Standing tall: Bharat's strategic calm amid Trumpian turbulence

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16 hours ago

Bharat must stand its ground on tariffs and be prepared for short-term pain in pursuit of long-term strategic gain read more
Modi's Bharat has to be both mild and fierce while dealing with the Trumpian turbulence. Image: The White House
A bully is an intriguing phenomenon. Powerful, but insecure. Loud, yet hollow. Assertive, but deeply vulnerable. He doesn't merely seek obedience — he craves submission, preferably extracted through intimidation, manipulation, or humiliation.
This classic bully syndrome is evident in how Donald Trump has approached his second term as US President, especially in foreign policy. This American trait is becoming more pronounced as 'we are moving into a post-American world, one defined and directed from many places and by many people,' as author Fareed Zakaria writes in his book, The Post-American World. This new world, Zakaria adds, may not be as much about the decline of America as it is about 'the rise of the rest.'
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Trump's unpredictability, ego-driven decisions, and transactional diplomacy are the result of this changing world order where America is strong, but not strong enough. Trump tries to make up for this by becoming a bully — by holding the world to ransom, as he has done with his ongoing tariff moves.
The Bully Syndrome
Psychiatrists note that a bully thrives when others submit or appease. The same logic applies in the case of tariffs. Yielding to Trump — or any such figure — is counterproductive. Submission only feeds the bully, inviting more demands and further concessions.
That doesn't mean Bharat should react to every Trump tweet or provocation. The goal is not to be reactive but strategic — or even better, strategically proactive. Understand the adversary: When does he lash out? What motivates him? What triggers retreat?
Trump's behaviour is largely driven by domestic political compulsions, election cycles, and a simplistic view of trade and tariffs. He may have become the President, but the businessman in him refuses to leave his personality. His worldview remains binary — you're either a winner or a loser, an ally or a foe, a master or a servant. Bharat, with its growing economic heft and independent foreign policy, doesn't fit into his 'ally' column.
It doesn't need to.
Draw Red Lines, With Poise
Bharat's first move should be to clearly set boundaries with poise, not posturing. It must articulate these red lines in an unemotional, matter-of-fact manner. And the Modi government has done precisely that, as the External Affairs Ministry in an official statement on Monday (August 4) called the ongoing Trump tirade 'unjustified and unreasonable.' It also highlighted how the US itself continues to import uranium hexafluoride for its nuclear industry, palladium for its EVs, and fertilisers and chemicals from Russia.
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Bharat needs cheap oil for its people and growth. It cannot avoid looking at cheaper options just because it suits American interests. Bharat currently consumes about 5 million barrels per day, 85 per cent of which is met through imports. And given the unprecedented growth expected to take place in the country, with GDP growth constantly hovering above 6 per cent, reports say Bharat's demand for oil will be more than that of any other country in the world.
Similarly, the US needs to understand that Bharat's Russian defence ties are born out of necessity, not ideology. America's restrictive terms — high costs, limited tech transfer, source code constraints, and end-use monitoring — have pushed New Delhi towards Moscow. What works for Pakistan, an artificial construct, cannot be imposed on Bharat, a civilisational state with strategic autonomy in its DNA.
Ancient Wisdom, Modern Challenges
Amid Trumpian turbulence, Ved Vyasa's Mahabharata can offer timeless wisdom, urging restraint and patience, and not being overwhelmed by anger and rage. Bhishma, for instance, advises Yudhisthira in 'Raja Dharma Parva' — as translated by Bibek Debroy in The Mahabharata (Volume 8): 'One must fight for the sake of victory, not because of anger or a desire to kill.' He qualifies his statement by saying that 'if the one who is fighting uses deceit, [one] must fight back using deceit. If he fights with adharma, one must counter with adharma.'
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Bharat need not match Trump tweet-for-tweet. Instead, it should outmanoeuvre him with strategic steadiness. Timing matters. As Bhishma says, 'Time always brings success… However, a man who is waiting for the right time should not let that moment pass.'
Meanwhile, without resorting to verbal volleys or showcasing confrontational postures, Bharat can continue doing what it has been doing thus far — buying Russian arms and importing oil. Let Bharat's actions speak for themselves.
Build Strategic Alliances
Bhishma also advises Yudhisthira to seek new allies when oppressed by a stronger king. He says, 'If a king is oppressed by a stronger king, he must resort to three kinds of allies and friends.' Bhishma then elaborates allies and friends as 'direct allies, allies of allies, and enemies of enemies'.
Time is ripe for Bharat to expand its strategic alliances. It must build strategic coalitions — both traditional and innovative. It must reorient its ties with Europe along the lines of the UK Free Trade Agreement. It must look afresh at Asian, African, and South American markets. Some of the American trade losses can be covered there: Bharat's pharma industry, for instance, could find greater footholds in these markets. Similarly, it should deepen its outreach to Asean, and continue nurturing its neighbourhood through cooperative diplomacy. Even within the American political landscape, Bharat should engage with institutions, think tanks, businesses, and lawmakers — beyond the presidency. America is more than its president. Bharat must remember that.
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The goal is not to overtly challenge the Trump administration but to signal that Bharat cannot be bullied and has options. It values the US relationship but will not be boxed in.
Learn from the Dragon
More importantly, while dealing with Trumpian threats, Bharat should realise — and also make the Americans realise — that it has weathered greater storms in the past. It navigated alone during the Cold War, defied American fury at the time of the 1971 Bangladesh crisis, endured global isolation after the 1998 nuclear tests, and emerged stronger every time.
Today's Bharat is economically sounder, militarily stronger, and diplomatically assertive. It must preserve its strategic autonomy — not for defiance, but for national interest. If Trump is unreasonable, Bharat must stand its ground — calmly, firmly.
China offers an instructive example. Trump began his second term with moves to tame the Middle Kingdom. But Beijing responded with resilience, recalibration, and countermeasures. It didn't react emotionally, and eventually, the US President softened. Not out of admiration, but because confrontation wasn't delivering.
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Likewise, Bharat must insist on mutual solutions. If Washington wants Delhi to move away from Russian arms, it must offer better terms. If it wants to be an energy partner, it must offer affordable, stable alternatives — without coercion.
Be Mild and Fierce
Bharat's strength lies not just in GDP or missiles, but in civilisational confidence. Bullies lose power when met with quiet defiance. Bharat's message should be simple: 'We value the relationship, but we are equals. We act in our interest and expect respect.'
Americans, as a people, are pragmatic. Once the noise settles, they will see that Bharat's rise is a stabilising phenomenon, not a threatening one. It seeks balance, not dominance. It avoids conflict but is unafraid of it when required. The Trumpian storm must be faced with civilisational calmness and confidence — not by shouting, but by outthinking. Not by trembling, but by standing tall.
Bharat must be prepared for short-term pain in pursuit of long-term strategic gain. Because in the end, the one who doesn't bend under pressure shapes the course of history.
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Bhishma again has a word of advice: 'People disrespect one who is mild and hate one who is fierce. Do not be mild. Do not be fierce. Be both mild and fierce.'
Modi's Bharat has to be both mild and fierce while dealing with the Trumpian turbulence.
Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost's views.