‘Won’t forget 200 years of colonial power’: Shashi Tharoor says India won’t be dictated by a foreign power amid US’ demands
India is shoring up its relationships with old and would-be new friends as a bulwark against all the uncertainties amid Trump's demands, said Shashi Tharoor.
- Sep 3, 2025,
- Updated Sep 3, 2025 12:51 PM IST
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said US President Donald Trump tariffs have been “absolutely stinging” for India but added that India is not ready to forget 200 years of colonial power and allow a foreign country to dictate its policies. He also called the tariffs “completely unjustified”.
In an interview in Al Arabiya English, Tharoor said that the 50 per cent tariffs, which makes India the most tariffed nation in the world, along with Brazil, has had “quite a serious impact”. “Factories are laying off workers…At that point, the imperative need to shore up relationships with other countries, other investors, other markets became much more urgent,” said Tharoor, referring to the SCO Summit attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Tianjin, China.
PM Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin together as well as held bilateral meetings with the leaders. He said India and China have reached a point of pivot from “conversation to conversation” and there’s been a long-standing relationship with Russia. Putin is also scheduled to visit India later this year.
“So India is clearly shoring up its relationships with old friends and would-be new friends in Russia and China respectively, particularly as a bulwark against all the uncertainties that the Trump tempest has unleashed on India in recent weeks,” said Tharoor. He added that both India and China now realise that this is perhaps not a bad time to hold friendly talks.
Talking about the tariffs imposed by the US, Tharoor said who a nation trades with is a sovereign decision. “No one in America would allow anybody to presume to tell them whom they can and cannot trade with. And the only constraint that India or any other sovereign nation has historically been willing to observe is when the UN Security Council sanctions a particular country. But there is no UN sanction on Russia,” he said. Tharoor said the EU is purchasing more Russian oil, and they are sending more dollars to Russia than India.
“China buys far more oil and gas than we do. But America can't dare to sanction China with an extra 25 per cent. Because they know that the Chinese can withhold rare earth magnets and other vital materials that the American economy needs. The problem is that India essentially is unable to conduct any reprisals against this punitive, vindictive action by America. The only way we can do so would be to hurt our own producers who are already hurting in terms of those items that the Americans have sanctioned,” said Tharoor in the interview.
“I know there's very serious anger because the Indian public won't forget after 200 years of colonialism. We are not prepared to be dictated to by any foreign power. It's just it is our strategic autonomy has been a fundamental tenet of our foreign policy under all governments and we've had various parties in office at various times. No one has moved under, no one has buckled under. Strategic dignity matters to us,” said the Congress MP.
“We will not surrender our right to conduct our foreign policy based on our national interests. So I think you will see from India with massive popular support, strategic resolve and diplomatic firmness. I mean, we value our partnership with the US, but our foreign policy choices are non-negotiable and can be dictated solely by our national interests,” said Tharoor.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said US President Donald Trump tariffs have been “absolutely stinging” for India but added that India is not ready to forget 200 years of colonial power and allow a foreign country to dictate its policies. He also called the tariffs “completely unjustified”.
In an interview in Al Arabiya English, Tharoor said that the 50 per cent tariffs, which makes India the most tariffed nation in the world, along with Brazil, has had “quite a serious impact”. “Factories are laying off workers…At that point, the imperative need to shore up relationships with other countries, other investors, other markets became much more urgent,” said Tharoor, referring to the SCO Summit attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Tianjin, China.
PM Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin together as well as held bilateral meetings with the leaders. He said India and China have reached a point of pivot from “conversation to conversation” and there’s been a long-standing relationship with Russia. Putin is also scheduled to visit India later this year.
“So India is clearly shoring up its relationships with old friends and would-be new friends in Russia and China respectively, particularly as a bulwark against all the uncertainties that the Trump tempest has unleashed on India in recent weeks,” said Tharoor. He added that both India and China now realise that this is perhaps not a bad time to hold friendly talks.
Talking about the tariffs imposed by the US, Tharoor said who a nation trades with is a sovereign decision. “No one in America would allow anybody to presume to tell them whom they can and cannot trade with. And the only constraint that India or any other sovereign nation has historically been willing to observe is when the UN Security Council sanctions a particular country. But there is no UN sanction on Russia,” he said. Tharoor said the EU is purchasing more Russian oil, and they are sending more dollars to Russia than India.
“China buys far more oil and gas than we do. But America can't dare to sanction China with an extra 25 per cent. Because they know that the Chinese can withhold rare earth magnets and other vital materials that the American economy needs. The problem is that India essentially is unable to conduct any reprisals against this punitive, vindictive action by America. The only way we can do so would be to hurt our own producers who are already hurting in terms of those items that the Americans have sanctioned,” said Tharoor in the interview.
“I know there's very serious anger because the Indian public won't forget after 200 years of colonialism. We are not prepared to be dictated to by any foreign power. It's just it is our strategic autonomy has been a fundamental tenet of our foreign policy under all governments and we've had various parties in office at various times. No one has moved under, no one has buckled under. Strategic dignity matters to us,” said the Congress MP.
“We will not surrender our right to conduct our foreign policy based on our national interests. So I think you will see from India with massive popular support, strategic resolve and diplomatic firmness. I mean, we value our partnership with the US, but our foreign policy choices are non-negotiable and can be dictated solely by our national interests,” said Tharoor.