Javaid Iqbal Bhat
Racial nationalism seems to be at work here, a racial aggregation, which threatens to take out the rest; commonly known through terms like white supremacism, white power, and even white civilisation. Was it not Toni Morrison, the African-American novelist, who clarified that it is the black, which united the US, and kept them from killing each other?
One major difference between the two leaders remains in the terms of protectionism and expansionism. Trump is withdrawing his country from international agreements and treaties, seeking to consolidate the internal position of the country. He is erecting a psychological wall around the collective imagination of the countrymen. He has been brusque in stating that the mess in the Middle East is due to the Iraq War, which the US should not have waged. Thus, he is calling for an end to such misadventures.
However, in the sub-continent, Doval Doctrine still remains in place, which has and continues to spur active intervention in foreign countries. The map in the deepest recesses of Modi is not the one with Jammu and Kashmir on the top but one in which the crown lies in Afghanistan. Akhand Bharat is a state of mind, and expansionism is, thus, a congenital need rather than a temporary strategic maneuver. One critical difference is that while Modi’s opposition has become like Team B of his plans, Trump’s opposition stands firm on its ideological footing, with no effort to copy his polarising tactics in order to win back the road to power.
Concluded
