Reducing risk for Viksit Bharat

INDIA'S FOOD SECURITY NEEDS A CRITICAL LOOK, NEEDS STRATEGIC TIES WITH COUNTRIES THAT IT CAN TRUST

- ASHOK GULATI

THESE ARE UNCERTAIN and risky times. US President Donald Trump’s address to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), though a bit weird, was very candid, clear, critical of others, and congratulatory to himself and his policies.

He criticised the UN for not doing enough to stop the wars, and not even to make sure that its escalators and teleprompter work. He also criticised Europe for its open-door policy for immigrants and buying energy from Russia. As usual, he also criticised China and India for financing the Russia-Ukraine war by buying Russian crude oil. Enhanced tariff is his pet punishment for the world. India has been hit hard with 50% tariff on goods, and now an enhanced fee of $100,000 on H1-B visas. Pharmaceuticals were exempted earlier, but they are also coming on his hit list. These harsh measures against India maybe the result of many factors. India has not given him credit for stopping the India-Pakistan war, which he has claimed umpteen times, and India is a founding member of the BRICS which he is not very comfortable with. Frustration resulting from not being able to stop the Russia-Ukraine war is another factor. Whatever the reasons, India is in a tight spot, and if the punitive tariffs of 50% stay longer, they will inflict heavy losses and layoffs in India. Our diplomatic efforts must rise to the challenge and save the economy from this severe blow, including the fast depreciation of Indian rupee.