The imposition of tariffs by America on India is undermining all the positive gains USA made in its relationship India, it is time New Delhi assert its sovereign decision making power.
Fast forward to the 21st century, the word has once again assumed salience, especially in the context of Indo-US ties. The mercurial US president Donald Trump has imposed 25% tariffs along with penalties on India.
The reasons cited by the unpredictable head of the American state is that he is reportedly unsatisfied with the progress being made in the proposed trade deal whose negotiations that are currently underway and high tariffs that India imposes on American goods. This is coupled with an arm twisting strategy on the part of the American government to pressurize New Delhi to reduce its consumption of Russian oil that it buys at reasonable rates and scale back its strong military relationship with Russia.
This, however, requires a deeper analysis.
Scoring an own goal
By imposing tariffs on a trusted ally like India, the American administrative and foreign policy establishment scored a classic own goal. There are several reasons behind this.
Firstly, in imposing tariffs and penalties on India, USA is clearly missing the larger plot-it needs India to counter China in Asia. India is the most reliable and powerful partner of the Americans in the Asian landscape. This is particularly noteworthy in the context of USA’s Indo-Pacific policy which hinges heavily on India. By imposing tariffs on India, the Americans are pushing India to not only improve its relations with China but forge a stronger partnership with the dragon.
Secondly, the routine tariffs imposed by America on its Asian allies is further likely to make them resort to alternative choices, and in this context, the strengthening of BRICS grouping appears to be the best possible choice. The idea of de-dollarization which the US president has been so virulently opposed to may well be on its way to becoming a reality in the near future if major economies of the world under the BRICS framework commence bilateral trade in local currencies, for example-Rupee-Rouble mechanism.
Lastly, by waging economic warfare against India, the US is causing a RIC or Russia-India-China partnership’s formation all the more possible. The USA, which for so many years set the global narrative in every dimension of global politics, may ultimately come to regret the formation of this strategic alliance that possesses the potential to rewrite the rules of global geopolitical engagement.
Asserting rights
India, the world’s largest democracy, world’s fourth largest economy and a responsible nuclear power cannot be coerced into making the proverbial “either you are with us or against us” choice the ex-US president George W Bush made in the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks that sparked the American invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.
India possesses the right to take sovereign decisions that clear ensure the protection of her national interests. It is in this context that the mandarins of Indian foreign policy honor the doctrine of strategic autonomy that has been in operation since the Non-aligned movement of the 1950s.
It is imperative that New Delhi shields its strategic relationship with Russia from American attempts to undermine it. This must be done not only from the pragmatic view of fulfilling India’s energy needs through import of affordable Russian oil but also because Russia has, time and again assisted India during adversarial circumstances. This is evident from the consistent backing of the former Soviet Union for India at the United Nations on important issues. Further, it is absolutely essential to ensure that while India is actively pursuing its goal of diversifying its weapons portfolio, including increasing indigenization, it does not lose sight of the importance of Russia as a trusted defense and military partner.
Making the right choice
While diplomacy is about expanding the basket of choices, it is also about standing one’s ground when the right times comes. The right time comes, it is essential for India to reaffirm the importance of every country, no matter how strong and influential it is to respect the choices of its allies. In that vein, it is important that India strongly defend its relationship with Russia, the west led by America has time and again imposed pressure on India to eschew its relationship with Russia.
India must not allow this to happen. Not only should India reaffirm the time tested nature of this relationship but also explore alternative diplomatic arrangements to respond to American bullying.
Pranay Kumar Shome, a research analyst who is a PhD candidate at Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Bihar, India
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