India once again was at the centre of an unsavoury reference in the second leg of the presidential debate between US President Donald Trump and former Vice-President Joe Biden. Contrary to the expectation of a diplomatic approach towards India-US strategic ties, Trump threw another bombshell while speaking at the final presidential debate before the November 3 elections. He referred to "filthy air" in India and defended his decision to pull out of the Paris accord. "Look at India. It's filthy. The air is filthy," Trump was quoted, while also referring to China and Russia.
The American president has been consistent in his observations on air quality in the three countries he named. In the first debate on September 29, he was quoted as saying, "China sends up real dirt into the air. Russia does, India does, they all do." Such references in the buildup to the presidential climax are in bad taste and would embarrass not only a large section of Indo-Americans on whom Trump in banking on, but would also stir a hornet's nest among people who are rooted in nationalism back home.
Trump defended his decision to withdraw from the Paris accord. He made a pitch for setting a benchmark on carbon emission standards and creating an incredible job environment. His speech mainly revolved around highlighting the achievements of his administration so far. But the ugly reference to India and other nations to justify his superiority is misplaced. Joe Biden, on the other hand, vouched that they have a moral obligation to deal with climate change and argued around a climate plan and creation of jobs. He spoke of how Trump presidency will put the nation in more trouble with health and employment is at stake.
Is this the picture Trump draws of India or is it pure power-play to leverage his position among the US voters? Why did the filthy air not be part of Modi-Trump dialogues and friendly gestures? Lest we forget, both leaders were often seen in warm embraces, hand-holding and posing for extreme bonhomie photos last year. Howdy, Modi and Namaste Trump were big-stage events that were believed to draw the two nations together.
Beyond the discomfiture, the comment is an eye-opener, and there are lessons to be learnt for India. Yes, indeed we are a polluted nation, there's no denying that. Modi had spent crores of rupees to mask the stench and pollution during Trump's last visit to India. There was a flowery welcome like no other, and walls were built to hide the underbelly.
Statistics paint a grim picture. India witnessed a 1 per cent fall in carbon emissions in the fiscal year ending March 2020, primarily because of economic slowdown, renewable energy growth and the impact of Covid-19. However, that's hardly a reason to cheer for a nation that emitted 2,299 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2018, a 4.8% rise from 2017. There is a challenging task at hand. Under the Paris accord, India has set a target to reduce emissions by over 30% by 2030 in comparison with 2005 levels. It's time to take climate change very seriously.
