Donald Trump repeatedly ranted against India as he dropped out of the Paris Climate Deal by saying - "India makes its participation contingent on receiving billions and billions and billions of dollars in foreign aid from developed countries".
It's a typical Trump hyperbole. When it comes to creating imagery no one can beat him. He makes use of his great persuation skills in his public addresses "Hey. Look at the crowd. There are tens of thousands of them". There might be actually a thousand, but the impression amplifies and sticks in the mind of the targetted audience is, "Wow, how popular is this guy !!!".
He once said - "ISIS douses you in oil, burn you in a cage, they chop your heads", making hand gestures to drive his point. Don't think ISIS will ever come to the American heartland to make Kentucky Fried People, but the image of such brutality created by his oratory skills creates a sense of apprehension of Trump being their protector, their Knight in Shining Armor.
Such visuals inside the brain creates a persuasive image, inculcating a lasting impression, more lasting than facts and figures. Images created via Emotions is more influencial than logic - as love (its opposite hatred too) is strongest when its unreasonable. Human heart is known to override its judgemental head.
Similarly Trump' claim that India was seeking "billions and billions and billions" is no doubt a gross exagerration. Yet it reinforces the adage - "All politics is local". We may not like Trump, but his voters like him and he cares for them. The rest of the world can hate him, but it hardly matters to him, nor he cares.
It is important to note that President Trump has proved different than the candidate Trump - his campaign video addressing to Indian Americans ABAKI BHAAR TRUMPH SARKHTAAR (this time it's Trump Administration) not withstanding. He doesn't care much about India and did not think twice before being overtly critical of India - especially a few days before his first ever meeting with Modi as POTUS.
Understandably, there is lots of outrage on Trump's statement. There has been war cries in a section of media, social or otherwise, a few wanting Modi to cancel his scheduled meeting with Trump.
But such decisions in haste would be immature diplomacy at the best. Even German's Merkel and Mexico's President - the nations with whom US has a lot at stake are playing defensive. With U.S. having a tremendous upper hand vis a vis India, it will be immature for Modi to call spade a spade, as it will backfire on the later.
With 2.5% of our share of world trade and of least strategic importance to US, I don't think we are in a great position to drive a wedge. US is still the Superpower and India needs US MORE than the other way round, especially when surrounded by a resurgent and belligerent China. Diplomacy is not a zero sum game played on emotional whims, rather it needs a lot of deftness to protect a nation's self interest.
For the Modi supporters who did YAGYAN (Sacrificial fire) for Trump's victory, they can chant this epic song from the movie "Bhaag Milkha" -
HAVAN KARENGE,
HAVAN HARENGE,
HAVAN KARENGE
as only Trump can match the GARAM HAWA emanating from the HAVAN fire by his own "Hot air".
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