US President Donald Trump has imposed hefty tariffs on India for buying oil from Russia. He accused India of funding Russia's war against Ukraine through its oil purchases. These India-opposing policies and statements by the Trump administration have heightened tensions between the two nations. India has firmly stated that it will not compromise its sovereignty and will continue to purchase oil from Russia.
The Trump administration even suggested that India could get tariff relief if it stops buying oil from Russia. However, India is not ready to yield to American pressure at any cost. But Trump is not the first president to employ pressure strategies against India. In the past, various American administrations have tried to build pressure on India, yet India has always stood unwavering.
Back in 1962, during the war against China, India was not self-sufficient in food grains. Following this, Pakistan initiated a war on August 5, 1965, when Lal Bahadur Shastri was Prime Minister of India. Amidst the conflict, then US President Lyndon Johnson threatened to cut wheat supplies to India unless the fighting stopped. At that time, India was receiving wheat supplies under the US PL-480 scheme.
Faced with the challenge of feeding a population of nearly 500 million, India, led by Prime Minister Shastri, did not succumb to American threats. Instead, Shastri refused American wheat, a bold decision because India had not yet undergone the Green Revolution and lagged in food security. However, under his leadership, India united to achieve food self-sufficiency and ultimately took significant steps to strengthen food security without yielding to US pressure.
Former US President Richard Nixon also took drastic measures against India during the 1971 war against Pakistan. America not only supported Pakistan militarily and economically but also criticized India, labeling it a Soviet ally.
Nixon had the US Navy's Seventh Fleet, led by USS Enterprise, deployed in the Bay of Bengal as a military pressure tactic against India, aiming to intimidate India into backing down. Nonetheless, the fleet remained idle, and India liberated Bangladesh from Pakistani control. Nixon even attempted to cut economic aid and impose sanctions on India. Despite American pressure, India emerged victorious in the conflict, with the eastern part of Pakistan becoming present-day Bangladesh. Nixon's India-opposing maneuvers were deemed a failure, and his policies were criticized even within the US due to the human rights issues involved, which America ignored. Consequently, India grew closer to the Soviet Union. A significant India-Soviet deal was signed in 1971, agreeing on strategic and military support.
In 1998, when India conducted nuclear tests at Pokhran, then US President Bill Clinton slapped stringent economic and military sanctions against India. These included halting World Bank loans and other international financial institutions' assistance. Additionally, the US suspended military cooperation and stopped arms sales to India, while pressuring India to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Despite Clinton's efforts, India remained steadfast in its goal, adhering to its 'No First Use' nuclear policy and refusing to sign the NPT, while enhancing its defense capabilities. India maintains that it will not be the first to conduct a nuclear strike unless attacked. Although the economic sanctions imposed during Clinton's tenure were limited in impact as India reinforced its domestic technologies and collaborated with nations like Russia and France.
In his second tenure, Trump has taken a more aggressive approach, first labeling India the 'tariff king' and imposing 10-25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Subsequently, he hiked tariffs on Indian imports to 25% and eventually 50%.
Trump has been relentlessly tough on immigration policies, impacting India as well. Recently, over a hundred illegal Indian immigrants were deported, perceived as a severe action against India. Trump also declined to attend the Quad Summit hosted in India at year's end, escalating tensions further.
India perceives this tariff-induced crisis as an opportunity, choosing diplomacy over retaliatory tariffs. It has focused on promoting indigenous products and exploring alternative markets in Europe and Southeast Asia. Additionally, India seeks to strengthen its ties with Russia and China as a counter to Trump's tariffs.
Within America, there is open opposition to Trump's India-related policies. Experts like former ambassador Nikki Haley, ex-Secretary of State John Kerry, and economist Jeffrey Sachs view Trump's tariffs as detrimental to India-US relations. Even US courts have labeled the tariffs illegal, as they result in higher prices for American consumers on Indian goods, causing inflation.
India continues to convert its tariff challenges into opportunities. Trump's policies have propelled India to take an active role in platforms like BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). By maintaining its oil purchases from Russia, India solidifies its independent global foreign policy and makes efforts to restore relations with China. Trump's decisions have paved the way for a new world order, one where dominance by a single nation is over. Russia, India, and China now seek to diminish US supremacy.
