Anti-Trump sentiments soar in India amid tariff spat and souring ties

For the first time, however, India is hoping that the incumbent President of the United States will refrain from visiting India, at least until the anti-Trump sentiment prevailing in the country subsides.

Not India's friend

Bilateral relations between the two sides nosedived amid President Donald Trump’s decision to impose a 50 per cent tariff on India, making it impossible for Indian companies to do business in the US.

It also came in the wake of Trump’s deliberate courting of Pakistani army chief Asim Munir, someone India blamed for the recent Pahalgam terrorist attack. Trump has also publicly berated India for its high tariff and this has turned the sentiment against the American President, who until recently was seen as a close friend of India.

Also read: US tariffs: Will India fight back? | Richard Kozul-Wright interview

Trump was scheduled to attend the Quad summit in New Delhi, which India is hosting. Though no dates were announced, indications suggested it was scheduled for later this year.

Relief for India

The New York Times reported recently that Trump has decided to stop the ongoing trade negotiations with India and may cancel his visit to the country for the Quad summit. Such news would have put the Indian establishment in a flap in the past. But under the prevailing circumstances, it is seen as a relief.

Indian foreign ministry officials said that it would have been ''politically tough'' for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to accord him a warm welcome at this juncture.

Growing anti-Trump sentiments

Sentiments against the United States and Trump have risen steadily in recent days in the Indian media and in commentaries by Indian experts, following the American President's decision to impose an additional 25 percent tariff on India for buying Russian oil.

Trump has already imposed a 25 per cent tariff on Indian exports to the United States. The additional 25 per cent, which brings the total levy on India to 50 per cent, makes it nearly impossible for Indian businessmen to sell their products in the American market.

Also read: ‘Modi’s friend’ Trump’s 50 pc tariff blows hole in India’s foreign policy

Trump’s threat to impose a 10 per cent ban on all members of the BRICS, like India, still stands. Trump has claimed that India’s purchase of Russian oil was allowing Moscow to continue the war in Ukraine, a conflict that he is keen to end. Trump has said that after 21 days, August 27, if India does not stop buying oil from Russia, the punitive 25 per cent tariff will come into effect.

“In my personal view I think, the Quad summit cannot take place in these circumstances and Trump cannot visit India,” former Indian foreign secretary Kanwal said in a recent interview.

Unjustified, says India

India’s official response has still shown restraint as Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said, "The targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable.”

The Indian establishment has been miffed at US and European Union’s “double standards” on the issue of oil purchase from Russia.

India has pointed out that the US was encouraged to buy large quantities of Russian oil after the Ukraine war started, to ensure the global energy market remained stable.

Also read: Trump says US tariffs on India deal 'big blow' to Russia

Moreover, while Trump is threatening to punish India, the US and EU are both doing business with Russia and many EU members are still buying Russian oil.

In addition, there are other countries like China, whose oil purchase from Russia was more than India but they have not been slapped with additional tariffs by Trump. India has justified its decision as a choice of a sovereign nation to take necessary measures to safeguard “national and economic” interests.

US Presidential visits to India

US Presidential visits to India began soon after the country’s Independence during the Cold War when India was seen to be a close partner of the erstwhile Soviet Union. But such trips were few and far between back then.

It began with Dwight Eisenhower’s six-day visit to the country in 1959. This was followed by a series of two-day visits by Richard Nixon in 1969 and Jimmy Carter’s visit in 1978. But when the Cold War ended, the intensity of the US Presidential visits increased and became regular.

Clinton's visit, a turning point

The turning point was Bill Clinton’s six-day visit to the country in March 2000 in the aftermath of India declaring itself a nuclear power.

This was followed by George W Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden—indicating the bipartisan consensus between the Republican and Democratic Parties to build a strong partnership with India.

During these visits, the relations between the two countries grew and expanded their cooperation for mutual benefit to a wide range of areas.

Modi-Trump bonhomie

Modi was among the first leaders in the world who had an early meeting with Trump soon after his second term in the White House began. The two sides managed to sign several agreements to deepen and strengthen their ties and promised to raise their bilateral trade to US$ 500 billion by 2030.

But since then, a number of developments seemed to turn the American President against India and its Prime Minister. It began with their differences on how the short conflict between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Pahalgam terrorist attack was brought to an end. Trump claimed he called India and Pakistan and threatened them that there would be no trade agreement with the US unless they agreed to an immediate ceasefire.

But the Indian government maintained that there was no third-party intervention and the conflict ended when Pakistan reached out for peace.

Trade talks stuck

This was followed by a tough and protracted trade negotiations between the two sides. But they were stuck after refusing to oblige the US negotiators to open up its dairy, fisheries and agriculture sectors to American companies. All this added up to Trump’s growing frustration over Russia’s refusal to agree to a ceasefire to end the Ukraine war.

“Though everyone is mentioning these developments to justify Trump’s action, it is still difficult to know the unpredictable US President’s mind,” said a senior Indian diplomat.

Life after Trump

Other Indian officials said that despite the temporary setback, the Indo-US relations have a lot at stake and it cannot be ''thrown away'' because of what has happened now.

“Please remember, there is life after Trump,” a senior diplomat said. That may be the most pragmatic way to look at India’s most valuable partnership.

However, most observers believe that, given Trump's actions, the India-US strategic partnership cannot be put back on track overnight.

“It will take a long time for the dust to settle down,” said an observer.