Presidential elections are to be held in America on November 5. Many sections of India are also keeping an eye on this election. This is because America is an important trading and strategic partner of India. Earlier, India’s intellectuals generally supported the Democratic Party in America. But, this is no longer the case because the Democratic Party is now supporting the ‘woke’ ideology, with which some Indian people do not agree. On the other hand, Hindu-Americans are worried about the influence of Christianity in the Republican Party.
Indians have less confidence in Harris’s policies
Neither Trump nor Harris have expressed their views on issues important to Indian-Americans. Unlike Canada, where pro-Khalistani people have tried to spoil India-Canada relations, nothing like this has happened in the US. Although Trump has criticized India’s tariff rules, he/she has also ensured that China does not take any wrong steps in terms of trade and military, which is a relief for India. Due to lack of clarity about Harris’s economic policies, Indian people are trusting her less.
Concerns will continue if Harris wins
The concerns that India has regarding the foreign policies of the Biden government may continue even if Kamala Harris becomes President. For example, the US played a role in the change of government in Bangladesh and helped bring to power a government that was soft on Islam and unfriendly towards India. Because of this, atrocities on Hindu minorities have increased in Bangladesh and anarchy has spread in the country. Some people believe that if the Biden government had better control over its various departments, this would not have happened. However, there is a possibility that the US may continue to adopt similar policies if Harris is elected president.
Concern for both Israel and India
It is no secret that the environment on which Harris’ presidency will depend is not sympathetic to the Narendra Modi government in India. Universities have a lot of influence under the new Democratic leadership in America, due to which both Israel and India may have to face negativity. An example of this is the ‘Five Eyes’ group criticizing the steps taken by India to stop Sikh extremism in North America. US intelligence agencies appear to have played a significant role in Canada’s attacks on India. India had imposed some restrictions on international NGOs and missionary organizations, which did not shy away from furthering US foreign policy objectives in the case of Bangladesh and this had angered the US. There is speculation in the media that the Trudeau government in Canada was given US support by the office of Vice President Harris. However, this is based on pre-existing tensions that people like George Soros have not been shy about highlighting.
What are America’s surveys saying?
The highly educated Indian community has played an important role in India’s relations with the US, but US election surveys show that a large part of this social group is against Trump. Whether this is also true in the case of Indian-Americans (or the Jewish community) is a matter of speculation. What is certain, however, is that India’s English-speaking elite show social disdain for Trump.
Although some people do not like Trump’s behavior, it is important to note that his/her presidency has brought about some important changes which are beneficial for India. These include reducing China’s influence, reducing the influence of the EU, allowing Israel to look beyond its own security concerns, and promoting India’s role in the Indian-Ocean region. From India’s perspective, these are all laudable objectives.
