Balanced and mature analysis needed for Indo-US trade pact

Gustakhi Maaf Haryana – Pawan Kumar Bansal

By our enlightened reader, Dr. Ranbir Singh Phaugat

The recent Indo–US trade agreement should neither be viewed nor interpreted as a curse or a blessing in simplistic terms. Trade agreements are not governed by omens or sentiments; rather, they are shaped by realistic necessities, economic values, and the actual effort involved in producing goods, commodities, or services.

Such agreements cannot be assessed through a rudimentary journalistic lens, especially by those who are neither economic analysts nor familiar with econometrics. The Indian market will naturally absorb goods and commodities that are genuinely required, and the United States will reciprocate in a similar manner. This is the essence of a globalized economy.

The terms of the agreement have not been imposed upon India; instead, they have evolved through the political economies of two large nations. Unfortunately, many journalists lack the expertise required to assess the real impact of such mutual trade agreements and, therefore, should rely on informed opinions expressed by professional economists.

At best, what often emerges in media commentary is a rustic and superficial opinion, shaped largely by selective news reports and digital or print media narratives. Journalists do not have access to the minutes of deliberations between Indo–US trade representatives, nor to the detailed economic groundwork carried out by experts behind the scenes. It would also be incorrect to presume that the advice of Indian economists was ignored or sidelined.

Some sections of the media have created depressive and misleading impressions through immature analysis. Such reporting neither holds analytical value nor rises above mediocrity. Instead, it risks confusing the public and may even provoke farmers’ associations or other groups into unnecessary and disruptive activities.

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