Fly on the wall
Harish Gupta
From Hugs to Hostility: Why Trump Is Turning On Modi
The once-hyped “bromance” between Donald Trump and Narendra Modi has soured badly, triggering a punishing 50% tariff on Indian goods. Multiple insiders in India and Washington have listed multiple reasons for this souring relations recently. They trace the rupture to September 2024 when Indian officials reached out to both Trump and Kamala Harris during Modi’s U.S. visit. When Harris showed reluctance, Modi pulled back from Trump’s scheduled meeting. Lokmat was the first to report it. The Fly On The Wall column published on March 6, 2025 carried this part of the story. New Delhi's last minute back off stung Trump hard.
Then came Modi's reluctance to allow Trump to mediate in the India-Pak ceasefire and his lunch with Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir prompted the PM to decline a White House visit during the G-7 summit. Trump retaliated with 50% tariffs and appears to be striking at the heart of India’s soft power now – its people. Indians account for nearly 75% of all H-1B visas, supplying Silicon Valley and U.S. tech firms with engineers, coders, and data scientists. Compounding the squeeze, Trump’s sprawling “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” contains a clause taxing money sent abroad by foreign workers. Initially floated at 5%, the levy has been pared to 1% after push back but could still skim billions off Indian remittances. India is the world’s top remittance recipient, with inflows hitting a record $135.5 billion in FY25.
With trust frayed and Trump still smarting over slights, normalizing relations may take far longer than either side admits. Trump's reluctance to visit India for the Quad summit is another gentle snub.
How Modi Is Handling Trump’s Offensive
As Trump ramps up pressure—slapping 50% tariffs, tightening H-1B visas and even proposing a levy on overseas remittances—New Delhi is opting for quiet resistance over public confrontation. Despite the chill, Indian officials continue to insist that “lines of communication are open” and that trade negotiations remain on track. Yet, New Delhi has stayed conspicuously silent on controversies—be it Trump’s repeated claims of mediating an India-Pakistan ceasefire or reports of his bruised ego over perceived snubs. This deliberate ambiguity allows India to project dialogue without validating narratives that frame the rift as personal.
One such narrative is the report that Modi ignored four of Trump’s calls—fuel for speculation that India is quietly signalling displeasure. Diplomats call it tactical silence, designed to avoid confrontation while sending a subtle message: India will not be seen as capitulating to personality-driven demands.
Meanwhile, India has intensified its Washington outreach—hiring a second high-profile lobbying firm to engage Trump’s advisers, Congressional leaders and industry lobbies. The goal: temper the tariff rhetoric and re-frame the relationship as a strategic partnership, not a transactional one. Behind the scenes, India is said to be lobbying U.S. corporate leaders and Congressional allies to temper Trump’s hard line stance. For now, New Delhi’s approach is clear—keep talking, stay calm and wait for the storm to pass—while reinforcing that India will not bend under pressure. Simultaneously, India is fast-tracking the process of normalizing its ties with China. The hug, carpool and animated discussions with Putin sent a clear signal of cementing ties with Russia.
GM Maize Creeps In Through backdoor
Field trials of two genetically modified (GM) maize varieties are set to begin at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, this kharif season, raising fresh debate over whether India is opening the door—quietly—to commercial cultivation of GM food crops amid tensions with the USA. India has resolved to protect the interests of its farmers. The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), India’s apex regulator, cleared Bayer Crop Science’s proposal for “confined field trials” of herbicide-tolerant and insect-resistant maize, after the Punjab government issued a No Objection Certificate. PAU Vice-Chancellor Satbir Singh Gosal is on record to say that the university’s role was limited to research.
But critics see a creeping legitimisation of GM food crops. The Coalition for a GM-Free India has urged Punjab to revoke its NOC, pointing to the State’s 2018 ban on glyphosate sales due to health and environmental hazards. India currently allows only Bt cotton for commercial cultivation, though GM mustard was cleared for environmental release in 2022 amid legal challenges. Several other crops—including rice, maize, sorghum, wheat, and groundnut—are undergoing field trials. Critics argue such “confined” studies gradually normalise GM technology, effectively serving as a backdoor to commercial entry of US companies to gladden the US administration.
Bhagwat Clears Age Confusion, may still set an example !
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has firmly put to rest speculation over a 75-year retirement norm, declaring that 80 is the new threshold for public and political life. Confusion had arisen after Bhagwat, at a book launch in Nagpur, jokingly referred to the “75-year shawl” presented to late senior RSS functionary Moropant Pingle as a polite hint to step aside. The remark was widely interpreted as a signal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who, like Bhagwat, turns 75 this September.
Speaking at Vigyan Bhawan, Bhagwat clarified, “I never said that anyone, including myself, must retire at 75.” He added that if asked to work at an RSS branch even at 80, he would gladly do so — signalling a shift in the organisation’s unwritten age code. The new benchmark effectively allows Modi to remain at the helm beyond at least 2030, potentially surpassing Jawaharlal Nehru’s record as India’s longest-serving Prime Minister.
Still, Bhagwat kept the suspense alive, noting, “At least 10 senior functionaries sitting here (Vigyan Bhawan) can succeed me.” Whether this hints at his own exit after September 11 or was merely reassurance of RSS’s leadership depth remains open to interpretation.
