India-America Relations / Shashi Tharoor said that Trump's setbacks will not break India-US relations

India-America Relations: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said on Tuesday that while India and the US bilateral relations may have suffered a short-term setback, the long-term interests of both countries will ultimately bring them "to a common ground." He emphasized the ongoing cooperation between the two countries at various levels, despite the increase in tariffs and H-1B visa application fees.

Possibility of a return to relations

When asked whether India-US relations are at a point of no return, former Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor clarified that the two countries share fundamental principles, along with cooperation in defense, artificial intelligence (AI), information technology (IT), space, and other areas. Tharoor said, "No, I wouldn't say this is the point of no return. Because I believe the long-term interests of both countries will eventually bring us back to an equal footing. This is certainly a huge blow in the short term. We are being harmed by this. Jobs are being lost in India, there are losses. This is undoubtedly bad news for India this year. But look at the bigger picture."

Cooperation in Various Sectors

Tharoor stressed that cooperation between New Delhi and Washington continues at various levels. He mentioned cooperation in areas such as defense, intelligence sharing, space, IT, and AI. He said, "Is the US preparing to completely destroy India, no matter what Trump does? At the moment, there is no reason to think so." According to Tharoor, cooperation between the two countries is active from the level of heads of government to the lower levels.

Role of the Indian-American Community

Tharoor also highlighted the significant presence of people of Indian origin in the United States. He pointed out that over 4 million Americans are of Indian origin, and Indians constitute the largest group of international students in the United States. Furthermore, Indians also constitute the largest number of non-American CEOs by birth in the United States. According to estimates from the US Census Bureau and the American Community Survey (ACS) 2023, approximately 5.9 million people in the US identify as Indian, representing over 21 percent of the country's Asian population.

Questions on Trade Sanctions

Tharoor criticized the tariffs imposed on India as a penalty for purchasing Russian oil, while similar sanctions were not imposed on China. He questioned, "What was the need to disrupt a three-decade-old partnership?" He also condemned the offensive statements by US Presidential advisor Peter Navarro, which sparked a strong reaction in India. Tharoor said, "Trump's language, his insults in his statements and tweets, and the subsequent extremely offensive statements by his advisor Navarro, have certainly caused outrage in New Delhi and across the country."

Future Hopes

Tharoor expressed optimism that long-term interests between India and the United States will reunite them. He emphasized the strength of the cultural, economic, and strategic ties between the two countries. He stated that despite short-term challenges, the two countries' shared values ​​and potential for cooperation will lead to a stable and strong partnership.