‘We don’t take orders…’: Kamal Hassan writes Trump open letter
text_fields
New Delhi: Veteran actor and politician Kamal Haasan has issued a strongly worded open letter to Donald Trump, stressing India’s sovereignty and urging the United States not to intervene in the country’s decisions regarding energy imports.
In the letter, shared on Haasan’s X account and directly addressed to the American President, the actor-turned-politician underlined that India is an independent and sovereign nation that makes its own decisions and does not accept directives from foreign governments.
The letter read, “Dear Mr. President, We, the people of India, belong to a free and sovereign nation. We no longer take orders from distant foreign shores. Please mind your own business to the best of your abilities. Mutual respect between sovereign nations is the only foundation of lasting global peace. We wish your country and its people peace and prosperity.”
Recent remarks from the United States suggesting it had allowed India to buy Russian oil have triggered a political controversy in India, with opposition leaders accusing the government of undermining the country’s sovereignty.
The US administration announced a temporary 30-day waiver permitting Indian refiners to purchase Russian crude that was already at sea. The move was intended to ease pressure on global oil supplies amid rising tensions in West Asia. US officials said the decision was taken to stabilise the market and noted that India had earlier complied with requests to halt some purchases of sanctioned Russian oil.
The comments sparked sharp criticism from opposition parties in India. Leaders questioned why a sovereign nation should need “permission” from the United States to decide its energy imports.
The Congress party accused the government of compromising India’s strategic autonomy after the US remarks suggested it had authorised the purchases. Senior Congress leaders described the situation as humiliating and argued that India appeared to be acting under Washington’s direction.
Several opposition figures also raised concerns about whether India’s energy security decisions were being influenced by foreign approval, intensifying the political debate over the issue.