AVOID S.I.R. PITFALLS IN NEW MISSION TO PROTECT DEMOGRAPHY

IN his combative 103-minute Independence Day speech, his longest to date, Prime Minister Narendra Modi advocated self-reliance to negotiate the choppy global waters ahead in the wake of the peak 50 percent tariff on Indian products recently announced by US President Donald Trump.

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Modi reiterated his appeal to promote swadeshi as a national pursuit to combat economic imperialism. Claiming that he stood like a wall against external policy interventions harmful to farmers and fishermen, he philosophically said India must extend its own line of progress instead of concentrating on others' limitations. In a world of rising economic selfinterest, the focus must be on strengthening India's capabilities, expanding opportunities and empowering citizens, he said. Coming as it did amid maverick Trump's economic coercion, the speech indicated a strong will to fight back and maintain sovereignty in