Indian Tiger meets American Elephant!

Narendra Modi, our Prime Minister, was in America making waves, swimming with the American sharks. This is the second term in office for Donald Trump as President of America after a break of four years. And this is the third term in office for Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister without a break. These two global leaders in office have been a propitious turning point for their respective countries.

I shudder to think what would have been the fate of India if Narendra Modi had lost the 2014 Parliamentary election. Same could be said of America if Donald Trump had not become President in 2025.

From the beginning, as heads of State, they gelled well. Not surprisingly, this time when Modi went to America, Trump said with his usual grin ‘Honoured to have Prime Minister Modi, he is a great friend of mine for long time.’ Modi, as is his wont, reciprocated this filial sentiment with a bear hug. I remembered the visit to America of Indira Gandhi when Richard Nixon was the President and she was made to wait. The visit of Dr. Manmohan Singh too was not warm anyway.

Trump cannot run for re-election again in 2028, under American Constitution, but our Modi can. Therefore, it may be imperative for Modi to get as much for his country as possible when his friend Trump is in the office. Do you hear me Modiji? Today’s geopolitics is such that in foreign policy much depends on the close contact and personal rapport between the leaders of the countries. It could be Tariff, abuse of USAID and Deep State to destabilise India (as was already tried and failed during Modi’s first and second term), extradition of fugitive criminals from India or enemies of India, nuclear energy sector, citizenship, immigration, sale of military hardware so on and so forth. Success comes only if the leaders of the two countries are well-disposed to each other.

A man like Trump cannot be a fair-weather friend like some of the earlier American Presidents. So this is the Finest Hour for India to negotiate and deal with America. John F. Kennedy, former American President, had famously said that in life you cannot get more than what you negotiate for. He also said, ‘Never negotiate with fear. But never fear to negotiate.’

Happily, Trump has already given a certificate to Modi as a tough negotiator, like Trump himself! I guess, this being so, in future, till Trump is in office, it is going to be a win-win situation for both the countries. This will be a special blessing for India. China would not dare cross the Line of Control (LoC) or Line of Actual Control (LAC) and make a nuisance of itself to our defence forces. As for Pakistan, Trump’s position is well-known. So India can expect peace on two international borders. As for Bangladesh, it is neither a dragon nor a daunting terrorist. Modi may have his secret plans to disable or cripple Bangladesh that it will not dare harm the Hindu minorities even though, reports say, there is increased Pakistani presence.

I saw a political equation streaming across the TV that was telecasting Trump-Modi meeting. It said: MAGA + MIGA = Mega prosperity. World knows Trump’s election sloganeering ‘Make America Great Again’ — MAGA. What is MIGA? It is Make India Great Again. And when this slogan fructifies (unlike Indira Gandhi’s Garibi Hatao), there will be prosperity for both America and India!

Keeping aside individual leader’s bias — Nehru’s towards socialists and communists, Indira Gandhi’s towards minorities, Modi’s towards the majority — among the past Prime Ministers of India, no Prime Minister has given to this country as many welfare schemes, infrastructure and corruption-free good governance in just 10 years compared to the past 65 years. Leaders of all the countries of the world agree on Modi’s popularity and achievement at home and abroad. But at home? Well, truly it is said by Jesus: No Prophet is honoured in his own land. Let it be.

The highly respected News Weekly of London ‘The Economist’ dated May 14, 2022 has said that despite the horror of COVID-19, large-scale internal migration of city workers to their villages, over the past three years, India under its ‘strongman Prime Minister Narendra Modi’ endured it all. Yet, “a novel confluence of forces stands to transform India’s economy over the next decade, improving the lives of 140 crore people changing the balance of power in Asia.” What it means is that Modi will fix country’s intractable problems. He is sure to Make India Great Again (MIGA) as world’s fastest-growing big economy,   an Asian Tiger.

Shashi Tharoor, Congress MP, has called Narendra Modi ‘The Paradoxical Prime Minister’ in his book of the same title. This could be to please the Gandhi Dynasty during whose de facto rule, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh was called an ‘Accidental Prime Minister’ in the book of the same title by Dr. Manmohan Singh’s Media Advisor Sanjaya Baru. However, the real paradox is that Modi reclaimed for the country the lost opportunity for its development and clean administration. Yet, our so-called ‘left liberals’ and the opposition keep lambasting Modi as communalist, dictator and a danger to our Democracy and the Constitution.

They would have continued their tirade with greater vehemence against Modi, but God tempers the wind to the sheared sheep. Trump, a friend of Modi, has become the President of America in this unipolar world and the anti-Modi warriors may have to sheath their weapon for now, what with                         USAID and the sinister Deep State being paused!

For we Indians, irrespective of religion, courage and inspiration to face the daily drudgery and challenges of life comes from our epics — Ramayana and Mahabharata. Seeing the bonhomie of friendship between Trump and Modi at the White House, I was reminded of Krishna and Arjuna                              of Mahabharata.

They shared a profound friendship. Their relationship was built on mutual respect, trust and affection. In a similar way, I find it evident in the friendship between Trump and Modi. In this context Trump, who is senior to Modi by five years, can be regarded as Krishna and Modi as Arjuna.

In the last verse of Chapter 18 in Bhagavad Gita, Sanjaya says:

Whenever Krishna, the master of yoga, and the archer Partha are present, there will always be good fortune, victory, wealth, well-being, and righteousness. This is my conviction.

This translation of the verse is self-speaking and its meaning self-evident. May this be  the power and glory of friendship between Trump and Modi. Let us pray.

e-mail: voice@starofmysore.com