Common hatreds, uncommon enemies

One of the perks nations enjoy in being a US favourite is unchecked impunity for committing acts of terror. When the Washington power machinery likes a regime, then the worst form of atrocities the regime unleashes upon innocent people receive a light slap on the wrist with generic statements such as ‘we are closely watching the situation’ in Kashmir/Gaza or the disputed territory. The most typical is what Trump said in New Delhi, on Tuesday, regarding the new citizenship law that the matter was “really up to India” to worry about. Somehow, it was not “really up to Egypt” when it elected Morsi, nor was it “really up to Turkey” when Erdogan rounded up the Gülenists. The Western powers shuttle back and forth between ‘really up to whatever country’ and the ‘responsibility to protect’, depending upon whether the regime in question is a loved one or a despised one.

While religious discrimination against Muslims is now the law of the land in India, Trump stated, “In India, they have worked very hard to have great and open religious freedom.” If the word “religious” is replaced with “extremist”, then the statement would make perfect sense because about 10 miles from where he was holding the meeting with Modi, violence had broken out, killing 13 people and wounding many. Trump’s comment came amid the worst outbreak of communal violence to hit India’s capital in decades. Religious freedom in India feels like studying an outdated map. But between the noise of the violence and the cheering crowd gathered at the Namaste Trump show, there exists an unsaid truth.

Trump is all praise for a nation and a leader he personally shares a few traits with: hatred for Muslims, racism, religious bigotry, self-righteousness, massive lies, and favouring profits over people. The US enlisted India to become its junior partner against China. Despite the visit being high on symbolism and devoid of substance, a $3 billion announcement of selling military hardware to India was announced. America views terrorism as a short-term threat. Russia and China are viewed as the real threats with the potential to challenge the global American dominance. The defence deals are part of the larger American containment strategy to contain a rising China. And India is very happy to take the American friendship and the perks that come with it.

However, there is one problem. While America is focused on China, India is focused on Pakistan. Just as Trump doesn’t care about the CAA in India and the discrimination against Indian Muslims, Modi also doesn’t care about the containment of China. The saffron-wearing Hindutva extremists — that unleashed the mayhem on the streets of New Delhi, including the beating of a Muslim with sticks, that went viral — perhaps do not even know what it means to contain a rising China. Just as Trump couldn’t properly pronounce names such as Sachin Tendulkar, the cow urine drinking extremist Hindus also do not fathom the nuances of global dominance and great power tussle. But they sure do hate Pakistan and equate their fellow Muslims with Pakistani citizens or sympathisers, which are curse words in India.

American and Indian interests may converge on various topics but their alliance suffers from incompatibility because of the lack of a common enemy, an important factor in forging global alliances. Countries make alliances due to shared interests and a common enemy is one of the strongest for nation-states. Russia being that common enemy is what kept Europe allied with America ever since the WWII. India wants a US alliance against Pakistan and the US wants an Indian alliance against China. This is not going to work. If Indian leadership reincarnates itself as a closet Hindutva clad in stars and stripes, China will pulverise it.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 27^th, 2020.

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