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‘Official’ India is exercising utmost restraint. But outside it, it is seething with anger at the way the Donald Trump-led United States is treating it. The pent-up frustration with the long-touted “Strategic partner” is slowly but surely surfacing.
Now, even the official signals are evident. News cameramen were barred from filming the visit of the American Charge d’affaires to the Foreign Office during the first summons last week. But it was allowed at the second visit within 48 hours when India protested that commercial ships manned by its sailors were attacked in the Gulf region. These things do happen in a war zone. But families of those killed are seeking answers from PM Modi, Trump’s “good friend.”
Social media has, for the past many months, mercilessly lampooned Trump. The pro-government trolls are silent. Now, the mainstream media lambasts Trump blow-hot, blow-cold. More editorials are written on the Gulf War and the tariff tiff, which has gone on for over a year, than in the past ten years. On the Gulf War, there is stringent criticism, even if unfair, of the US, largely leaving out Israel.
The war has hit Indian households. That others are also suffering doesn’t seem to matter. Why? The Times of India has editorially asked that Trump must “start firing” some of his ministers. Alongside, Modi is being blamed, despite the media being closely monitored and manipulated through trolls.
Commentators say that for a country billed as an ally, India has taken more than its share of American criticism, be it buying Russian oil or weapons, for ‘misuse’ or immigration and of H1B visa, on tariffs that are among the highest and favor trading competitors and even a short-lived attempt at taxing Indian films, when Trump uses Harley Davidson as a trade bogey.
Beyond the diplomatic transactions, the Marco Rubio visit was a cold event. A solemn visit to the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata and the Taj Mahal was scheduled. When VIP couples visit the “monument of love,” the media lends a bit of romantic touch. Not for the Rubios.
Rubio, Indian critics have noted, pitched for the Venezuelan acting President’s visit to sell oil to India. Oil, which is technically Venezuelan but US-controlled. Fair diplomacy required that the announcement should have come from either New Delhi or Caracas.
The “Hindu nationalist” sentiment is ‘hurt’ at Trump switching his affection from India to Pakistan and making the latter the mediator in the Gulf war. Unrealistic, but that sentiment has persisted. By implication, the Modi government is blamed for this perceived failure.
More Indians, especially the new aspirants, are trapped in the visa trap than is acknowledged. They took loans and sold family heirlooms to get there. There is anxiety over immigration issues for those already in the US. Surely, neither tariffs, nor immigration, nor visa curbs single out Indians. Not even the deaths in the Gulf. But they have combined to fuel anti-US sentiment. Indian security analyst Brahma Chellaney says India and the US have become “regional rivals.”
It reminds one of 1971 and the Cold War era. Watchers of India-US relations fear that moment, if and when protestors march to the Roosevelt House in New Delhi. The situation is not so adverse, and they hope this does not happen.
(The article was written prior to the US-Iran Deal was agreed upon.)
Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this article/column are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of South Asian Herald.
