India is not just a country. It is a civilizational force that has weathered invasions, colonisations, and now, economic coercion dressed up as diplomacy. When Donald Trump doubled down on tariffs, slapping a 50 per cent duty on Indian exports in August 2025, citing oil deals with Russia—the headlines screamed trade war. But beneath the noise, something deeper stirred. A question not of policy, but of posture. What would Krishna do?
He would not flinch. He would not flatter. He would act.
The Bhagavad Gita is not a spiritual lullaby. It is a manual for strategic clarity. Krishna did not tell Arjuna to meditate through injustice. He told him to fight when dharma demanded it. India must do the same. This is not the time for fence-sitting or diplomatic yoga. If tariffs target our farmers, our artisans, our autonomy, then silence is complicity.
Krishna taught action without attachment, but never without vision. India must invest in long-term trade alliances, even if short-term gains seem elusive. The goal is not applause from Washington or Brussels. The goal is sovereignty. That means building supply chains that do not buckle under pressure, forging trade routes that do not depend on fickle allies, and scripting our own narrative when the West spins theirs.
Remember Krishna’s refusal to dine with Duryodhana. He did not eat food defiled by wickedness. He chose Vidura’s humble meal instead. That was not sentiment. That was strategy. India must do the same. Support the vulnerable, yes but not with pit but precision. Smart subsidies. Strategic access. No romanticism.
Krishna bent rules to uphold truth. He used illusion not for deception, but for protection. India must master digital diplomacy, narrative warfare, and soft power, not to manipulate, but to defend. If the West weaponises perception, we must counter with clarity.
Time is the ultimate weapon. Krishna said it himself: I am Time. India must think in centuries, not quarters. Build institutions that outlast elections. Forge partnerships that do not collapse with a tweet. The rupee may wobble, the GDP may dip by 0.6 percent according to Goldman Sachs projections, but the soul of the nation must remain unshaken.
Unity is not a slogan. It is strategy. Tamil Nadu’s tech, Gujarat’s ports, Bengal’s artisans—these are not isolated assets. They are limbs of the same body. India must move in rhythm, not in fragments.
Before war, Krishna negotiated. When talks failed, he did not hesitate. India must blend diplomacy with deterrence. Expand trade with ASEAN, Africa, and the Gulf. Speak softly, strike when needed. Do not bark. Bite when necessary.
And above all, remember: dharma is not dogma. It is adaptability. Krishna broke rules to uphold truth. India must be flexible in policy, firm in values. If WTO norms clash with national interest, rewrite the playbook. Dharma evolves. So must we.
So as the nation celebrates Janmashtami tonight—lighting lamps, singing bhajans, and retelling the leelas of the divine strategist—let it not be just ritual. Let it be a reminder. Krishna was not born to be worshipped. He was born to awaken. To provoke clarity. To demand courage.
May this Janmashtami ignite not just devotion, but direction. Not just reverence, but resistance. Jai Shri Krishna. Vande Mataram.