India has less to worry about Donald Trump’s presidency than other countries. He is neither anti- nor pro-India. But if he can prise Russia from China’s grip, India should cheer him.
Donald Trump passed blame freely during his presidential race. He blamed China for monetary fraud, Mexico for sending criminals and drug pushers across the border, NATO countries and other allies such as Japan and Saudi Arabia for making the United States pay their military bills. In the thick of his venom-spewing campaign, India stood out as perhaps the only country for which he proclaimed love, famously saying that Hindus and the Indian community would find a true friend in the White House if he was elected. He went ahead to condemn terror strikes in India, even though he once merged two attacks into one and made it the “Parliament attack in Mumbai”. He may have muddled up cities, but there was no question about the clarity of his sentiment. In the 13 minutes that he addressed a gathering organised by the Republic Hindu Coalition in New Jersey in October, he made it seem that once he entered the White House, the US and India would become BFFs (best friends forever, to the uninitiated).
Come January 20, and it’s time to see how his Indian romance will unfold. Wooing India, however, is not as simple as dispatching family members to attend Hindu rituals in temples in the US or mouthing sweet nothings. In fact, it may also not always be so much about Trump’s direct dealings with India as it may be about how he chooses to waltz with Russia, whether he slays dragons in China and if at all he sends Pakistan to Coventry. Trump, as everyone likes to say, is tabula rasa, and it’s rather difficult tracing a trajectory for his proposed plans. If anything, his actions as president elect have sent confusing signals. He has named China critic Peter Navarro as his trade adviser and Terry Branstad, a good friend of Chinese President Xi Jinping, as ambassador to China.
This story is from the January 15, 2017 edition of THE WEEK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the January 15, 2017 edition of THE WEEK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Five-Year Plan
Though there are challenges, 'One Nation, One Election', if implemented, could transform the political and governance patterns in the country
RUSTIC MAGIC
For photographer Deepti Asthana, life is not about belonging, but rather about seeking
Good fashion, bad fashion
Season after season of fashion week, I struggle to find exciting things to say about the event. Don’t get me wrong, I love fashion. And I think Indian fashion has never seen better days.
Director's act
Established Malayalam filmmakers and writers are taking up lead roles
Finfluential city
The latest financial education event by Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC and THE WEEK was in India's first City of Literature
SPOOKS STILL SPEAK
The world of spies today is full of technology, but human intelligence continues to play its crucial part
On the march
The good response to Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra has given the MVA hopes of putting up a decent fight in the Lok Sabha elections
YOUNG and restless...with the power to vote
Today's young voters are the first generation to live in partnership with their smartphones and to invest so much time and emotional energy in their virtual selves. They are also the first generation to have been politically socialised in the age of full-throttle hindutva. THE WEEK looks at the themes and forces shaping the politics of young people as India heads to the general election
Chance capital
Coimbatore turned into an AIADMK bastion in the 2010s, but the BJP has roots in the city and the DMK has precedent
THE FIFTH DIMENSION
Drafting Indonesia into the Quad and developing the Andaman and Nicobar Islands could help India deal with the long-term maritime threat posed by China