NEW DELHI – Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has strongly condemned some Indian politicians and media people for trying to explain away the controversial comments made by U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade adviser, Peter Navarro. Navarro said that “Brahmins” were benefiting from India’s purchase of Russian oil. Some people in India said that he was probably using the phrase in the American sense of “Boston Brahmins,” which refers to rich old-money people.
Sitharaman flatly rejected this argument, calling it a “outrageous” justification. “Exactly the same divide and rule principle that the British used, which the imperialists used here,” she remarked in an interview with CNBC TV18. “And today, the imperialists’ buddies are telling us, ‘you know the expression Boston Brahmins is this and not that.’ Who the hell cares? I’m sorry. Who the hell cares? I want Indians to be able to think for themselves.
The Finance Minister told anyone who are “defending the language” to speak out against these kinds of comments. “Those Indians who are now protecting that language should go up and say, ‘We have been free from you all for more than 75–80 years. We’ll take care of ourselves and mind our own business. “Don’t say these things.”
Some lawmakers had tried to put Navarro’s words in context on social media, and Sitharaman’s comments were a direct response to their posts. Sagarika Ghose, a leader of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), wrote that “Boston Brahmin” is a term used in the U.S. for the rich elite, and that “Brahmin” is still used in English-speaking countries to mean “social or economic ‘elites’.” Saket Gokhale, another TMC leader, also gave a similar explanation, saying that Navarro’s use of the word was a “classic case of ignorance” and telling BJP spokespeople to “start reading some real books.”
The Finance Minister’s strong words show that fresh Delhi is becoming more sensitive to what the Trump administration says, especially since fresh tariffs were put on Indian goods. The event shows that the Indian government is even more upset about what it sees as a pattern of U.S. officials making arrogant and wrong statements about its economic and geopolitical policies.