A spate of incidents in the recent past has raised a question whether India has been tamely surrendering to US directives. Right from keeping mum on inhuman slaughtering of innocent citizens including children in Gaza by Zionist Israel backed by the Pentagon rulers tying knot with Israeli rulers in utter disregard to the beastly savagery of Israeli forces raving wild on Palestinian soil, to a very mild reaction when US lawmakers announced a three-year pause on new H-1B visas and a sharp cut in the annual cap from 65,000 (plus 20,000 for advanced degrees) to just 25,000 which were destined to upend careers of Indian technicians and students located in US, to remaining silent after Indians alleged to be illegal infiltrators to US were sent back to India in chains as if they were criminals, in place of pointed rebuttal, virtual acquiescence to the claim of President Trump that he brokered peace between India and Pakistan after four days of armed conflict following terrorist attack in Pahalgam, reformulating bilateral trade policies as per US dictates to obeying US order to stop buying cheap oil from Russia and Iran, remaining tightlipped over the war of aggression of US imperialism against Iran, winding up operation of Chabahar port in Iran as mandated by the US rulers and PM Modi’s persistent attempt to appease President Trump —all bear eloquent testimony of how the ruling Indian monopolists and their servitor BJP government are not just tilting towards US imperialists but dancing to their tune, caring least for national prestige and honour and the glorious tradition of anti-imperialist struggle by Indian people. Let us a have a little more on the issues raised above.
Repugnant bonhomie with Zionist Israel
The whole world has unanimously condemned the most cruel carnage Zionist Israeli rulers and their political manager PM Netanyahu has been undertaking in Gaza for last three years, killing innocent people indiscriminately. Death toll has been reported to be over 80,000 till date. The entire infrastructure including, UN shelters, hospitals, schools and universities has been razed to the ground. Even fire was opened on hungry children when they thronged at relief camps for a morsel. The Gaza Strip today stands as the scarred epicenter of its inhabitants, considered as “the crime of crimes” in international law. But the Israeli Prime Minster nonchalantly carries on worst form of war crimes. He himself is currently on trial in Israel on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in three separate cases, having denied all wrongdoing. Additionally, in 2024, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for him regarding alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. United Nations committee recently found Israel’s methods of warfare in the Gaza Strip to be “consistent with genocide”.
But instead of uttering a single word against such brutality, PM Modi flew to Israel to sign bipartite trade agreement. He had no qualms in stating that “In India, there is great admiration for Israel’s resolve, courage and achievements.” He further said: “We feel your pain. We share your grief. India stands with Israel firmly, with full conviction, in this moment and beyond …No cause can justify the murder of civilians. Nothing can justify terrorism.” And then addressing Israeli Parliament) on 25 February 2026, PM Modi said that for the Indian Jewish community living in Israel, Israel is considered their “fatherland” and India their “motherland”. What else but outright flattery can this be called? Is it purported to curry favour with US imperialism, the mentor of Zionist Israel, in the class interest of the ruling Indian monopolists?
H1B Visa Issue
Last year, US implemented a significant hike of fees of new H-1B visa (a non-immigrant, employer- sponsored visa allowing U.S. companies to temporarily employ foreign professionals in “specialty occupations” requiring theoretical or technical expertise and a bachelor’s degree) petition to a whopping $100,000 specific ally targe ting new applicants. It has been a whiplash for hundreds of thousands of Indians on H-1B visas who still account for 70% of H-1B recipients. The policy effectively shuttered the H-1B pipeline that, for three decades, powered the American dream for millions of Indians and, more importantly, supplied the lifeblood of talent to US industries. This is also an arm-twisting move to keep India on leash. But once again the Indian bourgeois government did not dare to say anything other than hoping that the US government would address the issue suitably.
It bears recall that in early 2025, the mass deportation of alleged illegal Indian immigrants from the US sparked significant outrage among Indian people aft er images and videos were released showing them handcuffed and leg-chained during 40-hour long transport process. Once again, refraining from protesting such inhuman treatment of deported Indians, India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, defended the repatriation process as a standard international obligation, though hastening to add that the Indian government would engage with the US to ensure deportees are not mistreated. Again, is manifested the same servile mentality of keeping US in good humour even if that means affront to the countrymen.
Silence over US President’s claim to have brokered armistice between India and Pakistan
Another example of India’s diffidence to contradict US on any issue is the question of truce between India and Pakistan after four days of armed conflict in April 2025 following terrorist killing in Baisaran, Pahalgam. Till date, President Trump has over 50 times claimed credit for brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, saying that he used economic leverage and threats of tariffs to halt a potential nuclear war. Without contradicting these claims India has been formally asserting that its military action stopped after achieving its own objectives and a request from Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO), who “pleaded for relief”.
US’s weaponising tariff to keep India submissive
Hitherto, US imports from India were to the tune of $129 billion whereas US exports to India was $83.4 billion. The average tariff rate imposed by India so far on US imports was 17% and for agricultural products it was 39%. On the other hand, US was charging 3.3% duty on Indian exports to it. But all on a sudden, on the pretext of lowering trade deficit with India, US imposed a 25 % reciprocal tariff on Indian goods, followed by an additional 25% levy linked to India’s continued purchase of Russian crude oil. This caught India napping and PM Modi and his two cabinet ministers began to make hectic parleys to persuade his “friend” Trump to withdraw the hiked tariff. India committed to stop buying Russian oil at cheaper price and instead procure oil from US at much higher price. India also committed to purchase around USD 500 billion worth of US goods over the next five years and open Indian market to US agricultural products including dairy products much to the distress of Indian peasants. After all such commitments akin to capitulating to US dictates, US agreed to bring down tariff rate from 25% to 18% (as against previous 3%) and withdraw additional 25% levy imposed for importing Russian crude. In other words, Indian economy is slated to suffer a huge loss while US would gain substantially. Notably, President Trump said in a social media post that following PM Modi’s assurance to replace the India’s import of Russian crude with oil from Venezuela and the United States, he liberalized imposition of tariff on Indian exports to US. Clearly, India had to bend before US fiats and accept most of its term s which is tantamount to giving up India’s strategic autonomy in deciding its economic policy and international trade.
This is not the first time President Trump has bent BJP-led Indian government to his will. In May 2019, India was forced to halt buying oil from Iran after Trump-led US government disallowed a waiver. What this meant was a denial to India of oil that had come with concessions such as free transport and insurance, and 60 days of credit from Iran. India tried to explain that many of its refineries had been calibrated to process Irani crude and could not suddenly shift and also that the stopping of supply from Iran would affect prices and inflation. But those importunities were of no avail and India had to swallow the bitter pill.
India’s despicable silence over US-Israel’s war on Iran and relinquishing Chabahar Port
Just two days after PM Modi returned from his Israel visit, US- Israel duo launched an unprovoked military aggression on Iran, and that too when bilateral talks between US and Iranian negotiators in Geneva was progressing with Oman as the mediator and the talks were stated to be signaling constructive response. On the very first day of military strike, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed at his office by a targeted missile attack by the US forces. One of the very first air strike of US-Israel was on a girls’ school killing over 150–170 people, primarily schoolgirls. But India did not condemn such a wanton violation of international war norms nor did it say any word against this imperialist aggression on a sovereign country with which it cherished a friendly relationship over the years and was importing approximately 13 to 15 % of its crude oil due to refinery compatibility and favourable pricing terms, nor did it condemn assassination of Iran’s supreme leader lest that should irk the US imperialists.
Not just that. PM Modi visited Iran in 2016, met with Ayatollah Khamenei, signed 12 Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) and agreements covering various sectors. The cornerstone of the visit was the signing of a contract to develop and operate the Shahid Beheshti Terminal at Chabahar Port for 10 years by an Indian company, India Ports Global Ltd. The significance of Chabahar Port transcends its role as a mere conduit between India and Iran; it was to serve as a vital trade artery connecting India with Afghanistan and Central Asian countries. India had committed a total of roughly $500 million (Rs 47.6 9 billion) in investments and credit for Iran’s chabahar port. But in September 2025, the US government under Trump revoked all exemptions to Iran-related sanctions, including for Chabahar. India lobbied and got the Chabahar exemption extended until 26 April 2026, after reportedly promising to wind down operations there. In response to an US warning that any entity, anyone considering business deals with Iran need to be aware of the potential risks that they were opening themselves up to and the potential risk of sanctions, the BJP government is stated to be in the process of selling its holding in Chabahar to a local Iranian entity.
Why this timid surrender to US imperialism
Right from the day the BJP with full backing of the ruling Indian monopolists assumed governmental power at the Centre, tilt towards US imperialism began to manifest in a pronounced way. As we have stated on various occasions in Proletarian Era, the Indian monopolists and multi-nationals have been aspiring for long to emerge as a formidable imperialist power not just in Asia but in the world. The oft-repeated claim by PM Modi and his ministers about India being on the threshold of emerging as the third largest economy in the world is an espousal of that aspiration. But despite proclaiming possession of an economic muscle, politically India has not yet been able to elicit that recognition. So is the pressing need to align with US imperialism to score over China, its main rival in the continent and now an imperialist super-power after counter- revolution. And in this effort to become a trusted partner of the US camp, Indian government has not been hesitating to capitulate to US dictates in every respect. US rulers wanted India to be a deterrent to domination of China particularly in West Asia and a land they could use to keep closer watch on Asia. This is the hidden background of much-proclaimed Indo-US bonhomie and the BJP government’s excessive reverence for US.
Hence, PM Modi has chosen to placate Trump because he is beholden to the ruling Indian monopolists and multi-nationals whose class interest he is devoted to serve. If Modi did not appease Trump, Indian businessmen would have suffered. For example, diamond is a major export item to US. If US would have slapped huge tariffs on diamond import, diamond merchants mostly concentrated in PM Modi’s home state Gujarat would have faced export drought. The Adani Group, which also like the Ambanis are very close to PM Modi, has invested billions of dollars in US energy security and infrastructure projects. The investments focus on nuclear power, utilities, and potentially East Coast port projects. Of late, US has withdrawn all cases of sharemarket manipulation by Adani. The Tatas are having a joint venture with Lockheed Martin, a giant US multinational, in arms manufacturing. The Tatas are also having a joint venture with Boeing, another US multinational, to collaborate in aerospace and defence manufacturing and potential integrated systems development opportunities, including unmanned aerial vehicles. Can PM Modi afford not to oblige Ambani-Adani-Tata and their ilk even if that necessitated sacrificing Indian people’s interest? Moreover, President Trump while praising PM Modi as a “great man” in October 2025 at the White House, hastened to add that he did not want to destroy his political career. Though dismissed as a joke, this observation was nothing but a suppressed threat to Modi to remain loyal to Trump. Hence this timorous capitulation of the Indian ruling dispensation to US imperialist regime!
