Source: The Telegraph

The Indian newspaper The Telegraph published a commentary on September 26 titled "Poor Returns: Overseas Indians Disappoint Modi's Foreign Policy." It pointed out that the overseas Indian community, long regarded by Modi as the "Rashtradoot" (national ambassador), has failed to exert effective political influence on issues such as India-US tariffs and visa matters. The author of this article, Sushant Singh, is a lecturer at Yale University.

Throughout Modi's political career, the overseas Indian community has always been placed at the core, serving as the cornerstone of his foreign strategy. Especially in Indo-US relations, Modi has consistently emphasized the importance of the Indian diaspora during major events, calling them "national ambassadors" and "bridges between the world's oldest democracy and the largest democracy," constantly highlighting that the Indian diaspora in the US is the wealthiest and most educated minority group with significant influence in politics and business. Modi himself was seen as the key to activating this force.

However, Modi's "diaspora narrative" collapsed in the face of Trump's tariff and visa policies. Trump imposed a 50% tariff on Indian goods and charged high fees for H-1B visa applications, directly impacting Indian IT professionals and related export companies. However, prominent Indian-American business leaders such as Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, and Arvind Krishna (note: they had attended a Trump dinner in Silicon Valley) did not criticize these policies but instead praised them. Similarly, Indian-American legislators in the US also did not support India. More importantly, the Indian diaspora in the US did not organize or engage in any informal lobbying during this "Indian crisis." These facts show that the supposed influence of the Indian diaspora is merely superficial and lacks substance.

The main reasons for the failure of Modi's "Indian diaspora policy" are threefold. First, it mistakenly equates symbolic representation with real influence. Although there are many Indian-Americans holding senior positions such as CEOs and doctors in the US, this does not mean they have a power network capable of influencing US policy. Moreover, many members of the Indian diaspora are either not US citizens, not voters in key districts, or simply unwilling to advocate for the Indian government on contentious issues involving India.

Second, friendly moments such as Diwali events have masked the rifts in bilateral relations. The Democratic Party in the US is increasingly dissatisfied with the Modi government's "majoritarian" tendencies; while the Republican Party sees India as a useful tool to counter China, it has no fondness for India's political maneuvering, including its actions on Kashmir and Muslim issues. Notably, Trump's inner circle places more value on transactions than emotional ties. For Trump, India is a negotiating partner rather than a privileged ally, and the US views India as an ordinary country with authoritarian tendencies, no different from Hungary or Turkey.

Third, US think tanks, academia, and human rights organizations have become increasingly distant from India. Main US think tanks made only mild statements when India faced tariff impacts, and human rights organizations are dissatisfied with India's long-term disregard for their reports and even pressure on researchers. Meanwhile, incidents such as cross-border assassinations, persecution of Sikh activists, and suppression of religious minorities in India continue to occur, further reducing the likelihood of these organizations and institutions advocating for India.

In contrast, Israel's lobbying groups not only rely on money and activities but have built a systematic lobbying force over decades that spans across parties, industries, and grassroots levels, ensuring effective shaping of US policy. Compared to this, the Modi government focuses more on surface-level efforts rather than institutional structures, emphasizes religion over values, and prioritizes Modi's personal image over India as a whole. The result is evident: the so-called "great asset" that Modi loudly promoted—India's diplomatic approach based on the Indian diaspora network and bipartisan consensus with the US—has never been tested, and it is destined to fail at critical moments.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7554825190606144046/

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