Editorial with Sujit Nair | ‘Indians Are Arrogant,’ Says Trump Aide Peter Navarro | Modi | India-US

[00:00:00] Namaskar, Welcome to another episode of Editorial. This is Modi's war because the road to peace runs through New Delhi. This is what a gentleman called Peter Navarro who happens to be a very close-eyed, very close advisor, associate of President Donald Trump. This is what he had to say.

[00:00:28] Now, today's Editorial, let us dissect this Indo-American relationship. Let's also understand as to is the government also to blame to some extent for this particular mess?

[00:00:47] And finally, I want to also talk about the NRIs. I want to talk about the PIOs, the person of Indian origin in America, the NRIs in America, people who went there and shouted Modi, Modi. You remember all those people, all those shows? You remember all of them? Let's talk about that too. So, it's an interesting show. Let's get right into it.

[00:01:08] So, first of all, this aide to American President Peter Navarro says that it is essentially Modi's war because the road to peace runs in part through New Delhi.

[00:01:26] He says, India can get 25% off tomorrow. Tomorrow, if it stops buying Russian oil and help in defeating the war machine. Instead of siding with democracies, you are getting in bed with authoritarians. You have been in a quiet war with China for decades. China invaded Akshay Chin and all your territory. They are not your friends. And Russia? Come on, he says.

[00:01:54] He says, I am puzzled because Modi is a great leader. This is a matured democracy and matured people running it. What's troubling me, he says, that Indians are so arrogant about this. They say, oh, we don't have higher tariff. Oh, it's our sovereignty. We can buy oil from anyone we want. This is what that man Navarro is actually doing, mocking India.

[00:02:20] He is mocking. He says that, listen, you should be citing democracies. Democracies means anywhere where United States stands, that is democracy. Jahan ham khadayya, vaha se line chaalou hota hai. That is what he is exactly trying to say. This Navarro person. So the fact remains that, for him, democracy is America, United States. And only United States can think democracy.

[00:02:49] You see, he spoke about us getting close to China and Russia, which is what is worrying United States now. And they better get worried about it. And he is asking us, he says, listen, you know what? You are going closer to China. China was almost trying to capture your land. Ah, correct. China was. Tumne kya kia? Did you stand by us? Did you help us? Did you by any way, any way, any way, go there and say that what China is doing wrong?

[00:03:19] Did you do that? No. Now we need to stand by you. Now we need to help you. Now we need to stop buying oil from a country that is A, our ally. A country that has been helping, which I will talk to you about because he made another statement. I will talk to you about that also. A country that has been helping us since almost our independence. We should stop, break relationship with that country and go by what you are saying.

[00:03:46] American government is a selfish government. America first, for us India first. Same difference. So that's the first point I wanted to make. The second point I wanted to make is like I said, this man talks about that Russia? He says, come on, are you friends with Russia? Of course we are friends with Russia.

[00:04:10] Do you know, just to, just to re-brush some history, Indo-Russian relationship starts in 1947. We've actually signed a friendship treaty with Russia in 1971. We've signed a friendship treaty for peace, friendship and cooperation. This was in August 1971. Our relationship with Russia runs deep. America was never, ever, ever, ever, ever close to us.

[00:04:40] America never, ever, ever came to any of our aid. America never helped us with any war. America never helped us with any international conflict that we have. America never helped us. And Russia never missed an opportunity to help us. This is our relationship with Russia. I understand diplomacy and trade doesn't work with mere emotions. But if you look at it, it was not emotions at all. America seems to be emotions.

[00:05:09] Russia, even as late as Kargil war, was one of the two countries, Russia and Israel, that actually helped us during the Kargil war. So, the fact remains that Russia is a far, far more loyal friend to India than what America ever could be. Now, a lot of us, I know, would be or must be thinking that, listen, you know, why are we supporting an aggressor? Russia is the aggressor.

[00:05:39] They invaded Ukraine. Ukraine. First of all, the invasion of Ukraine. Well, let us discuss that in another editorial because it is slightly larger than what we see and the way it has been projected to us. But let us talk about this concept of aggressor. You tell me how many countries has United States of America invaded? Be it Afghanistan, be it Syria, be it Iraq.

[00:06:06] How many countries, Vietnam, how many countries has America invaded? Send their troops. Lost the war and came back. That's a different issue. But send their troops. Bombarded Iran recently. So, the fact is, what is the big difference? What makes America special democracy? And what makes Russia an authoritarian government?

[00:06:33] Well, I understand that democracies could be different. Putin may be an authoritarian leader. All that I understand. But, hello? End of the day, maybe America has got a different form of authoritarianism. While Putin is authoritarian when it comes to his country, I think Trump is authoritarian when it comes to the world. Think about it. So, the fact remains that you see,

[00:07:01] a pot calling the kettle black. I don't know. I don't know whether this sounds right. Now, this particular debate, like I said, is a larger debate. And we can have it in another editorial. But, you know, just saying that because America felt that they are non-democratic, America felt that they are authoritarian, America felt that they are totalitarian. Therefore, we all feel that they are authoritarian, totalitarian. This has to stop. This has to stop.

[00:07:30] That said, my question second is to the government of India. You see, we were always close to Russia. And our relationship with Russia was growing yearly basis. Like I said, not just Congress. Even Atalviya Rivajpayee, end of the day, when there was a Kargil war, went to Russia for assistance. And Russia gave it. After 2014, all of a sudden, we got this glamour struck.

[00:08:00] And our leaders started visiting America like they were going to some local states of India. Our leaders got very enamoured. Every second day, our good prime minister was in America. What did we achieve? Hundred times we have asked this question in various of our editorials. What are we achieving? What are we achieving with all this? Howdy Modi and goodbye Modi and welcome Modi. What are we achieving out of all this?

[00:08:30] Except for dramatics, theatrics and symbolism. 300 hugs, huge halls, fantastic lighting, superb settings, beautiful speech. And that's it. End of story. What did the common man of India achieve? We were, this was a mirage. This was a mirage. And India started depending on all of that.

[00:08:58] End of the day, when it came to reality, this is it. What it is today. Like I told you in my last editorial, we had our local geopolitical experts who are yoga guru come geopolitical experts, come economists and all talking about, you know, how important Trump is for Sanatan Dharma and how important Trump is for India and all that. These were the geopoliticians who were, who were advising India,

[00:09:24] who were, who were propagating Trump campaign in India. Of course, our prime minister too, actually, to some extent, went out and campaigned for Mr. Donald Trump. Friends, we in India have connected well with President Trump. The words, the words of candidate Trump,

[00:09:59] Today, shouldn't we be accepting the fact that we went wrong as far as our strategy is concerned. We were strategically wrong by choosing America almost over Russia because the relationship that we had with Russia, that relationship didn't continue after 2014. While I am not saying, therefore, we had any, any tips with Russia or we, we went against Russia, but that closeness,

[00:10:30] that cooperation, that friendship, clearly, we chose America over Russia. And then what happened today? What happened today? Finally, we had to go back to Russia. And whatever said and done, I am not somebody who actually trusts China a lot. I do not. Somewhere down the line, I believe China

[00:10:57] would never be somebody you can blindly trust on. But given an option between America and China, I think China would be better. At least he is close by. RIC, that is Russia, India and China, this cooperation could be better than going after and begging and standing in line outside that Trump's office. Massaging that Trump's ego. Like some experts put it

[00:11:27] Trumpology, learning Trumpology before entering America. That country is not run by a government, it is run by some person, some man and his ego. that's what that country is run. It is unfortunate, but that's a fact. So somewhere down the line, like I asked, isn't it time that our government agrees to the fact the strategy was erroneous? The strategy of choosing

[00:11:56] United States over Russia right from 2014 to 2025 when they were shown their reality, wasn't that strategy wrong? would the government accept it? Point number two. Point number three. You see, last time I said, our biggest problem is we base our premises on people who literally talk flivorous things.

[00:12:28] People who who is and and and situations which are far, far, far away from reality. we went by this visual.

[00:13:06] This visual is what guided and all of a sudden we started believing we are Vishwa Guru. We convinced ourselves we are Vishwa Guru. In America people shout Modi, Modi, Modi. And of course we had our great anchors and television personalities who would help to magnify the mirage. And we started thinking that this is it. Our world image is like

[00:13:35] skyrocketing and then now we realized where we stand. This euphoria, this hyper nationalism, all of this, how real was it? How real was it? Was it actually helping the country? And that's the question we never bothered to ask. We never bothered to ask that NRIs. We never

[00:14:05] bothered to ask that PIO. See, I have a lot of respect for NRI. They help us with our foreign exchange. They send money to India and that helps our foreign exchange. It's not that they are not contributing to the growth, but the fact remains that sitting there and being hyper nationalistic is till such time that that suits the particular community, that particular diaspora. The moment it changes, the situation changes, you see, your tone changes.

[00:14:35] Let me talk to you about a tweet that I read recently from this lady called Asha Jadeja Motwani. Asha Jadeja Motwani says that the only Indian American mega donor to Republican party is me. She says she donated to Trump, so she's big. I strongly recommend that the Indian side reach out to me for my opinion on what's going on in Trump's mind. I may not be accurate, I'm sure she is not, but I will be close. Please look at

[00:15:05] the Federal Election Commission website to see who is donating what and it's all there for the world to see. So Asha Jadeja Motwani says I give a lot of money to Trump, so come I will tell you how Trump thinks. You don't believe me? you go check donation I give. So Trump will listen to me. This is what she starts. What I want you to hear is this. She says will Trump reduce the tariff on India? Yes, but this depends on how fast

[00:15:35] we melt him. How fast India melts him. This is what an NRI. Modi, Modi, one of the possible Modi, Modi, sitting there in the chair and shouting and playing hyper what do you say hyper nationalist at that point in time. She says he is hurt, humiliated and shocked that his best friend insulted him in public on ceasefire fiasco, justified or not. So the

[00:16:05] ceasefire happened because we spoke to Pakistan, Pakistan spoke to us, but she wants us to give the credit to Trump. That is what she is saying. One of the people possibly, one of the people who sat there in that large crowd that you see, we say Modi, Modi, one of the people. So these are the people that actually formed, listening to whom we formed opinion in our mind that you know Modi, that you know America, the whole world, we are Vishwagurus, everybody listens to

[00:16:35] us, Papa war Rukwadi, these are the people who convinced us and we got convinced by these people. I am not saying this particular person but I am saying I am taking this as a case in point. End of the day, this is how most of the NRIs, most of the PIO would think. You see, further on she goes to add that he will come around but show him the warmth that we genuinely have for our bestie

[00:17:05] US, a fellow democracy, a fellow free country and a fellow market economy. With a 6 million strong diaspora, we are on the right track. India is furiously working on being a peace builder between Russia and Ukraine. The narrative needs to get stronger in the West. Where is our PR guy? Let Trump know that what goodies we have in place when we visit India for Quad

[00:17:33] which we have to tell our PR guy has to go according to her and tell Trump I have got Peda for you, I have got Chiku for you, I have got Rasugunla for you, I don't know what she means by all of this but this is a very unique way of diplomacy that I have heard but this is exactly what I don't want to go further because this goes on and on. This is how possibly some of the people of our diaspora thinks. I am not saying therefore the whole diaspora thinks like this please

[00:18:03] but this is how some of the people from our diaspora thinks. These are the people who organizes events, who does all the shows and we get guided by them. This is the point I wanted to make. They want our Indian industries to invest in United States to please Lord Trump. This is exactly what lot of people say that you know what it is our mistake. We should be pleasing

[00:18:33] Trump. We should be building about Russia and Ukraine peace. Of course why shouldn't we build peace? peace. But why should we use Trump's platform to build peace between Russia and Ukraine? We can use the brick. Bricks can be a platform to build peace. That is a platform we build. Why should we build it in America? An American platform? This is what

[00:19:03] some of you are. Sorry. Let me use the word some because this is not what every PIO or every NRI would think. Definitely not. And like I said I have a lot of respect for NRI for the simple reason here. I am not trying to be political correct here. The simple reason that a lot of NRIs, the kind of money they send to India helps us in our foreign exchange. So all gratitude to them. But the fact remains that let us not make their events and their euphoria and their

[00:19:33] symbolism and their shows and all as our yardstick to measure our popularity in the world. Let us not do that. That's the point I am trying to make. So this is the editorial that I wanted to talk to you about today. We will talk a little more on RIC versus United States America. That's for the next time. Till I see you. Namaskar.