The Rightly Deported

DURING HIS VISIT to the US to attend the inauguration of President Donald Trump, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met key figures of the new administration, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, ahead of what New Delhi hoped would be an early visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the White House. Modi’s visit was confirmed by Trump himself shortly after when he told the media that the prime minister will be in the US in February, and that Modi said India will do what is right about taking back illegal immigrants. Trump raised the importance of “fair trade” and purchase of US-made security equipment during a call with Modi, described by the White House as “productive”.

Jaishankar’s discussions with Trump officials and Republican leaders were to the point and purposeful as the Modi government did not waste time in getting down to brass tacks. The Indian side was aware it would be best to set out specifics and nail down deliverables. So, India made it clear it is willing to accept illegal persons lacking papers as long as their nationality is established. It could hardly be otherwise given the government’s continuous—and only partially successful efforts—to deport illegal Bangladeshis and Rohingyas.

Attempts to make out deportations as politically embarrassing are based on the assumption that such arrivals in the glare of publicity place the Modi government under adverse light. Critics demand the prime minister speak on the illegals being restrained during their flight back to India. Yet, extradited persons facing criminal charges are routinely cuffed on commercial flights. While illegal migrants may or may not have pending criminal cases, they are certainly in breach of the law. When large groups such as 104 persons sent back recently are on a plane, ensuring safety of the flight is a concern. The US has in any case made plain its intent to strongly underline that illegal immigration is not worth the risk.

The lure of immigrating to the West is not recent and seems particularly prevalent in states like Punjab, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, all in different stages of development. The argument that the government should somehow improve conditions at home as even well-off “dunkis” are seeking to migrate illegally is self-serving. To begin with individuals must take responsibility for their actions, all the more if they are better educated and economically sound. The fact is migrating to the West—earlier it was England, then US, Canada and Australia—is almost an obsession. In the case of Punjab, there is an urgent need to provide employment outside farming that is subject to diminishing inheritance. The death of 11 Indians from Punjab dying of monoxide poisoning in a restaurant where they were working in Georgia is revealing.

Visitors to small towns in Punjab are greeted with banners advertising classes to crack the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and other tests for admission to academic and professional institutions in North America. Language tests can also apply to those seeking employment in the West. The US embassy routinely rejects dozens of visa applications every day from persons wanting to travel for reasons such as tourism and family functions but which interviewing officials suspect hide the real objective of never returning.

The alternative for such persons is to pay large sums to human trafficking mafia and embark on life-threatening journeys. The tragic story of a Gujarati family with young children who froze to death on the Canada-US border after being abandoned by human smugglers highlights the terrible risks of illegal migration. Illegal migration must be curbed as it is a criminal enterprise of global dimensions that treats desperate people like cattle and worse. It is also a point that many illegal migrants from India do not bear comparison with people fleeing wretched conditions in South American countries like Ecuador, Guatemala and Colombia.

The Price of Aid

The ‘shutting down’ of the US Agency for International Development or USAID has sent shockwaves among aid administrators, NGOs and civil society organisations across the world. If these groups are to be believed, the actions of the Donald Trump administration will be “catastrophic” for a wide variety of people across the world who receive money from USAID. From providing shelter to refugees to healthcare in some of the poorest countries, USAID has done much to give succour and relief in a difficult world.

There is, however, another—more troubling—perspective as well. Apart from money for humanitarian relief, USAID was also engaged in giving money for ‘governance’ and to ‘social sectors’. It is here that the distinction between humanitarian work and using this money for political purposes—furthering the political goals of the US—was lost. NGOs in the developing world, who were involved in activism in the garb of environmentalism and other social causes, became fronts for these dubious activities. India was no exception.

After 1991, when the US won the Cold War, the standard liberal package, adopted across the world, had two ingredients: free and fair elections and free markets. At that time, most countries accepted this, happily or otherwise. In due course, a third element was added: allowing ‘civil society’ to grow. This became the cutting-edge of Western interference in the domestic politics of virtually every ‘country of interest’. Large aid agencies like USAID, among others, became donors for local NGOs and activists. The latter, in turn, played a dubious role in championing environmental and labour causes that were thinly veiled attempts to derail economic growth at the bidding of donors. These were not innocent moves.

The standard package of the 1990s is now winding up due to changed political circumstances in the US and elsewhere. There will be patches of ‘resistance’ here and there, but these will be to no avail. The only task left now is for the historians to explore the depredations of ‘civil society’ groups and their masters.

(By Siddharth Singh)

The Big Picture

Modi’s Maha Kumbh Moment
Prayagraj, February 5, 2025
The prime minister takes his holy dip at the Triveni Sangam

Newsmaker: Chandrika Tandon

Finding Her Voice
A 71-year-old banking whizz bags a Grammy

Chandrika Tandon won the Grammy for Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album for her album Triveni, making history alongside collaborators Wouter Kellerman and Eru Matsumoto for their work on the album. But being a pioneer is not new to Tandon. She was the first Indian woman to become a partner at McKinsey & Company, a position she got to after fighting her way to go to the co-educational Madras Christian College, and later IIM-Ahmedabad.

As a banker, she’s been in several crises, taking the last flight out of Lebanon when war broke out, and overcoming a crisis of spirit while being at the top of her game. Music saved her, and has always been critical in her life, she says, whether it is Roberta Flack and MS Subbulakshmi. The legendary Carnatic vocalist
Aruna Sairam is her aunt, and former PepsiCo Chairperson Indra Nooyi is her younger sister.

An artist in residence with the Young People’s Chorus in New York for this year, where she will be putting traditional Sanskrit shlokas to music, she has always believed in being unbounded. “Music was a way to find myself, it led me to meditation, which led me to a life of service,” she says.

She is also a composer and vocalist, having been trained in Hindustani, Carnatic, and Western music. Triveni is her sixth album.

(By Kaveree Bamzai)

Noisemaker: Kanye West
Bare Bravura

The billionaire rapper who in recent times has made news for all the wrong reasons like antisemitic remarks and praising of Hitler was at it again, but this time at the Grammy Awards and with his wife Bianca Censori for company. They weren’t invited but dropped in anyway and then shocked everyone present at the red carpet when West removed his wife’s fur dress for her to pose in a transparent mesh that had her almost entirely nude. By varying accounts, he was asked to leave or could not get seats at the event inside but later took to social media to gloat over the stunt. He reposted that image of Censori on X and wrote, “My wife’s first red carpet opened a whole new world. I keep staring at this photo like I was staring in admiration that night Thinking wow I am so lucky to have a wife that is so smart talented brave and hot.” This is not the first time West has created controversies at awards ceremonies. In 2022, he won two Grammys but was not allowed to perform at the function because of what was termed by the organisers as “concerning online behavior”. This was because of an Instagram post he made on comedian Trevor Noah which had a racial slur. During the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, he interrupted Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech for an award to take the mike and say Beyonce should have won it.

Ideas

Negotiation

US President Donald Trump, after imposing 25 per cent tariffs on Mexico and Canada, got the two countries to commit to 10,000 soldiers manning the border against narcotics smuggling and illegal migration. The tariffs turned out to be a negotiation tactic to implement his election promises. Similarly, he used it to get the Colombian president to back down from a stated public position and take in deported migrants. While victories have been scored, this is however not an approach to negotiation that works for everyone. Usually, negotiations work best when it happens between equals with each party having something to offer and something it requires. When the power balance gets skewed, more concessions have to be given by the weaker party. That does not necessarily portend well for relationships over the long term. Countries, especially neighbours, are forced to remain engaged forever and there is a point beyond which even the economic and military power of the US stops paying dividend. Less powerful leaders still have to contend with national pride or they will get removed from office, and so their ability to make concessions is limited. Trump’s negotiation approach is also dependent on whether he will actually carry through the threat. Now that he has shown the imposed tariffs were a front for other demands, the potency of the tool is reduced. Also, a negotiation in which the other party feels helpless might have secondary effects if there are numerous parties. They will unite and then come back to the table to make a deal jointly.

Money Mantra
Twin Peaks

A framework for rural planning and an urban bonanza to spur the economy

BUDGET 2025 HAS made an attempt to think pragmatically. How? It has continued on the path of planning for rural India, because it takes time for results to show in that space. At the same time, it has put money in the hands of urban areas so that the economy immediately gets the required push. Will this work?

Now, there are two primary ways to stimulate economic growth: Increased government spending, or putting more money directly in the consumers’ hands. For the past decade, the government has prioritised infrastructure investments. This time, however, it has chosen the latter approach, boosting disposable incomes through tax cuts for individuals.

When consumers have more money, they can either save it or spend it. The spending benefits specific sectors that tend to see increased demand when consumers have more purchasing power.

Why has the government made this shift now?

Having relied on direct spending for years, it is now banking on consumer-driven growth. By increasing disposable incomes, the expectation is that spending will rise across various industries, creating a multiplier effect in the economy.

So, where will this additional money go? Data suggests that key beneficiaries will include sectors such as FMCG, automobiles, tourism, travel, and white goods.

Now let’s go back to the planning for rural India part. Budget 2025 makes it clear that agriculture will continue to be a priority area.

So, from a market perspective, companies that benefit from higher urban spending and those that help in increasing agricultural productivity can be looked at.

However, a couple of caveats. In the case of consumer companies, valuations are high. And in the case of the rural-focused companies, it might take some time before you see any impact on their top and bottom lines.

(By Ramesh Singh)

Viral
Instant Car Delivery

A marketing ploy caught fire online when auto manufacturer Skoda put up a video clip showing an employee of instant delivery app Zepto coming to a showroom to a do a pick-up. On social media, posts started doing the rounds that now even cars will be available for instant buying. Many actually believed it. Like this post on X, “Quick commerce is moving faster than ever, and this shake-up is bound to heat up the market. What’s next, 10-minute real estate deals?” Others had funny takes, “I used to worry about adding an extra packet of Maggi to my cart, but now? One accidental tap and I might have a Skoda parked outside.” However, Zepto’s founder soon put up a post saying that 10-minute delivery of a car was still not really possible. What that video clip offered was a test drive of a new model of Skoda that could be booked over the app.

Chandrika TandonDonald Trumpillegal immigrantsMaha Kumbh 2025US Aid