Shashi Tharoor
National News: Shashi Tharoor, senior Congress MP, has said that India’s choices in energy and defence cannot be dictated by any foreign power. In his column, he wrote that strategic autonomy is not about defiance, it is about sovereignty. Tharoor warned that punishing India for buying Russian crude or defence items would be counterproductive. He stressed that India is not just a trading partner but a major player in the Indo-Pacific. If the US alienates New Delhi, he argued, it would weaken the Quad, where India plays a central role. His words were a clear reminder that Washington needs to understand India’s position.
New Delhi is already facing pressure after President Trump’s decision to impose 50 percent tariffs on Indian imports. An additional 25 percent penalty has been added because of India’s purchase of Russian oil. This has made India one of the most tariff-hit countries in the world. Tharoor said these duties are hurting India’s labour-intensive industries that were already struggling. Many factories are laying off workers, creating an employment crisis. The pain of these tariffs is not only economic but also political, as it risks straining ties between the world’s two largest democracies.
Tharoor drew a comparison with the American debate of the 1940s called “Who lost China?” when Washington faced blame for pushing Beijing away. He said a similar “Who lost India?” debate could soon begin in the US if ties keep falling. He urged the US administration not to repeat mistakes of history. For India, he said, decisions are based on national interest, and no external power can dictate them. He insisted that Washington must look at India as a sovereign equal, not a dependent ally. This, he added, was the only way to keep long-term partnership alive.
Tharoor gave four-point advice for fixing the crisis. First, he asked the US to lift punitive tariffs hitting India’s labour-based sectors. Second, he suggested accelerating free trade negotiations that could bring India’s tariffs down to the levels of Asian rivals. Third, he called for stronger high-level diplomacy, including direct outreach from President Trump to Prime Minister Modi. Lastly, he stressed expanding cooperation in technology and defence to rebuild mutual trust. These steps, he said, are necessary to stop further damage and to create a stronger relationship between the two nations.
Tharoor argued that diplomacy at the top level could change the mood quickly. He said a personal gesture from Trump to Modi would send the right signal. This, he believed, could restore the warmth that once defined the India-US relationship. The Congress MP also noted that high-level contact had weakened in recent times, and repairing that gap is important. He stressed that leadership decisions taken now will shape not just today’s politics, but the next decade of ties. For this, trust and communication must be given priority.
The debate is not just about India and the US, Tharoor reminded. He said India’s role in the Indo-Pacific and in global markets makes the issue much larger. Alienating India would hurt global supply chains, weaken regional security cooperation, and shake economic stability. He warned that global investors are already watching these moves closely. If the US pushes too hard, it may drive India closer to other partners like China, Russia, or the Gulf. That, he cautioned, would be a serious loss for America’s global leadership.
Tharoor also made it clear that India will not bow to unfair pressure. He told Al Arabiya English earlier that India cannot forget 200 years of colonial rule and will not allow any country to dictate its choices. He called the tariffs “unjustified” and said they had already caused serious impact, with factories cutting jobs. For India, he explained, the urgent task is to diversify markets, build new partnerships, and reduce dependency on any single nation. The message from his words was sharp: India is ready for friendship but only on terms of equality.
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