One wonders if there is any country left untouched by Trump when it comes to being made fun of, including its leaders. The less said the better about how he peddled blatant falsehoods regarding his alleged interference in settling issues between India and Pakistan in the recent past. Time and again, Modi’s lieutenants in the Embassies and the MEA sent rejoinders in the most diplomatic manner, though he faced the wrath of his political opponents within the country.
However, Trump’s utterances in international fora have, by and large, been left unheeded or ignored so as not to rub him the wrong way, considering that the USA is still a force to reckon with, though it has become considerably weaker over the past five decades, internationally speaking. The Dollar, Gold and Silver have yet to take away the sheen of the USA being a superpower.
At the recent G7 Summit, he seems to have run out of luck, if not steam. Modi was luckier, and people enjoyed the rhyme of Meloni and Melody when he gifted her Indian-made Parle Melody chocolates. It was received ‘melodi’ously across the world, and in India in particular. Modi took all the rantings on social media over Melody chocolates in his stride and kept up the humour that any democracy can afford in the name of free speech.
Assuming that he could get away as easily as he did with Modi, Trump’s experiment with Meloni not only failed but boomeranged in the most unexpected manner. People across countries were perhaps waiting for someone to come forward and show Trump his place. He would not have expected Meloni to take it as agony, unlike how graciously she accepted Modi’s Melody.
Her anger and self-respect for her country seem to have resulted in her saying that Trump would face consequences for what he said and for what, in reality, never happened. He has his own communication style, far removed from the typical dos and don’ts of verbal exchanges among national leaders in international fora. All those who make fun of Modi for teleprompters or cue cards should now realise that he is a shade better in his communication style and sense of responsibility, rather than making brazen statements like Trump.
Meloni said she was “frankly stunned” by Trump’s comments in a television interview. He claimed that Meloni “begged me for a picture”, to which she replied that “neither I nor Italy ever beg”. His attitude, ego and one-upmanship, blended into a deadly cocktail, may prevent him from apologising, but Meloni has put her foot down with the force the situation deserved.
If Obama were in Trump’s place, he would neither have uttered such words in the first instance nor hesitated to apologise for his hasty comments had he made them. Trump’s oft-repeated words like “tremendous”, “very”, “huge” and “beautiful” remind one of a boisterous schoolboy creating an illusion of truth and audience engagement.
Can we expect such niceties from Trump, who may not even heed his advisers if they prevailed upon him to ask Meloni to take his comments in a lighter vein? Meloni’s response may slow down Trump’s habit of playing to the gallery in future, though nothing can be guaranteed.
Having said this, there is no need to link it with Modi’s tolerance and perseverance in dealing with big nations and their leaders. There is always a thin line separating patience from cowardice. Modi’s patience should not be misconstrued as meekness, nor should diplomacy be wrongly interpreted.
Italy is smaller than many Indian states. Italy has the EU to defend it, but India stands firmly on its own feet without losing balance. If Trump claims that all leaders, except himself, are ignorant, then he should realise that “ignorance is bliss”. India would be only too happy with the latter.
