New Delhi, Feb 3 (IANS) Former Ambassador of India to Poland, Dr Deepak Vohra on Tuesday described the India-US trade deal as a significant diplomatic achievement, highlighting India’s patience, strategic restraint and firm protection of key domestic sectors during negotiations and termed it the “father of all deals”.
Speaking exclusively to IANS, about the agreement, Dr Vohra said there were a few key takeaways from the development. He claimed that the American establishment had been strongly critical of India in recent years, but New Delhi maintained restraint.
“The first takeaway is that despite repeated criticism from the American establishment since 2023 and 2024, India has not reacted. We have been very patient and very resilient,” he said.
Explaining India’s diplomatic approach, Dr Vohra referred to what he described as “duck diplomacy”. He said the concept reflects calmness on the surface while intense efforts continue behind the scenes.
“If you look at a duck on the surface, everything appears calm and quiet, but beneath the surface its feet are paddling furiously. That is how India has handled the negotiations,” he said.
Drawing a historical comparison, Dr Vohra likened US President Donald Trump’s leadership style to that of Roman Emperor Caligula, quoting the Latin phrase “Oderint dum metuant (Let them hate, so long as they fear).” According to him, President Trump prioritises respect and popularity over being loved. He said India responded to this leadership style with restraint and strategic engagement.
Dr Vohra added that India has largely achieved its core objectives in the trade agreement without compromising sensitive sectors.
“We have managed to secure major gains while protecting our agriculture, dairy and small-scale sectors, where we did not want our exporters and producers to suffer,” he said and quoted a Hindi song humorously that the deal signals that “abhi toh party shuru hui hai (the party has just started).”
Commenting on energy trade discussions, Dr Vohra referred to statements attributed to President Trump suggesting India may increase energy purchases from the US and possibly Venezuela. He emphasised that India will continue to make energy decisions based on national interest.
“India will buy oil wherever it suits its interests. We are not going to stop buying oil from Russia, as we are getting it at competitive prices. Russia is a time-tested friend and has never sanctioned India, unlike some other countries,” he said.
Dr Vohra further described the trade deal as a landmark development in India’s global trade outreach. “If the European Union agreement was the ‘mother of all deals’, the US agreement with India can be described as the ‘father of all deals’,” he said.
–IANS
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