00:00OK, so a coherent message there to an administration that has people in it in Washington, like Peter Navarro, a White House trade adviser who I think must have created some pretty major ripples in India.
00:14Knowing the countries I do and reading between the lines, he said India is fueling Russia's war machine by buying Russian oil.
00:20Then he made this curious comment about Brahmins profiteering.
00:26And I wonder what's been the reaction to comments like that.
00:28And what do you think he's getting at here?
00:30Surprisingly, I would have expected much more negativity in India.
00:35But I think after the experience of the last six months, especially after all that's happened in Operation Sindhu and the standoff with the United States,
00:45not really a standoff, but all this issue of the tariffs, etc., I think India has also got a little hardened.
00:51The leadership, you know, the civil society, etc., even the media is not so sensational at the moment.
00:58So all these various statements being made out by Peter Navarro are being taken and taken in their stride at the moment, commented upon, and nothing, no one is taking it to heart completely.
01:11And there's a couple of reasons for it.
01:12I was questioned this yesterday on a very interesting show with one of India's leading commentators, social media persons, TV personalities, Ms. Barkha Dutt.
01:25She asked me this same question.
01:28And I explained to her.
01:29I said this is the time of information warfare.
01:34This is the time of narratives.
01:36And the United States is overplaying its narratives.
01:40If you go into the history of Steve Navarro, what is his name?
01:46Peter Navarro.
01:47Peter Navarro.
01:48Peter Navarro, yeah.
01:49Peter Navarro, if you go into the history of Peter Navarro, I don't think he has ever said a word against India in the past ever.
01:55All of a sudden he emerges one fine day and starts speaking all kinds of things about India.
02:01Do I have to believe it?
02:02Yes, a lot of people in the world are looking at it, but I don't think the credibility of this is very high.
02:08India has got a certain credibility in the international community, which is not being affected by this.
02:15To say that India is in bed with China and Russia, that we are the ones who are fueling this war.
02:22Okay, people in Europe may be feeling it, but I don't think the leadership in Europe or anywhere else is also perceiving it in that manner.
02:30This seems to be a reasonably immature kind of a narrative play out by the deep state in the United States, if you ask me.
02:40And I think this is something which is only in the passing.
02:43It is not going to stay very long.
02:46And that's the way India is actually handling it.
02:49And I think that's a very mature way of looking at it.
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