Prime Minister Narendra Modi must have met a very different US President Donald Trump in this visit. The world itself is trying to get used to the Trump-2 term and the man by his side, Elon Musk, who is seen by American commentators as one calling the shots. This is probably why Modi met Musk separately, with the photograph of the meeting inviting memes, jokes and considerable speculation. The Indian Prime Minister with his retinue of officials in suits and ties, and Musk with his girl friend, three children and a Nanny! The contrast could not have been more striking.

The meetings with Trump too lacked the atmosphere and the triumphant bonhomie of the Madison Square and Howdy Modi mega events with Trump keeping the Indian PM at a distance, relatively speaking. He did not personally come out to greet the PM when he arrived at the White House. And while courteous at the press conference made it clear that he expected India to deliver his wish list.

From what Trump announced the India has agreed agreed to:

  • Defence deals including the purchase of the American stealth fighters
  • Purchase of oil and gas from the US;d and at the press conference;
  • Nuclear agreement and the purchase of nuclear energy;
  • Trade route from India to the US through ports and underground cables etc;
  • Active participation in QUAD ( as against BRICS that was not mentioned at this press conference but about which Trump has been very vocal throughout);
  • Level playing field with reciprocal tariffs. Trump gave the example of US made cars that India had imposed high duties on, an indication that perhaps New Delhi would now be opening the doors for such goods;
  • made it clear that India had agreed to one, defence deals including the purchase of the American stealth fighters; two, purchase of gas and petrol from America; three cooperate on the setting up of an economic route from India to the US with the developments of ports and underground cables; four, be an active part of QUAD with Australia, Japan and the US (he didn’t say so here but clearly given his comments against BRICS this would be at the latters expense); and despite all this America would continue with its tariff policy where “Tariff King” India was concerned.

The US President said that with all these announcements “our relationship is the best it has ever been.” PM Modi endorsed the relationship as well in his comments. Indian foreign policy experts commented that India’s interests have been compromised. And as if on cue plane loads with the poor Indian illegal immigrants in shackles and chains continue to land in Amritsar. The stories are the same – of unscrupulous agents who promised them legitimate entry and instead sent them to Mexico to somehow enter the country of their dreams. Stories of persecution and bribes that have left them paupers. In Goa where there is more awareness FIRs have been lodged against the travel agents who took lakhs without giving them a clean route into the US. The same needs to be done all over, with the government joining in to bust these gangs that are operating under the very noses of the authorities in power.

Interestingly, India seems to be the one of the few countries that has accepted Trump’s overdose without murmur. The American President has crossed swords with his former allies across the globe with Canada, South Africa and significantly all of Europe up in arms over the threats and intimidation and the lectures about democracy. US Vice President J.D.Vance stirred a hornet's nest when he spoke out against the deteriorating democracy in Europe, with the allies almost speechless over the audacity. Trump, when asked by reporters, endorsed the remarks with the US dependent European countries still determining their next moves.

For the moment Trump —except for the usual threats to Gaza and the Palestinians that seem to be a consistent part of American foreign policy regardless of the party in power—has been handling the Middle East with kid gloves. He is calling on the client rulers such as Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt to support his plans for the Palestinian and the region and doing so without throwing in his usual threats and warnings. He has little to say about Syria and Iraq as these are under Washington control currently, and has not appeared as obsessed about Iran as Joe Biden, at least for the moment. He has not removed his plan for a grand real estate Riviera for the Gaza strip from the table, but now admits that this is not something that will happen overnight. Whatever that might mean.

There are protests against the Trump administration and his Man Friday Elon Musk all over America along with a slew of legal cases against their declared policies for the country. But this has not stopped the executive orders and declarations that are bringing chaos and instability into the US as well as across the targeted areas of the world. Not a single expert commentator and US watcher is certain of what will happen in the coming weeks and months, but most agree that this ‘madness’ will have an adverse impact on the economy within and without.

Significantly though Russia and China can smile, as in the Trump plan both Moscow and Beijing have a higher status than old allies like Europe. The UK has of course something to worry about, as it is not even being mentioned with the American President having more to say about Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle (“I do not like her, I do not like her at all”) than the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

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SEEMA MUSTAFA