New Delhi [India], November 14 : Foreign Affairs expert Robinder Sachdev has praised Tulsi Gabbard's appointment as Director of National Intelligence, calling her "clear-headed" and highlighting her strong understanding of India-related matters.
He noted that Trump's trust in Gabbard is evident, and her appointment, along with other senior female appointees, indicated a shift in Trump's approach and added that her appointment is very 'interesting'.
"It was expected that Tulsi Gabbard would get some senior post but being the Director of National Intelligence is something very interesting, especially with regards to India. This time around Trump is under no pressure from conservative traditional Republicans to bow to their wishes. He's speaking and choosing the players he wants, so he's putting together a band of brothers and sisters. There are two women senior appointees so far. I think the NSA, Chief of Staff also and Tulsi Gabbard, there may be more. This is an indication of the trust that Trump has in Tulsi Gabbard. Ronald Reagan once said, 'Personnel is policy'. So, if Tulsi is appointed, we can see her background and we can be reasonably sure that that's how she will conduct the policy. And if we look at the background, we will find that she has been a very clear-headed person with regards to many matters especially with matters regarding India. So it is a very strong positive development for India," Sachdev said.
After his victory over Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the 2024 US presidential election, President-elect Donal Trump on Wednesday nominated Gabbard as the Director of National Intelligence (DNI).
Speaking about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's three-nation tour from November 16 to 21, to Brazil for the G20 Summit, and strengthening bilateral ties with Nigeria and Guyana, Sachdev suggested that PM Modi must take a short detour to the US on completion of his trip and visit Florida and interact with Trump, congratulate him and discuss the Russia-Ukraine issue with him.
"On the way back after completing his visit PM Modi can take a short hop to Florida, which is hardly four or five hours away. Go and congratulate and greet his friend and President-elect Trump. And also discuss Russia-Ukraine because Trump has made it clear, that stopping the war is his top priority. So Trump and his team must be right now actively working on that. All of these appointees, be it Gabbard, the NSA, the Secretary of State, their first immediate task would be to look at the Ukraine-Russia war," he said.
Sachdev also suggested that Prime Minister Modi should meet with Trump to discuss the Russia-Ukraine issue, citing shared interests in ending the war. This meeting would be beneficial for peace, humanitarian reasons, and India's interests.
"A meeting between Prime Minister Modi and Trump at this juncture immediately would be extremely beneficial for the peace, which is a one-point plan of Prime Minister Modi. That is, to stop the war. And secondly, it'll be good for the world, humanity-wise. And thirdly, the sooner this war stops, the better it is for India because Russia will have to tilt less and depend upon China. So I think this is a very opportune moment for PM Modi. He can take a short detour, stop over, meet and greet and have discussions on the Russia-Ukraine issue and be back in India," he said.
Sachdev criticized Oxford University's upcoming debate session on "This House Believes in the Independent State of Kashmir," and urged the university to ensure speakers have no ties to terrorist organizations. He noted that Oxford's student union often leans towards leftist and socialist agendas, and this debate may be another example.
"A university administration is different than what a student union normally does. Student unions in some universities are known for their particular views. Oxford Union is known often to veer towards or to lean towards leftist and socialist agendas. They lean towards matters related to India and India's sovereignty, particularly about Kashmir. So I think what we are seeing is again a repeat of the tendencies of the student union in Oxford. As far as the diaspora are being irked, and upset I think we all would be as far as calling upon the university to take action. I think yes, we can call upon the university. The university can at least see that some of the speakers do not have a very tempted past, though we understand the university may not want to interfere in such matters. But still, I think since the matter pertains to Oxford's ecology and ecosystem. Overall, the university must at least check the speakers," he said.