In a press conference held before Trump became president, US President Donald Trump called Indian Prime Minister Modi his close friend.
‘Modi is a man who is not afraid of anyone. He is a kingmaker. He is my close friend…’
These are the words Trump used to reassure Modi. Modi was among the foreign leaders who rushed to America to meet Trump when he became president for the second time. Modi met Trump and conveyed his felicitations. The new vice president of Trump, who became vice president, visited India. The Vice President’s wife is a woman of Indian origin. Modi also attended the birthday party of the American Vice President’s children in France. The two met again at a conference held in Paris, France. The birthday party of the American Vice President’s son was held there, and Modi too was invited. Modi happily attended the birthday party.
It was during this time that Trump started imposing new tariffs on countries that trade with the United States. As soon as Trump announced the new tax policy, Indian representatives went to Washington and settled there and started negotiations to reduce the tax rate. No other country went to America and started negotiations as soon as Trump announced the tax policy. Economic experts predicted that the tax imposed on India would be 12% due to the close friendship between Modi and Trump. Sri Lanka also feared that if 12% was imposed on India, American investors in Sri Lanka would move to India. But to everyone’s surprise, Trump first imposed a 25% tax on India, reducing the tax rates in other countries in South Asia.
Why is that…?
The reason is none other than this. Trump asked his close friend Modi to open the Indian market to American agricultural products and animal products. Trump assured that if the Indian market is opened to American food products and dairy products, the tariffs imposed on India will be reduced.
‘That cannot be allowed…’
This was Modi’s clear answer to Trump. After giving that answer, he went to Varanasi and held a meeting where he said that India’s farmers, dairy farmers, and small industrialists were more valuable to him than Trump’s friendship and Trump’s taxes.
‘We are Swadeshi. I cannot betray our Swadeshi farmers, dairy farmers, and young entrepreneurs…’
When Modi said this loudly, the people of Varanasi clapped their hands until their ears hurt.
Modi was right.
If India’s market is opened to American agricultural products and dairy products in accordance with Trump’s conditions, Indian farmers and dairy farmers will suffer. Political theorists of the Bharatiya Janata Party pointed out that if India’s market is opened to American products, Modi’s politics in India will also end.
‘We are indigenous’
Modi shouted this to the entire country. India is a major buyer of Russian oil. Trump threatened to increase the tax further if India continued to buy Russian oil. Despite Trump’s threats, India decided to continue the oil deal. Trump increased the tax on India by another 25%.
The other issue that Trump has with India is the BRICS organization, which was jointly created by India, China and Russia. Trump forced India to withdraw from that organization. India said no.
Sri Lanka applied to join the BRICS during the time of Ranil, who is strongly pro-American. Ranil requested the other BRICS countries to join Sri Lanka, knowing full well that the US was strongly opposed to the BRICS. Ranil was eagerly waiting to attend the BRICS summit to be held in Russia in 2024.
Ranil was defeated. Anura became president. The Russian ambassador to Sri Lanka met Anura and handed over a special invitation from Russian President Putin, thinking that Sri Lanka now has a leftist president who is loyal to Russia. Putin invited him to come to the BRICS summit in Russia. Anura avoided it. He avoided the BRICS summit to please America.
But America cannot be pleased like that. America imposed many conditions on Sri Lanka to reduce the 30% tax rate imposed by America. The Secretary to the Ministry of Finance has said that those conditions cannot be disclosed.
‘Does that mean the leftist government has betrayed the Sri Lankan farmer…?’
It is not clear. The agreements that cannot be disclosed will come out in a while. Because you can’t play with Trump. Trump has threatened countries that have given tax breaks that they will double the tax if they don’t sign agreements for what was agreed.
‘Then will Modi’s government become domestic and the left-wing government in Sri Lanka become foreign…?’
It is not clear how to call it. Rohana Wijeweera built the JVP against American imperialism. The JVP government has fallen on its knees before American imperialism to reduce the tax rate. Trump’s tax is a trap. A trap that destroys the local agriculture and industries of a country. India escaped that trap. Sri Lanka was caught. The left in Sri Lanka has now become a bait for America.
