The silent crime in the global market.

The art of economic war.

This was not a war.

No bombs were dropped.

No soldiers died.

But....

A superpower slowly went down on

its knees.

The weapons? Tariffs.

The trap? FTAs (Free Trade

Agreements).

The target? Not Donald Trump....

but his economic ego.

This was not a loud war.

This was a silent, suffocating war.

Where did the pressure on Trump

begin?

Trump's real concern wasn't what 

India said.

It was what India did - without

saying anything.

India never once said:

"Reduce tariffs on us or our stock

market will crash". 

That's the language of the weak.

That's begging.

India used Institutional

Counterweight Strategy

A planned, legal - yet ruthless -

economic move.

No threats anywhere.

But with every step, the opponent

struggled to breathe.

First Move - Europe (27

countries) The Trojan Horse

India first joined hands

with the 27 nations of the European

Union.

It was called -

"The Mother of All Deals".

The real shift happened there.

European cars, Wines, whiskies,

Medicines....

All positioned to become cheaper

than American products.

First Mover Advantage - to the EU.

America? Standing outside the 

market, watching.

That's when Trump realised - This

wasn't a tariff war. This was market 

occupation.

Second Move - Canada

The Licensed Smuggling Route.

Next plan - FTA with Canada.

In business language, this is

"Smuggling with a License".

Simple Maths :

1 kg Indian rice = Rs.100

Direct export to USA - 50% tariff

- Rs.150

But...

FTA with Canada - Rs.100 to

Canada

Canada rebrands

Rs.20 margin

Sells to USA - Rs.120

Because between USA - Canada,

there is USMCA.

Meaning -

The snake dies without breaking

the stick.

Indian goods legally enter the US

through the gaps in American trade

structures.

Trump understood this game. In 

the end, not ego - but economic

interest decides.

Why did tariffs drop to 18%? The

forced concession

Publicly he said :

"Modi is my dear friend".

But the numbers tell another 

story :

Base tariff on India - 25%

Secondary tariff due to Russian oil

- another 25%

* Total = 50%

India reduced Russian oil imports.

Didn't stop completely.

so one 25% layer was removed.

The remaining 25% was brought

down to 18%.

This wasn't friendship.

This was economic submission

under compulsion.

The US couldn't afford to lose

India as an alternative to China.

Russian Oil - The Grand

Deception

Numbers don't lie.

But political narratives do.

2022 : 50,000 barrels/day

2024 : 1.8 million barrels/day

Now : 1.2 million barrels/day

Lower than 2024.

But still massively higher than

2022.

India refines this oil

into diesel and jet fuel

and sells it back to Europe.

Not a double game. A multi-layered

survival strategy.

Why did the market dance?

The blood flow effect.

Stock markets don't run on 

patriotism.

They don't run on sentiments.

They run on cash flow.

USA means :

Dollar flows.

FII money.

Hedge funds.

The moment a deal signal came

Nifty +600

IT - Jobs - Loans - Real Estate

- Cement, Steel.

This isn't just growth.

This is a controlled economic chain

reaction.

Russia - The Economic Dead End

Russia is a friend.

But not a market.

Trade : $70 B

India buys : $65 B

Russia buys : $5 B

Money doesn't circulate back.

Spending power is limited.

The stock market doesn't need 

friendship.

It needs liquidity.

A pawn in the game Pakistan -

The Disposable Asset

Pakistan faces - 19% tariffs.

India faces 18%.

The same leader who once said

"Pakistan is my friend" has now

signed a deal with India.

In politics, trust is not currency.

Leverage is.

Pakistan doesn't have it.

Final Shot

The House always wins

India didn't fight loudly. Didn't beg.

wasn't submissive.

It engaged Europe.

Built routes through Canada.

Turned economic leverage into a

weapon.

Trump stepped back.

Modi gained ground.

But this is not the end.

This is just the first bloodstain in

the global trade war.

The house always wins.

This time...the house is India.

Courtesy.

What'sApp

Tailpiece.

A quiet Thursday, in the literal sense thanks to the Bharat bandh called by the leftist Trade Unions. Saw one of their leaders grinning shamelessly on evening television saying, "The bandh was a great success".

"For having given discomfort, hardship and suffering to their fellow citizens?"

 

 

 

Sudden spike in HIV cases.

Health authorities in West Bengal's East Bardhaman district have reported a recent increase in HIV infections. Officials noted that individuals from diverse professional and educational backgrounds have been hit, underscoring that HIV transmission can occur across all sections of society.

Alarm over recent cases

* 90 HIV cases reported in East Bardhaman, including 30 in in Bardhaman town

* Most affected are educated and professionally established people

* Spread linked to homosexuality, unprotected sex and social media contacts

* Cases include doctors, professors, teachers, corporate officials

Key reasons 

* Lack of awareness. Misconceptions about HIV/AIDS persist among the educated sections of society

* Social media misuse. Unsafe contacts formed through digital platforms

* Avoiding medical check-ups due to stigma and fear of embarrassment

My take

A very dire situation!

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent all the messages, lit up the puja room lamp, opened up the house and switched on the hymns on the home theatre.

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walked within the house; recited my prayers.

Bath followed by breakfast.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch. Watched "snehakkoottu" followed by siesta.

The evening chores.

Back at The Quarterdeck.

Reached home by a quarter past 1. Quickly sent back our sa'arthi so that he could board the earliest bus back to Kottarakkara. Gave his daughter a gift for her birthday the day after. 

Did the unpacking partially and by the time we hit the sack it was a quarter to 2.

Got up at 5, sent all the messages, lit up the puja room lamp, opened up the house for the day and switched on the hymns on the home theatre.

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walked in the house; recited my prayers.

Bath followed by breakfast.

Lekha and I had gone to town. She bought grocery, vegetables and fruits. I'd gone across to the ICICI and SBI banks to correct the settings. Returned about an hour later, Lekha was already back in by then.

Lunch; watched our serial followed by siesta. 

Went across to Jimmy and got his medical advice.

A quiet evening thereafter.

Return to Guruvayur.

Got up at 5, sent all the messages and turned off to sleep yet again. Got up at 7, went through our chores and were ready by 9. Had breakfast at the Coffee Shop, inquired about the feasibility of going for a good Malayalam movie in one of the nearby cinemas but nothing wasn’t forthcoming.

We’d resigned to waiting for our Chevy to reach us by 1500 hrs, as promised by Monish, our sa’arthi for the journey. In the meanwhile, the hotel allowed us to use the room till 2.

Had a lovely lunch on payment and we began our long wait as the Chevy and Monish reached us by 5 and we began our return soon after.

Tea and snack were at Karunagappalli and we resumed our journey. Dinner was at Aaryaas near Mallan’s kitchen, around a half past 8.

We were on the road to Guruvayur as the clock struck midnight.

At Kollam (2).

Got up at 5, sent all the messages and turned off to sleep all over again. Got up at 7, went through the chores, recited my prayers.

Went down to the restaurant to have the complimentary breakfast. 

Helped Lekha with her saree and we were taken by Lekshmy's relatives, Girish and Sudha, to the Sarada Auditorium. Mukund and Devika tied the knot sometime between a half past 12 and 1. We wished the couple a long and happy married life, clicked a couple of photographs with them. Had the sadya, felt bad that I wasted some side dishes!

Aby dropped us back at the hotel and siesta followed.

Got up at 4, went through our chores and we reached Youhan's Auditorium for the wedding reception at a half past 6. Helped Lekha with her evening saree, too!

It was a beautiful setting. Wished and blessed Mukund and Devika, yet again; they've agreed to call on us at Guruvayur before Mukund returns to his workplace, abroad on 15 Mar.

The dinner was nice.

We left for our hotel by a quarter to 9. It was Aby, who was our sa'arthi, yet again.

A quiet evening, thereafter!

 

At Kollam.

Got up at 5, sent all the messages, lit up the puja room lamp, didn't open up the house as the house was shut down last evening.

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walked within the house: recited my prayers.

Bath followed by breakfast. 

Kicked off from home at 10, returned to pick up our Aadhaar Cards and resumed our journey.

Took the NH 544 route via Ernakulam: it was a grave mistake. There was a series of traffic blocks all through. Took eight hours to reach Lekshmi's house at Kollam.

Had lunch at Salkara at the airport turn junction. The food was nice.

Met up with Aniyan's and Lekshmi's relations.

Had dinner and were dropped at the Sea Palace Hotel.

Slept at our usual time.

You won't believe.....

What India feeds the world....

   1. Rice                                         largest producer.

   2. Wheat                                      second largest producer.

   3. Sugarcane                                second largest producer.

   4. Millets                                     largest producer.

   5. Pulses                                      largest producer.

   6. Spices                                      largest producer and exporter.

   7. Tea                                           second largest producer.

   8. Bananas                                   largest producer.

   9. Mangoes                                  largest producer.

 10. Coconut                                   second largest producer.

 11. Ginger                                      second largest producer.

 12. Onion                                       second largest producer.

 13. Garlic                                       second largest producer.

 14. Tomatoes                                  second largest producer.

 15. Potatoes                                    second largest producer.

 16. Milk                                          largest in population

 17. Goats and buffaloes                  largest in population.

 18. Cattle                                        largest in population.

 19. Fruits and vegetables                second largest producer.

Tailpiece.

Got up at 5, sent all the messages, lit up the puja room lamp, opened up the house for the day and switched on the hymns on the home theatre.

Morning cuppa with Lekha.

Walked within the house; recited my prayers.

Worked on my laptop.

Lunch, watched television followed by siesta.

Shut down The Quarterdeck systematically.

A quiet evening.