Anticipatory obedience did not then take India very far. The promises of purchasing defence goods, underwater technology co-operation, etc. that were given away for free, should have been used as bargaining chips during the trade and tariffs discussions
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington DC to meet United States President Donald Trump — the fourth world leader to do so after Trump assumed office — requires some deconstruction and demystification. As does his interaction with Elon Musk’s family flanked by the Indian foreign policy establishment.
The visit has been presented uncritically in India as an early engagement signalling India’s growing global influence, its strategic importance to the US, another step forward in strengthening bilateral relations and reflecting mutual respect and rapport between Modi and Trump. But it looks very much like bending a knee to the powerful even before being asked to do so. A useful term to describe India’s responses would be anticipatory obedience — concept coined by Timothy Snyder, professor at Yale University in his book ‘On Tyranny – Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century’ analysing fascism.
Anticipatory obedience in diplomacy can sometimes look like efficiency and even strategy, but it is anything but that. A pre-emptive action that involves giving up even before the contest has begun because of fear of consequences of differing with or disobeying a superpower.
India has been trying to appease Trump even before his inauguration on January 20. Four days earlier on January 16, India virtually accepted the US charge that one of its officials had a role in the conspiracy to kill an American citizen, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. An Indian government panel recommended action against the official involved in the plot….
https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/indias-appeasement-of-donald-trump-comes-to-nought-3417919
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After the truth-shower 