Trump Jr's map showed India in blue, anti-Republican. Why are Modi men mum?

Map released by Donald Trump Jr on Nov 3, election day

By Haider Abbas*

These may be dying moments of US elections, as ‘war of attrition’ between US president Donald Trump and Joseph Biden is turning out to be, as predicted, a nail biter, with Trump having declared that the ‘transfer of power’ would not be smooth, if he loses. But recent Trump moves suggest what would be the Republican policy towards India in the coming future.
Recently, Trump forced India to sign the Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) with the aim of countering China. This came amidst a survey, which said that 72% of Indian American would be voting for Trump’s rival, Biden. Biden’s vice-presidential nominee is Kamala Harris, who is of Indian origin, and in case of any eventuality (i.e. if Biden dies or has to step down), then the obvious step would be an Indian making to the presidential post.
Did all all this enrage Trump? It would seem so. Thus, on the election day, November 3, Trump Jr released a world map, with ‘red’ being the nations in support of US and ‘blue’ being opposed to it. Mexico, China and India were shown in ‘blue’. To add more smirk into it, Trump Jr showed Kashmir as an intendment nation of both India and Pakistan.
This leaves a big question to all the lovelorn politics of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was in US campaigning for Trump with ‘Howdy Modi’ in Houston in September 2019, shortly after he annulled the special status of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) under Article 370, followed the ‘Namaste-Trump’ visit of Trump to Modi’s home state, Gujarat, in February 2020, to mobilise Indian voters towards Trump. All this, apparently, has turned into a damp squib!
Intriguingly, when the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) released a 20 Riyal Banknote on October 24, 2020, to celebrate being host to the G20 Summit, it was without Gilgit-Baltistan and Pak-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as part of Pakistan.
But for India it had a different implication: The map showed Kashmir to be an independent country. While Pakistan could not even register a squeamish response, India protested as recently as on October 29, 2020. India made it clear, the banknote was a “distortion” of the Indian map.
Interestingly, the same world was used by Donald Trump Jr – that too on the election day. His tweet which carried the map said, "Okay, finally got around to making my electoral map prediction. #2020Election #VOTE."

The Saudi banknote omits J&K and Ladakh from Indian territory

India, which is facing one of the worst war threats from China and Pakistan, appears to have been left in a quandary on how to respond to the move. Analysts wonder, what exactly has Modi got after all these years of his bonhomie with Trump. The Trump Jr map shows Pakistan in ‘red’, meaning ‘in support of Trump Sr’!

Will Modi or his battery of ministers make India register the same response with the Republicans, as it did with KSA, which decided to annul Kashmir from the India map? There is reason to believe: KSA’s move was dictated by the Republican policy makers, still ruling the country.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has announced it is making Gilgit-Baltistan its fifth province, on the lines suggested by China, as it is China’s gateway to its lifeline project, China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). It wasn’t without reason that, when India had started airing Gilgit-Baltistan weather report on May 9, 2020, there was backlash from China in Ladakh, in which India lost its 20 soldiers on June 15, 2020, as China perceived the Indian move anti-CPEC.
The latest move from Trump Jr throws back the obvious cardinal question: Has Pakistan already “sold-off” its side of Kashmir? And what would now be the Indian policy vis-a-vis Republicans, who seem to be wanting to make Kashmir into a sovereign nation, so that US could fulfill its “dream” of turning it into its military base to thwart China in times to come?
Significantly, al this is happening at a time when India has in the middle already lost its 70-years-old friend, Russia. If Trump loses, Trump Jr’s move will be a constant ‘reminder’ of the Republican position on Kashmir, which perhaps Democrats would find it too hard to put into favour of India.
---
Former State Information Commissioner, media analyst and writes on international politics

Comments

Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan raises concerns over Jharkhand Adivasis' plight in Assam, BJP policies

By Our Representative The Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan (Save Democracy Campaign) has issued a pressing call to protect Adivasi rights in Jharkhand, highlighting serious concerns over the treatment of Jharkhandi Adivasis in Assam. During a press conference in Ranchi on November 9, representatives from Assam, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh criticized the current approach of BJP-led governments in these states, arguing it has exacerbated Adivasi struggles for rights, land, and cultural preservation.

Promoting love or instilling hate and fear: Why is RSS seeking a meeting with Rahul Gandhi?

By Ram Puniyani* India's anti-colonial struggle was marked by a diverse range of social movements, one of the most significant being Hindu-Muslim unity and the emergence of a unified Indian identity among people of all religions. The nationalist, anti-colonial movement championed this unity, best embodied by Mahatma Gandhi, who ultimately gave his life for this cause. Gandhi once wrote, “The union that we want is not a patched-up thing but a union of hearts... Swaraj (self-rule) for India must be an impossible dream without an indissoluble union between the Hindus and Muslims of India. It must not be a mere truce... It must be a partnership between equals, each respecting the religion of the other.”

Right-arm fast bowler who helped West Indies shape arguably greatest Test team in cricket history

By Harsh Thakor* Malcolm Marshall redefined what it meant to be a right-arm fast bowler, challenging the traditional laws of biomechanics with his unique skill. As we remember his 25th death anniversary on November 4th, we reflect on the legacy he left behind after his untimely death from colon cancer. For a significant part of his career, Marshall was considered one of the fastest and most formidable bowlers in the world, helping to shape the West Indies into arguably the greatest Test team in cricket history.

Andhra team joins Gandhians to protest against 'bulldozer action' in Varanasi

By Rosamma Thomas* November 1 marked the 52nd day of the 100-day relay fast at the satyagraha site of Rajghat in Varanasi, seeking the restoration of the 12 acres of land to the Sarva Seva Sangh, the Gandhian organization that was evicted from the banks of the river. Twelve buildings were demolished as the site was abruptly taken over by the government after “bulldozer” action in August 2023, even as the matter was pending in court.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual.

Will Left victory in Sri Lanka deliver economic sovereignty plan, go beyond 'tired' IMF agenda?

By Atul Chandra, Vijay Prashad* On September 22, 2024, the Sri Lankan election authority announced that Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) alliance won the presidential election. Dissanayake, who has been the leader of the left-wing JVP since 2014, defeated 37 other candidates, including the incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe of the United National Party (UNP) and his closest challenger Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya.

Will Bangladesh go Egypt way, where military ruler is in power for a decade?

By Vijay Prashad* The day after former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka, I was on the phone with a friend who had spent some time on the streets that day. He told me about the atmosphere in Dhaka, how people with little previous political experience had joined in the large protests alongside the students—who seemed to be leading the agitation. I asked him about the political infrastructure of the students and about their political orientation. He said that the protests seemed well-organized and that the students had escalated their demands from an end to certain quotas for government jobs to an end to the government of Sheikh Hasina. Even hours before she left the country, it did not seem that this would be the outcome.

A Marxist intellectual who dwelt into complex areas of the Indian socio-political landscape

By Harsh Thakor* Professor Manoranjan Mohanty has been a dedicated advocate for human rights over five decades. His work as a scholar and activist has supported revolutionary democratic movements, navigating complex areas of the Indian socio-political landscape. His balanced, non-partisan approach to human rights and social justice has made his books essential resources for advocates of democracy.

Tributes paid to pioneer of Naxalism in Punjab, who 'dodged' police for 60 yrs

By Harsh Thakor* Jagjit Singh Sohal, known as Comrade Sharma, a pioneer of Naxalism in Punjab, passed away on October 20 at the age of 96. Committed to the Naxalite cause and a prominent Maoist leader, Sohal, who succeeded Charu Majumdar, played hide and seek with the police for almost six decades. He was cremated in Patiala.

Search This Blog