Prime Minister Modi’s meeting with Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany May 02, 2022

My concern with any meeting between India and European nations is simple. We are not socioeconomic equals, we cannot make a deal with them in which there is any sense of parity. These nations are profoundly disinterested in India, their interest is triggered only when they imagine what we can do to make their lives easier. It is not interdependence they seek, it is some form - albeit complex - obedience. They want a market for their products in the same way the East India Company wanted a market for their products. They want us to support them in their troubles with Russia, and become a political vassal state. These nations have no history or tradition of working with others as equals; they remain wannabe colonial powers. Not that long ago, they were defending apartheid, funding every insurgency and mineral grab in Latin America, Africa, and Far East. European nations have no real history of crafting a win-win relationship (not even with each other with whom they are constantly warring), and we have a history of deep seated division and corruption, and sucking up to foreign interests at the expense of our own. European nations fall all over themselves (particularly UK) to declare their subservience to the US. We should not fall all over ourselves to declare our subservience to European nations. European nations were saying quite clearly, not just a few weeks ago, 'we will continue purchasing oil, gas, and other minerals from Russia, but you Indians should completely stop all purchase of oil, arms, and other things from Russia (while we will of course maintain our cozy relationship with Pakistan, arm them, finance them, and look the other way when China intrudes into your border and Pakistan sends terrorists to hurt you). They think this is acceptable. We should not let them think this is acceptable to us. I have yet to see a single European power say to China: 'remove your troops from the Indian border, or we will stop trading with you.' But they expect India to fall into line when they say exactly the same thing about our trade with Russia. In other words, this is not parity. I worry about our sociocultural under-confidence that leads us to subservience. The right wing politics that is sweeping Europe does not even regard anyone other than them as their intellectual equals. On the other side, we have a long history of being easily bought, foreign interests have heavily relied on our disorganization and disunity to rule over us (for some 2000 years). Even today, an obviously Caucasian individual walking into a market will have people falling all over themselves to win their favor, and willing to do for him/her what they are unwilling to do for other Indians. We have to accept this about us and over come this weakness. Note that the Indian sub-continent lost more soldiers in WWI and WWII than any other country (even though Russia lost more civilians). Then they showed off about it. But not one of the shooters in Jallianwalla Bagh thought of turning his rifle on Dwyer; they just shot defenseless brethren. Quite literally, Europe expects India - as we have done in history - to help them fight their wars. I am not suggesting we should not talk to people, or not work with people, or not collaborate with people. But we should do so with our eyes open, minds at work, and as a united, uncorruptible people. I am suggesting we guard against hubris. As former monarchies, all European nations know how to flatter and lay out the charm; all are highly successful manipulators. We would be foolish to think that a meeting with their leaders automatically means anything; what it means is: beware.