By Adarsh Badri:
Come on, it is no more a joke. Donald Trump is the 45th President of the United States of America. From being a real-estate developer to a reality TV star to now a politician, Donald Trump now holds the most powerful post in the world. His victory was unpredictable. Almost everyone in the media got it wrong.
Donald Trump had brought in some serious proposals during the election campaign. Trump has been in the news for promising many things. From building a wall that would prevent Mexicans from crossing the border, to banning Muslims from entering the USA, to strengthening the US economy. “They’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime, they’re rapists,” Trump said about undocumented Mexicans in the USA. “I will build a great wall – and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me – and I’ll build them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words.” Who would have expected that Donald Trump would still be elected as the President of the United States? But what does it mean for India?
Tax Plan
Donald Trump’s campaign to reduce business tax rates in the United States from the present 35% to 15% will be a big blow to investments in India. If Trump successfully implements this plan, many American companies which have set up their offices in India would be lured to go back and many Indians would lose their jobs. Moreover, this will be a big hit to Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ campaign.
America First Policy
[envoke_twitter_link]Trump in many of his rallies had stated that American jobs have been taken by outsiders [/envoke_twitter_link]and had also ensured that he would work to make America great by giving job opportunities to Americans with his ‘America First’ Policy, which prefers Americans over other nationals. During his election campaign, he said, “We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others.”
Foreign Policy
It is expected that the ties between India and the US will drastically improve with Donald Trump coming to power. Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “Congratulations Donald Trump on being elected as the 45th US President. We appreciate the friendship you have articulated towards India during your campaign. We look forward to working with you closely to take India- US bilateral ties to a new height.”
During Diwali celebrations, Donald Trump, while addressing the Indian-American community said, “India is a key strategic ally; I look forward to deepening diplomatic and military cooperation in the shared interest of both countries. India is the world’s largest democracy and is a natural ally of the United States. Under a Trump administration, we are going to become even better friends. In fact, we are going to be best friends.”
Pakistan
Donald Trump has strongly condemned Pakistan’s involvement in state-sponsored terrorism. In 2012, he tweeted, “When will Pakistan apologise to us for providing safe sanctuary to Osama Bin Laden for 6 years?! Some ally.” On an American radio show, Trump called Pakistan the most dangerous country in the world. And he also added that the only country that can check Pakistan is India. He added, “You have to get India involved. They have their own nukes, they have a very powerful army. They seem to be the real checkmate.”
However, nothing is known about what Donald Trump really has in store for India and what will happen to Indo-US relations. Since many of his policies about America being first will directly affect Indians in the USA. Everyone knows very little about Trump’s idea of India. Let’s hope that both the countries have a very good relationship ahead.
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