Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has strongly criticized former White House trade advisor Peter Navarro for his remarks about "Brahmins profiteering at the expense of the Indian people". Sitharaman's sharp response underscores the sensitivity surrounding discussions of caste and India's economic policies, particularly in the context of international relations.
Navarro made the controversial statement during an interview on Fox News while defending the then-President Donald Trump's 50% tariff on Indian goods. He accused India of laundering Russian oil, alleging that Indian refiners were buying discounted Russian crude, processing it, and exporting it at a premium. In his statement, Navarro said, "I would just say to the Indian people: please, understand what's going on here. You've got Brahmins profiteering at the expense of the Indian people. We need that to stop".
Sitharaman's rebuttal framed Navarro's comments as a reflection of the "divide and rule" tactics employed by imperialists. This phrase references the historical strategy of creating or exacerbating divisions within a population to maintain control, a tactic widely associated with British colonial rule in India. By invoking this historical context, Sitharaman suggested that Navarro's remarks were not merely a critique of economic policy but an attempt to create divisions within Indian society.
Navarro's comments sparked widespread condemnation in India, with many denouncing them as "casteist" and "sinister," and as promoting an "anti-Hindu and anti-India narrative". Critics argued that Navarro's use of the term "Brahmins" was a deliberate attempt to invoke caste identity in a negative way, regardless of whether he was also referencing the "Boston Brahmins".
Several political figures and commentators weighed in on the controversy. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi described Navarro's statement as his "meltdown reaching peak level of senile". She argued that Navarro's "invocation of a particular caste identity in India to make his point, even if it is to imply the 'privileged lot' vis a vis the rest, is shameful and sinister". Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Economic Advisory Council, stated that Navarro's words revealed who in the United States controls the narrative about India and that it was derived from 19th-century colonial jibes.
A Hindu advocacy group, American Hindus Against Defamation (AHAD), demanded Navarro's dismissal from President Trump's team, condemning his remarks as "inappropriate and Hinduphobic". The organization criticized Navarro's reference to caste and his "portrayal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a sacred act of Hindu prayer". AHAD stated that Navarro's rhetoric "constitutes not only a cultural violation but also a reckless provocation that endangers the dignity of over a billion Hindus and threatens the foundational relationship between the two largest democracies". They further added that his comments about "Brahmins profiting at the expense of the Indian people" were a colonial stereotype.
The controversy arose in the context of already strained diplomatic relations between the United States and India, particularly concerning trade and energy disputes. The US had been critical of India's continued purchase of crude oil from Russia, arguing that it was indirectly funding Russia's war in Ukraine. Navarro's remarks were seen by some as a further sign of the deteriorating relationship between the two countries.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also commented on the situation, cautioning the US against taking an aggressive stance on India and China with tariffs and sanctions. He accused the Trump administration of using economic pressure to undermine the two biggest powers in Asia and called India and China "partners," stating that the tariffs were aimed at weakening their leadership.
