Letter to the Editor: Lift Export Ban on a Drug

Rudra Sen

India has agreed to lift an export ban on a drug US President Donald Trump has called a “game-changer” in the fight against coronavirus, despite reservations from medical experts. The decision came after Mr Trump warned of “retaliation” if India did not drop the ban on hydroxychloroquine exports. India is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of hydroxychloroquine. President Trump called Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 5 Sunday, a day after India banned all exports of the drug “without exception”. The decision came even as Indian cases spiked – as of today the country reported 3,981 active cases and 114 deaths due to the virus. The next day, local media reported that India would “consider” the request. The same day, speaking at a White House press briefing, Mr Trump said he did not “like” India’s decision to ban the export of the drug. “But of course, there may be retaliation,” he said. “Why wouldn’t there be?” I am just shocked and furious to see the audacity of US President Donald Trump. The mighty United States still thinks it is the master of the world and it can get whatever and whenever it wants and exploit every nation for US interest. This is for nearly a century, the U.S. regime has made it its goal to terrorise defenceless nations it deemed geopolitically unfriendly to its imperialist dictates. It is a well-financed and deliberate campaign of unprovoked aggression, heinous war crimes and wanton destruction to dominate the world.

Without effective deterrence, every nation is at the mercy of U.S. barbarism. The threat of retaliation if India does not export hydroxychloroquine drug to United States is another example of hegemonic barbarism. For Donald Trump the lives of the people of his country are more valuable than Indians or any other people of the world. The Trump administration has already created a national strategic stockpile of 29 million doses of the malaria drug, anticipating that its test results on more than 1,500 COVID-19 patients in New York is yielding positive results. Now, he openly threats a sovereign nation and dictates its policy as he audaciously calls the supply of India-made drug hydroxychloroquine as “our supply”. And the response of Indian rulers is very demoralising for the Indian people. The decision of lifting restrictions on export of 14 drugs under U.S. pressure is nothing but an act of surrender to the threat from a hegemonic superpower. Modi government’s 56-inch-chest facade buckled under U.S. pressure. Our rulers have capitulated our lives and dignity for the interest of the United States. The much fanfare of “Howdy Modi” event last year and Donald Trump’s and his family’s visit to India in last February have shaped a perception that India is a “friend” and “junior partner” of United States. This recent threat from Trump, the so called “friend” of Modi and India proves United States never consider India a friend or partner. To the U.S., India is nothing but a financial colony which can be used for its hegemonic intention over South-Asia and combat the influence of China in this reason. Indian soil is very likely to be used as overland military base of Pentagon to attack China as our submissive rulers have no spine and have got only duty of carrying our orders from its masters in United States. The leaders of ruling party are in a habit of branding China as an enemy of our country. India obtained more than one million masks, thousands of ventilators, and PPE suits and other equipment from China in recent days, despite new cases of Covid-19 coming up in China, and despite brazen anti-China tirade in India. So, who is our real friend, US or China? This slavish and attitude of present regime of India, a country that once prided itself on having stared down the US when it sought to spook India by sending the Seventh Fleet steaming towards the subcontinent during the Bangladesh Liberation War, is utterly shameful and demoralizing to the Indian people.  

We must remind our rulers that though Donald Trump and his family members are good friend of our Prime Minister, the United States can never be a friend of Indian people and a century-long of needless acts of aggression, the U.S. proved to be the world’s leading perpetrator of global terrorism. The U.S. will only stop perpetrating aggression if countries like India stop boot-licking them and stand up for international law and fight U.S. terrorism by building effective defence capabilities against U.S. hegemony.  

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Apr 12, 2020