Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has appealed to the people of India to “decide” against casting aspersions on India’s economic downturn, stating that insults by foreign entities should not enter their minds, as taking it otherwise would become a Trend. She criticized derisive remarks like those made by former US trade adviser Peter Navarro, who said India taxed too much and bought Russian oil only to “screw” the United States; she called Indians who echoed that sentiment “friends of imperialists.” Sitharaman described this as a colonial-style “divide and rule” strategy aimed at weakening India’s unity and self-respect. She said India should not adapt or rationalize this colonial-era mindset, but instead focus on its economic achievements and self-reliance.
Addressing several programs, including one at the Delhi School of Economics and speaking with media persons, Sitharaman acknowledged India’s “astounding growth” in the last decade, as it had graduated from being the tenth-largest economy to becoming the fifth. She said that, despite global pressures and dire predictions that India is a “dead economy,” the country has shown that it can work hard and has strong fundamentals. She called upon the other citizens of India to demonstrate their faith in the economy, remain hopeful, and provide a boost to research and innovation in India, so that further improvements can be made in India’s global position. Sitharaman stated that, despite global pressure, India would not halt its oil purchases from Russia, as it was a matter of national interest, reiterating India’s sovereign rights in trade and energy security.
Sitharaman also hit out at powerful political adversaries within India who parroted foreign critics, saying they were behaving like “friends of the imperialists” and that they were following the same divide-and-rule policies once used by colonial powers to subjugate India. She urged all Indians to reject foreign bullying and divisive colonial tropes while celebrating India’s development and newfound confidence as the country moves towards becoming a developed nation by 2047, after it has an economy that can become self-reliant.
The touchstones of Sitharaman’s message are as follows: Nationwide, pillars must fend off foreign criticism that undermines India’s glory and sovereignty; the economy should be buoyed, realistically, by data rather than narratives; unity must hold firm as some seek to reopen colonial-era fracture lines. Her position is a full-throated appeal for national pride and self-reliance in the face of global geopolitics and shifting economic circumstances.