दिल्ली: अमेरिकी राष्ट्रपति डोनाल्ड ट्रंप के 25% टैरिफ विवाद पर कांग्रेस सांसद शशि थरूर ने विस्तार से स्थिति स्पष्ट की। उन्होंने कहा: "अमेरिका ही हमारा एकमात्र विकल्प नहीं है। हमने UK के साथ डील की है, EU से बातचीत जारी है और कई देशों के साथ नेगोशिएशन चल रहे हैं। अगर अमेरिका अनुचित मांग करेगा तो हमें वैकल्पिक बाजार तलाशने होंगे।उन्होंने कहा कि भारत के पास मजबूत घरेलू बाजार है और सरकार को अपने नेगोशिएटर्स का समर्थन करना चाहिए ताकि सबसे बेहतर डील हासिल हो सके।
00:00अब दो जो अब तो 35, 45, we don't know how much, there's even talk of 100% penalty which will destroy our trade with America.
00:07It may be just a bargaining tactic, as you know the trade negotiations are still going on.
00:13And therefore there is a possibility that in the course of negotiations this may come down.
00:19If it doesn't, it will certainly damage our exports because America is a very big market for us.
00:25We are, I think, our exports alone are 87, 90 billion dollars.
00:28So if there is a dramatic drop that will hurt us, some estimates are already coming that we might end up losing half a percent of GDP if we don't have the American market.
00:38On the other hand, if their demands are completely unreasonable, our negotiators have every right to resist.
00:44For example, we have about 700 million Indians who are dependent on agriculture.
00:49We cannot risk their livelihoods to make America happy.
00:53America has to understand our needs as well.
00:55Actually, our tariffs on America are not that unreasonable.
01:00It's about 17% average.
01:03And American goods are not priced that competitively.
01:06That they can sell so much in the Indian market.
01:08If Mr. Trump thinks, oh, we can sell a lot of items.
01:14Then they have to look at their own prices.
01:15Are they competitive?
01:16Most of the things they want to sell us as manufactured goods are cheaper from other suppliers.
01:22Everyone will buy what they can afford to buy.
01:24So this also the Americans have to realize.
01:27I do believe the American stand has not been totally reasonable.
01:31And I believe our stand, we can possibly show some flexibility, but there is a limit to how much flexibility we can show.
01:38Everything depends on the ongoing negotiations.
01:41I wish our negotiators good luck and good courage because we can't afford to buckle under.
01:47We have to keep our national interests as number one in our minds.
01:50Also, we talk about Trump recently tweet press in the morning where he said that the Russia and India economy is so weak.
01:57You know, targeting India.
01:58How do you see that coming up?
01:59Look, I mean, the honest truth is that the Russian economy is half the size of our economy.
02:04So you can't rely on Russia has become increasingly dependent on China as well.
02:09So we have to bear all this in mind.
02:11Look, it's a very complex scenario.
02:13We can't just talk in five minutes about it.
02:15But what we have to understand is, yes, we have a strategic partnership with the United States, which is of some value to our country.
02:23But there has to be a reasonable conversation amongst friends.
02:28You cannot have a situation where one side makes unilateral demands and us as a country, we have to just take it lying down.
02:37That will not happen.
02:38India is a proud and self-respecting independent nation.
02:42We have our interests.
02:43We have our red lines.
02:44And on that basis, there will be some things we can discuss, some things we will not be able to discuss.
02:49They also have their own red lines.
02:51So I think there has to be some give and take.
02:53Let's wait as the negotiations progress.
02:55I can, we can analyze all the implications.
02:59But this is not the final answer.
03:01There has got to be some more negotiating to be done.
03:03I think that they may have some illusions about finding oil in Pakistan.
03:13I wish them luck.
03:14You remember that, you know, we were all one country at one time.
03:18I have not seen any reports that there was a great deal of oil to be found in what is today Pakistan.
03:23But if the Americans want to look, let them look.
03:26I mean, we looked, as you know, we found some oil in Bombay High.
03:28We found some oil in Assam.
03:30But we are importing 86% of our oil and gas needs.
03:34So I don't know how much they're going to find.
03:36But I mean, look, as far as I'm concerned, let them do what they're like with other countries.
03:40The only issue that matters to me is what they do with our country.
03:44How do you see India stand in whole situation which is coming up, sir?
04:01Do you see that India's situation is good, stand is fine?
04:05On the question of tariffs?
04:07Yes, sir.
04:07No, look, I mean, it is a challenging negotiation.
04:10We are negotiating with many countries.
04:11The U.S. is not the only negotiation.
04:14We have an ongoing negotiation with the EU.
04:16We've already concluded the deal with the U.K.
04:18We will be talking to other countries also.
04:20And if the worst comes to the worst, we will have to diversify more out of the American market into other markets if we can't compete in America.
04:28We are not without options.
04:29I mean, I think we have to understand we want and value the relationship with America.
04:34But if America is completely unreasonable in their demands, we will have to go elsewhere.
04:38I mean, that is the strength of India.
04:40No, we are not totally export dependent economy like, say, China is.
04:43We have a good, strong domestic market also.
04:47I would like to say that we must give strong support to our negotiators to find the best deal possible.
04:53If a good deal is not possible, we may have to walk away.
04:56We'll have to see.
04:57But America wants to say that the GM is going to be in the market.
05:00It is possible that the GM is going to be in the market for the private sector.
05:04Your party is saying that the GM is going to be in the market for the private sector.
