnest with its Nobel nomination. Because right after it nominated Trump for the prestigious award, Islamabad slammed his administration for supporting Israel in the war against Hamas. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In a Firstpost interview, Ambassador Bolton maintains that he is not thinking much about US-Pakistan ties. 'I wouldn't conclude a closer Pakistani-US relationship, although frankly I think it's in the interest of everybody to see Pakistan retain a democratic government and not be under the military,' he said. 'But Trump doesn't understand Pakistan at all. He's been speaking in the past few weeks about the significant development of Pakistan's oil reserves, which comes as a complete surprise to people in Pakistan. It's just typical of Trump. He lives in many senses in a world of his own, a world he has created. I'm afraid because he does not think very much about what happens outside his world, he doesn't see the ramifications sometimes of what he says," he explained. Other nations attempt to flatter Trump However, it is important to note that Pakistan is not the only country which has nominated Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize. The trend started with Pakistan, followed by Israel and Cambodia. After Trump's 'peace summit' bringing together the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan on August 8 and ending decades of conflict, the heads of the two former Soviet Union states promised to write a joint nomination to the Nobel Peace Committee. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Trump has long coveted the honour, and in the past, his friends, including lawmakers, have nominated him for the honour numerous times. However, in the past, Trump often mocked former President Barack Obama, who won the award in 2009, one year into his first term, saying he didn't know 'what the hell he got it for.' Hence, it would now be interesting to see if Norway would pay any heed to these nominations.
Indian Express
07-08-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
India, Trump just wasn't that into you
Indians have been blindsided by Donald Trump inflicting a total of 50 per cent tariffs on their nation — the highest rate in Asia, perhaps the highest in the world. What happened to the much-bruited good vibes of the first-term diplomatic extravaganzas nicknamed 'Howdy Modi' and 'Namaste Trump'? What about the bonhomie of February, when the US President welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington as one of the first foreign guests of his second term? How should India understand this apparent slap in the face? It's simple: This is just how Trump operates. Every interaction is a dominance play, every policy decision is an expression of personal whim. India (unlike its neighbours) was unwilling to bow down to his demands for an unbalanced trade deal, so he's imposing tariffs in a fit of pique. It's illegal under US law, and it will undermine a relationship that his predecessors have carefully fostered, but there's no mystery behind it. Trump did it because that's who he is. Before the latest dust-up, India remained one of the few nations on earth where Trump was not deeply disliked. Over the first four months of his current term, Pew Research asked 28,333 people in 24 nations whether they had confidence that Trump would 'do the right thing regarding world affairs.' The overwhelming majority (for example, 80 per cent, 81 per cent and 91 per cent in Turkey, Germany and Mexico respectively) did not. But just over half of Indians expressed confidence in Trump — one of just five nations in which he broke even (the others were Hungary, Israel, Nigeria and Kenya). Any break-up can feel like a betrayal. In sorting through what went wrong, Indians should remember two pieces of advice often given to the lovelorn. First: It's not you, it's him. Second: He's not capable of a relationship with anyone. Whatever warm feelings Indians may have had for Trump were always one-sided. Trump enjoyed the fact that 1,25,000 people came to greet him at an Ahmedabad cricket-stadium in 2020, but Indians may have over-interpreted this reception. The purported friendship between Trump and Modi never resulted in any meaningful policy initiative — or even discouraged Trump from routinely mocking Modi's accent in discussions with his aides. Some in the Indian right wing have been drawn to Trump for a more disturbing reason: His penchant for anti-Muslim rhetoric and action. During his first presidential campaign, the Hindu Sena threw an in-absentia birthday party for him in New Delhi. As Trump went on to ban visitors from predominantly Muslim nations and implement a broad array of anti-Muslim domestic policies, he was cheered on by some segments of the Hindu Right, both in the US and in India. But any hope of enlisting Trump on a grand civilisational campaign was always a fool's errand: Trump has deep prejudices, not a real ideology. For Trump, there is no such thing as a true ally or adversary: He has no understanding, whether on the level of individuals or geopolitics, of the idea of a relationship. A relationship is something bigger than either party. Whether it's a marriage, a friendship, or an alliance between nations, a relationship is something that requires constant care, maintenance and compromise. None of these are part of Trump's personal or political makeup. Every interaction, in his mind, consists of one victor and one vanquished. The idea of a win-win relationship is incomprehensible to him. India isn't unique here: He's behaved the same way to his business associates, his political partners, all three of his spouses, and (with one noteworthy exception) the leader of every nation in the world. That one exception is Russian President Vladimir Putin, on whom Trump has had a mystifying man-crush for decades. Some analysts have speculated that Trump fears Putin possesses blackmail material, but that wouldn't explain the puppyish obsequiousness with which the US president courts his counterpart. Regardless of the cause, it makes Trump's stated reason for the India tariffs all the more irrational: 'India is …buying massive amounts of Russian Oil,' he posted on his Truth Social platform, 'They don't care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine. Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA.' Indians are quite right to be baffled: Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Trump has consistently been Putin's foremost international advocate. In February — in the Oval Office itself, with press cameras rolling — he subjected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to a humiliating lecture, and ordered him to surrender to Russia's demands. Now he's outraged because India is buying Russian oil? He isn't. Trump doesn't care about the oil purchases, and he doesn't care about Ukraine. What he's upset about is that India is standing up for itself. Trump has tried to bully every nation on earth to accept his blatantly unfair tariffs as the basis for trade agreements — and many of them have meekly complied. Pakistan, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines and other nations have accepted informal 'deals' under which their exports to the US receive punitive tariffs, but the US is permitted to export its goods to them duty-free. The European Union, the largest trade group in the world, timidly acceded to a similar demand. India has refused such a diktat. And that is the reason for Trump's ire. Why have these nations knuckled under? They're all hoping to hoodwink Trump: None of these 'deals' are legally binding, and Trump changes his mind on a day-to-day basis. Like so many other institutions that have succumbed to his intimidation, they're betting that once he has pocketed the headlines for his victory, he'll lose interest in any concrete follow-through. If public self-abasement nets a tariff rate of 15 per cent rather than 25 per cent, why not swallow one's pride? India has refused to sacrifice its national dignity for the sake of a few percentage points. This should surprise nobody: Throughout its history, India has always been exceptionally protective of its rights in the international arena. Most Indian prime ministers have been seen in Washington (and elsewhere) as being too prickly for their own good, too sensitive about any concession which might conceivably be regarded as an insult to the nation. But the fact that all Indian leaders have acted this way — BJP, Congress, and Janata alike — suggests that they are expressing the wishes of their constituents. For whatever it's worth, I hope that India continues to stand up for its rights. Every nation that bows down to Trump's illegitimate demands makes it all that much more difficult for the next country to resist. India is in good company: China, Brazil, and Canada have fought back, and the leaders who have capitulated are likely to face anger from their own citizens once the decidedly-not-reciprocal tariffs start to bite. Trump was never a friend to India. He was never a friend to anyone. In his world-view, relationships are for suckers. But don't worry, India: He just wasn't into you. And that proves he never deserved you. The writer is author of Arrow of the Blue-Skinned God: Tracing the Ramayana Through India and Mullahs on the Mainframe: Islam and Modernity Among the Daudi Bohras
Scroll.in
07-08-2025
- Business
- Scroll.in
‘Abysmal failure of Modi': Opposition criticises Centre as Trump doubles tariffs on India
Opposition leaders on Wednesday said that United States President Donald Trump's decision to double tariffs on Indian goods from 25% to 50% reflected an ' abysmal failure ' of diplomacy by the Narendra Modi-led Union government. 'While his [Trump's] tariff and penalty actions are simply unacceptable, the fact remains that they also reflect the abysmal failure of Modi's personalised and headline-grabbing style of huglomacy,' Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said on X. Recalling former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's stance against US pressure in the 1970s, Ramesh said: 'Instead of defaming, distorting, and denigrating her, Modi should shed his ego – if indeed that were possible – and take inspiration from the manner in which she stood up to the USA'. Prime Minister Modi went to the US and attended a Howdy Modi event in Houston in Sept 2019. President Trump was also present and Mr. Modi broke with all tradition and declared Ab ki Baar Trump Sarkar. In Feb 2020, President Trump was hosted by Mr. Modi to a gala Namaste Trump… — Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) August 6, 2025 Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said that the tariff hike amounted to ' economic blackmail ' and a blatant attempt to pressure India into accepting an unfair trade deal. 'PM Modi better not let his weakness override the interests of the Indian people,' he said. Earlier on Wednesday, Gandhi had alleged that Modi's inability to confront Trump stems from the ongoing US investigation into the Adani Group – led by business tycoon Gautam Adani. Trump's 50% tariff is economic blackmail - an attempt to bully India into an unfair trade deal. PM Modi better not let his weakness override the interests of the Indian people. — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 6, 2025 Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien questioned, 'now what will 56 inch say about the 50% Trump tariff", in a pointed remark aimed at the prime minister. 'And now we know why Modi and his creaky coalition are disrupting Parliament,' he added. 25 + 25 =50 Now what will 56 inch say about the 50% Trump tariff And now we know why Modi and his creaky coalition are disrupting Parliament — Derek O'Brien | ডেরেক ও'ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) August 6, 2025 Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader MA Baby called the 50% tariff hike ' unilateral and illegal ', urging the Indian government to 'stand firm, defend our interests, and resist US pressure'. We condemn Trump's unilateral and illegal imposition of 50% tariffs on India. India must stand firm, defend our interests, and resist US pressure. US unilateralism endangers global stability. Time to build a global front against US bullying, economic coercion, and wars.… — M A Baby (@MABABYCPIM) August 6, 2025 Trump on Wednesday issued an executive order imposing an additional 25% tariff on goods imported from India for purchasing Russian oil. This raised the US tariff rate on Indian goods to 50%. On July 30, Washington had announced a 25% levy on goods imported from India as part of the so-called reciprocal tariffs on dozens of countries that have not finalised separate trade agreements with the US. The additional levy will take effect in 21 days. In response, New Delhi said on Wednesday that it was ' extremely unfortunate ' that the US had chosen to impose additional tariffs on India 'for actions that several other countries are also taking in their own national interest'. 'We reiterate that these actions are unfair, unjustified and unreasonable,' said the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson. 'India will take all actions necessary to protect its national interests."
Economic Times
06-08-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
US action unjust, comprehensive reset of India's foreign policy needed: Congress
Congress criticized the US tariff hike on Indian goods. They called it unfair and bullying. Rahul Gandhi urged Modi to protect India's interests. Jairam Ramesh wants a foreign policy reset. He suggested Modi learn from Indira Gandhi's approach to US pressure. The US President Trump imposed the tariff due to India's continued purchase of Russian oil. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads After the imposition of an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods entering the US, the Congress on Wednesday called the action "unjust" and "economic blackmail" aimed at bullying India into an unfair trade deal, even as it hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying his "personalised" and "headline-grabbing style of huglomacy" has been an "abysmal failure".The opposition party also sought a comprehensive reset of India's foreign policy and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, said, "(Donald) Trump's 50 per cent tariff is economic blackmail -- an attempt to bully India into an unfair trade deal.""PM Modi better not let his weakness override the interests of the Indian people," Gandhi said in a post on that US President Donald Trump has hit India "hard and unjustly", Congress general secretary (communications), Jairam Ramesh, called for a comprehensive reset of India's foreign policy and said Prime Minister Modi should shed his ego and take inspiration from Indira Gandhi in the manner she stood up to the US' "bullying" in the 1970s."Now President Trump, while still claiming to be a friend of Mr Modi, has hit India hard and unjustly. While his tariff and penalty actions are simply unacceptable, the fact remains that they also reflect the abysmal failure of Mr Modi's personalised and headline-grabbing style of huglomacy," Ramesh said in a post on X."India stood up to the bullying of the US in the 1970s, especially under the prime ministership of Smt. Indira Gandhi. Instead of defaming, distorting, and denigrating her, Mr Modi should shed his ego -- if indeed that were possible -- and take inspiration from the manner in which she stood up to the USA. India's foreign policy and administration needs a comprehensive reset," Ramesh past events under the Modi government, the Congress leader said the prime minister went to the US and attended a 'Howdy Modi' event in Houston in September 2019."President Trump was also present and Mr Modi broke with all tradition and declared 'Ab ki Baar, Trump Sarkar'," he February 2020, Ramesh said, President Trump was hosted by Modi to a gala 'Namaste Trump' event in Ahmedabad and in February 2025, "much was made of the fact that Modi was among the earliest heads of government who met President Trump in his second innings".Earlier, it was said that the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had a front row seat at President Trump's inauguration and was the first to meet Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Congress general secretary said, taking a dig at the government."Mr Modi wooed Elon Musk and his family as well, at a time when Mr Musk was very close to President Trump. The wooing of Mr Musk was part of Mr Modi's strategy to please President Trump."Mr Modi has time and again flaunted his supposedly close friendship with President Trump. On Feb 14, 2025, he had shown off his knowledge of algebra by telling President Trump that MAGA + MIGA = MEGA," the Congress general secretary also said Prime Minister Modi kept completely quiet even as President Trump claimed "33 times" that he intervened to bring about a ceasefire between India and Pakistan."There was total silence from the PM and his close circle when President Trump hosted Pakistan's chief of army staff Field Marshal Asim Munir to lunch on June 18, 2025, at the White House. This was the same person whose inflammatory and communally poisonous remarks provided the backdrop to the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, 2025."President Trump has destroyed WTO. India did not protest. President Trump has withdrawn from WHO, UNESCO, and the Paris Climate Accord. India has remained a mute onlooker," Ramesh Congress leader, Supriya Shrinate, said the 50 per cent tariff imposition is "disastrous for our economy, our exports, production, jobs. Mr Modi speak up -- it's time you do".US President Trump on Wednesday slapped an additional 25 per cent tariff on goods coming from India as penalty for New Delhi's continued buying of Russian signed an executive order imposing the additional tariff less than 14 hours before his initial tariffs were to come into the order, the total tariff on Indian goods, barring a small exemption list, will be 50 per the initial duty becomes effective on August 7, the additional levy will come into effect after 21 days. PTI
