This may seem as ‘bhakti’ of PM Narendra Modi, but is there another leader that the rampaging US President Donald Trump has spoken of as someone who is ‘unhappy with him’? Usually Trump’s rants are all about himself and his unprecedented greatness. This admission may or may not be a deliberate one, but it acknowledges the fact that India – under the PM’s leadership – has managed to resist the pressure sought to be applied by imposition of tariffs, to the point that the US is being largely ignored as it works on alternative global structures.
Earlier, Trump has repeatedly made statements that do not favour India’s position on many issues – the Operation Sindoor strike on Pakistan, for instance. He has persistently claimed that he brought about peace between the two countries. India has ignored these claims, choosing not to get into an argument that cannot end in any way on a positive note. This refusal to be provoked on several such issues has communicated the message, even to a narcissist like Trump, that India’s response will come from a civilisational depth that has faced many worse crises in the past – even since Independence.
Experts are of the opinion that this somewhat changed attitude on the part of Trump might be because he has been made to realise by advisors directly involved in managing India-US relations that the transactional payoff from the tariff pressure may actually prove negative, with long term strategic and economic goals being surrendered. The mention by Trump of the Apache helicopter deal is also suggestive of this fact.
Even as Trump has been creating drama with his acts of aggression – heightened by the need possibly to push the Epstein files issue into the background – Modi has been strengthening India’s relationship with nations that have the potential to provide markets for Indian goods and services in the not too distant future. It has already started paying off enough for others to take notice. Ironically, even Trump’s Venezuela gambit is likely to benefit India with recovery of long pending dues.
It is not just Trump who has proved an unreliable partner – earlier US presidents, in their obsession with China, have also missed opportunities to earn India’s trust enough to strike major deals, particularly with regards to the arms industry. The private sector has been smarter and has invested in the Indian market quite productively for both sides. This has meant that, on the negotiating table, India too has some cards up its sleeve. Hence, the softening in Trump’s position.
