FOR THE SAKE OF INDIA DONALD TRUMP MUST WIN AGAIN
Its just two weeks away when Americans would be electing their next President for a period of next four years. Although almost all Presidential elections of US have been interesting so far, is the elections of 2020 which is been keenly contested and keenly watched one throughout the globe. The contexts in which the elections are fought this time are extraordinary and testing. While the incumbent President Mr Donald Trump is making a serious bid to retain the post for a second term, the pandemic induced economic crisis and the shriller, divisive, utterly noxious and propagandist campaign by his Democratic rival Joe Biden is making the contest more polarized.
Donald Trump’s victory holds much significance for India and Indians for the results Presidential elections having far reaching implications on India, both internationally as well as domestically.
Convergence of Interests :
While India is the world’s largest and most vibrant democracy, America is the world’s oldest democracy. Hence it is a natural converge of interest in terms of our political structures, both being adherents and proponents of democracy. Indo US relations have reached a level of maturity and solidarity witnessed never before. It has been possible primarily on account of similarity of political cultures and leaders of both countries sharing the same ideological page. Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and US Prez Donald Trump share excellent personal camaraderie and this has been the major plank for the growing bonhomie between the two largest democracies of the globe. If Trump is reelected we could except a fillip to the prospects of cooperation and partnership areas like business or defence deals. Apart from economic ties, what matters the most is the remarkable convergence of interests on the ideological front. This is a rare moment in history where both India and US are coming closer to each other not due to obvert political and economic factors (which anyways always remain the dominant variables in determining foreign policy of any country) but also on the fact that both the countries intend and are committed to navigate their ideological agendas without losing sight of national interests. It is this ‘ideological proximity’ which will shape the contours of Indo US relations in the years to come.
Support to India on World Forums :
As India is looking forward to play a bigger role in multilateral forums and more specifically, its dream of acquiring permanent relationship in UN, it is Trump led US which has batted in favour of India. That Washington backing a country for a significant position in UN is no mean thing and this could be the trigger for changing the fate of India on the international platform for all time to come. US wants India to play a major role in the emerging global equations and more specifically as a check to the brazenly audacious rise of expansionist China and mindful of our national interests, we should use this opportunity to showcase our prowess, but again, its contingent on the reelection of Trump to White House. After all, diplomacy is not a zero sum game.
Non Interference of US in India’s internal affairs :
Being the superpower, US has often sought to intervene and influence the domestic decisions of various countries to its own advantage or simply to act as big brother. But Trump proved to be an exception in this regard and this manifests the maturity to which relations on both sides have graduated to. India took some very daredevil decisions with regard to its domestic politics last year. Whether it was the abrogation of Article 370 in Kashmir or the introduction of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), it has ruffled many feathers in the leftist ecosystem within the country and outside. These legislations could have definitely proved to be a recipe of conflict for Indian foreign policy if Trump would not have been at the helm of affairs in Washington DC. But the US simply reiterated that these are India’s ‘’internal matters’’ and it doesn’t wish to intervene.
Trump’s unapologetic stand on Islamic Fundamentalism :
When Trump was elected in 2016, he had made it very clear that he would work on his pre poll promise of fighting the radical Islamic ideology that has engulfed the US and world alike and posing a threat to liberal, democratic and peaceful progressive world order. Since then he has maintained an unambiguous position on the threat of Islamic fundamentalism and the jihadist ideology that is raising its ugly head from its sinister underbelly once again. The US saw 9/11. But still, the predecessors of Trump, ie the Democrats under Obama sought to downplay the hovering threat of Islamic fundamentalism and their arrogant denial to take a firm stand against the phenomenon because of their sickening appeasement policies that led to widespread discontent across American society. When Trump visited India to attend the ‘Namastey Trump’ event in Ahmedabad in February 2020 he once again reaffirmed his friendship with India and Modi and exhorted for a strong Indo US determination to fight radical Islamism and to wipe out the scars and relics of terrorism from the world.
This statement came at the backdrop of a diabolic conspiracy by some evil forces within India who instigated a gory communal riots in northeast Delhi to portray Indian Muslims as ‘’victims’’ and Modi govt as ‘’oppressor and tyrant’’. Alas, this nefarious agenda too boomeranged! India too is a victim of Islamic radicalism and given the hostile neighbor Pakistan sponsoring terrorism against us and fomenting extremism in J&K and the repeated instances of ISIS modules being busted by intelligence agencies in different states of India, this synergy while joining the global war on terror is much called for. Terrorism couldn’t be fought alone and there couldn’t be a better friend and ally than Trump for India to do this. While the hypocrisy and double standards of Democrats with regard to Islamic fundamentalism is well known, a recent tweet of Meena Harris, niece of VP nominee Kamala Harris has enraged the sentiments of Hindus world wide. In the tweet, Meena has posted an image of Kamala Harris sitting on a lion posing to be Goddess Durga, killing the ‘’evil’’ Donald Trump portrayed as Mahishaur demon. Is it a new tactics by Democrats to insult Hindu deities and Hindu culture in the garb of freedom of expression? All right thinking Hindus of US should pick up the cudgels and stand rock solid behind Donald Trump in order to fight both, external as well as internal enemies of India. We need a hardliner and conservative man like Trump who has the guts to call a spade a spade.
Calling the bluff of China and crafting an anti China consortium :
It was Trump who dared to call the bluff of China in concealing the magnitude and virulence of COVID 19 pandemic and dubbed the Coronavirus as ‘’Chinese virus’’, a term which aptly suits the clandestine machinations of CCP in dealing with the initial outbreak of the disease in its territory . The US wants to use India as a counter balance to the aggressive rise of China as part of its Pivot to Asia policy. China’s neo imperialistic ambitions threaten not only the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of India but its aggressive quest to dominate the global geopolitical and geo economic space by emerging as the sole superpower and dwarfing all other actors imperil the edifice of a rules based world order. The dragon could be tamed only with a reinvigorated world order and again US support in this regard is inevitable. Hence, it is in the best interest of India to align strategically with the US led by a resolute and astute leader like Trump in cutting China to size by resisting its chauvinistic temptations. Recent groupings like QUAD have both the potential and ability to deal with China on multiple fronts. Trump has manifested his intent by taking China head on and trying his best to isolate China economically as well as calling out its nexus with multilateral agencies like WHO in covering up the virulence of COVID pandemic with impunity.
If Trump is re elected, both India and US can be the architects of a new world order that is rules based and just. China’s desperate and undying attempts to intrude into Indian territory, encapsulating Paksitan, Nepal and other regional players in South Asia to isolate India could be thwarted only with an unequivocal alignment with US led by a strong leader like Trump.
Way Forward :
Indian diaspora in US is the social capital propelling India’s soft power in Washington. In the last four years, they have played a major role in shaping the evolving relations between India and US and are the catalysts of this shift – the way both countries perceive each other now. Hence, they should play a proactive role in the electoral outcome of November 2020 for that would not only decide the future course of Indo US elections but also their own fate in US. At stake is our innumerable gains made in last four years. Next four years would be ours if we are able to consolidate on these gains made and for that Trump has to win and he must win. Hindus of America must have realized by now that our mutual interests are not antagonistic but amicable and voting unanimously in favour of Mr Donald Trump would only deepen our ties and unambiguously serve our interests.
