Daijiworld Media Network- Washington
Washington, Sep 11: Former US ambassadors and prominent political figures have raised serious alarms over President Donald Trump’s recent tariff policies, warning they could undo a quarter-century of strategic partnership between the United States and India.
The warning came during an emergency conference call organized by Congressman Ro Khanna, co-chair of the Congressional India Caucus, featuring former US ambassadors Rich Verma and Eric Garcetti, along with venture capitalist Vinod Khosla and other tech industry leaders from the Indian diaspora.
Khanna highlighted the urgency, stating, “I wouldn’t have pulled this call urgently… if it wasn’t important. I wanted to sound the alarm about what’s going on.”
Rich Verma, who served as US Ambassador to India under President Obama, said the last two months had wiped out 24-25 years of progress in bilateral ties. Tracing the relationship back to President Clinton’s 2000 visit, Verma noted that America had “de-hyphenated” its India-Pakistan policy, fostering a strong 25-year partnership across trade, people-to-people ties, clean energy, and defence. He expressed concern over Trump’s historic Oval Office invitation to Pakistan’s Army Chief, describing it as “reinserting the hyphen” into the India-Pakistan equation.
Both ambassadors stressed that trust is the biggest vulnerability in the relationship. Eric Garcetti warned that recent moves represent fundamental shifts, not just tactical disagreements, and could have long-lasting effects in India.
Khanna and the panel urged the business and tech community to engage with lawmakers, emphasizing the strategic importance of the US-India partnership. “This is the time to get involved, to talk to Congress people, senators… This could really undermine 30 years of hard work,” Khanna said.
The diplomats highlighted shared challenges, including China’s rise, critical technology collaboration, supply chain coordination, and energy security. Garcetti also raised concerns about anti-Indian rhetoric and “racist tropes” emerging in the US, warning of potential damage to Indian-American relations.
Despite the tensions, both former ambassadors expressed cautious optimism, citing strong underlying ties between companies, innovators, educators, and families that transcend political changes.