US-India Tariff Announcement: When Trump Talks and Rahul Shouts, Facts Sit Quietly in the Corner

Whenever Rahul Gandhi raises his voice on an international issue, I am reminded of a childhood scene from my neighbourhood—a boy who would shout “out, out” without even seeing the ball. The noise was loud enough to stop the game, though no one bothered to check what the rules actually said. The same kind of noise now surrounds the India–US trade deal. Farmers have been betrayed, workers have been sold out—this claim is being repeated so often that some have begun to accept it as truth. What disappoints me more is that even today, educated and sensible people are willing to take Rahul Gandhi seriously.

Let me be clear. I am not peddling a conspiracy theory, nor am I indulging in emotional theatrics. I am placing facts on the table—plain, cold facts. And the fact is that the chief architect of this confusion is neither India nor Rahul Gandhi, but Donald Trump. The same Trump who claims, with equal confidence, to have stopped an India–Pakistan war and keeps changing the count of fighter jets allegedly shot down.

Trump has one permanent habit—he is not deeply attached to truth, but he is passionately attached to applause. Whatever he says is meant to please his voters. The problem for him is that the applause is getting fainter. His approval ratings are sliding, mid-term elections are approaching, and even the Republican Party is tired of him. So Trump needs every stage, every headline, every announcement—half-baked or entirely imaginary.

India gave him just one concession: make the announcement if you wish. In normal diplomacy, a trade deal is announced through a joint statement. Here, that joint statement is still being drafted; signatures are yet to be put on paper. But Trump being Trump, he wants applause even before the curtain goes up.

Now to the issues that have been turned into scarecrows. First, Russian oil. We are told India has abandoned Russia under American pressure. This is as true as Trump’s stories of seven or eight aircraft falling from the sky. India has not stopped buying Russian oil. Yes, volumes have reduced, but for market reasons, not political submission. When Russia offered heavy discounts, India bought generously. Now the discount has shrunk to two or three dollars a barrel, and major Russian companies face sanctions. Diversifying sources under such conditions is common sense, not surrender. India once bought oil from 24 countries; today it buys from around 40. That is strategy, not betrayal.

Second, the noise over American agricultural products. Trump spoke, and it was assumed that Indian fields would now be flooded with American corn and GM crops. The facts say otherwise. India has made it clear—no GM crops, no dairy products. Yes, fruits, nuts, and some exotic vegetables that do not grow here may be imported. This is not a new sin; it has long been part of policy.

Third, the fear of the 500 billion dollar figure, spoken of as if it will be withdrawn from an ATM tomorrow morning. In reality, this is a projection spread over five or six years, of which Trump has only a few left. Even today, India already imports close to 90 billion dollars’ worth from the US, counting goods and services. As trade grows, numbers grow. There is neither miracle nor conspiracy here.

What has really happened is that Trump spat out a great deal and is now licking it back up. India behaved with courtesy—lick it up, but do it behind a curtain. We will not beat drums announcing what you said yesterday and what you are doing today. This is called diplomacy, not weakness.

So my advice is simple. Ignore Rahul Gandhi’s shouting. Ignore Trump’s bluster. Watch policy, watch official statements—especially from those who actually hold the files. What Piyush Goyal has said is the benchmark. Everything else is political theatre, and in theatre, truth is usually seated in the last row.

Jai Hind. Jai Bharat.