Former diplomat Vikas Swarup has lauded India’s firm stand in trade negotiations with the United States, saying the country has done the “right thing” by resisting pressure from the Trump administration to open its agriculture and dairy sectors.
He said caving into a bully would only encourage the bully to increase demands, and yielding would invite even more pressure.
His comments came after US President Donald Trump imposed a 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods in two phases, citing India’s imports of Russian oil.
In July, Trump had announced a 25 per cent tariff along with an unspecified penalty, despite hopes of an interim India-US trade deal that could have prevented higher duties.
However, days later, he imposed another 25 per cent tariff, bringing the total to 50 per cent. Swarup described the tariff hikes as part of a broader “pressure tactic to secure a more favourable deal.”
The former diplomat also criticised Washington’s deepening engagement with Pakistan, calling it a “strategic mistake” given Islamabad’s close ties with Beijing.
{{/usCountry}}The former diplomat also criticised Washington’s deepening engagement with Pakistan, calling it a “strategic mistake” given Islamabad’s close ties with Beijing.
{{/usCountry}}“I think it’s a strategic mistake on the part of the US that you are getting in bed with Pakistan, which is in bed with China. China is the US’s strategic competitor,” Swarup told news agency ANI.
“If you cave into a bully, then the bully will increase his demands. Then there will be even more demands. So, I think we have done the right thing. India is too large, too proud a country to become a camp follower of any other country. Our strategic autonomy has been the bedrock of our foreign policy right from the 1950s. I don’t think that any Govt in Delhi can compromise on that,” he added.
On Opposition criticism of India’s foreign policy, Swarup maintained that the country must not yield to any pressure, saying that “strategic autonomy is non-negotiable.”