Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman criticised the people “defending” a remark by US President Donald Trump's trade advisor Peter Navarro, calling them “friends of imperialists”.
Navarro had said that “Brahmins” were benefiting from India’s purchase of Russian oil amid the Ukraine war. Some in India pointed out that Trump’s tariff czar was probably borrowing from the American term ‘Boston Brahmins’, meaning old money elites.
“Exactly the same divide and rule principle that the British used, which the imperialists used here. And today, you have the friends of the imperialists telling us, ‘you know the expression Boston Brahmins is this and not that'. Who damn cares? I’m sorry. Who damn cares? I want Indians to think for ourselves,” Sitharaman said in an interview to CNBC TV18.
The finance minister urged those “defending the language” to stand up to the likes of Peter Navarro.
“I want those Indians who are now defending that language to get up and say, ‘We are free from you all now for over 75-80 years. We’ll mind our business, we’ll take care of ourselves. Refrain from using these words,’” she added.
Sitharaman called the explanation of the expression from Navarro coming out of India ‘outrageous’.
Who was Nirmala Sitharaman referring to regarding remarks by Peter Navarro?
{{/usCountry}}Sitharaman called the explanation of the expression from Navarro coming out of India ‘outrageous’.
Who was Nirmala Sitharaman referring to regarding remarks by Peter Navarro?
{{/usCountry}}Nirmala Sitharaman was apparently referring to a section of Indian politicians who explained the term ‘Boston Brahmins' after Peter Navarro's “Brahmins are profiteering from Russian oil in India” remarks came out. Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Sagarika Ghose seemingly referred to Navarro's statement. She posted on X, "Boston Brahmin” was once a widely used term in the US to refer to the American New England wealthy elite. “Brahmin” is still a term used in the English-speaking world to denote social or economic “elites” ( in this case, the rich). The illiteracy on X is astonishing."
TMC leader Saket Gokhale also explained the usage of the word 'Brahmin'.
"Classic case of ignorance (and I don’t mean Navarro). Peter Navarro is from Cambridge, MA. In New England (esp Boston & around where he’s from), the term “Brahmin” is used for someone that’s extremely rich. BJP “ecosystem” spokespersons should start reading some real books," he wrote in a post on X.