In a strongly worded Independence Day address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi cautioned that illegal infiltration is altering India’s demographic profile and poses a severe risk to national security.
“Infiltration is changing our demography, stealing livelihoods, seizing tribal lands, and endangering our sisters and daughters. We cannot hand over our nation to infiltrators — we must act now,” he declared.
To address the challenge, the Prime Minister announced the launch of a High-Powered Demography Mission, aimed at protecting national interests, preserving social harmony, and safeguarding “every inch of our land.” Emphasising the strategic implications, Modi said, “When demographic change takes place in border areas, it threatens national security. No country can hand over its land to infiltrators… we have decided to start a High-Power Demography Mission.”
The mission will be tasked with confronting the issue through coordinated, multi-agency efforts to strengthen border protection, enforce laws, and curb illegal settlement in sensitive regions.
In the same speech, the Prime Minister also addressed growing trade tensions with the United States, following President Donald Trump’s decision to impose 50% tariffs on Indian goods — a move that India has condemned as “unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable.”
In a pointed message to Washington, Modi pledged unwavering support for India’s farmers, livestock rearers, and fishermen. “Modi is standing like a wall against any harmful policy targeting our farmers and fishermen. India will never accept any compromise when it comes to their interests,” he asserted.
The tariff dispute has sparked outrage among Indian agricultural and labour groups, with several farmer organisations staging protests and burning effigies of President Trump. The US decision, driven by tensions over India’s continued import of Russian oil, has upended decades of strategic trade cooperation between the two nations.
Earlier this month, the Prime Minister signalled his readiness to “pay a heavy price” rather than compromise on agricultural sovereignty. At the heart of the trade impasse lie long-standing disagreements over market access, subsidies, and food security — with Washington pushing for greater access to India’s farm and dairy markets, while New Delhi defends its minimum support price (MSP) framework and protections for its vast rural population.
In 2024–25, bilateral trade between India and the US stood at $131.8 billion ($86.5 billion in exports and $45.3 billion in imports). Both leaders have publicly set an ambitious goal of expanding trade volumes to $500 billion in the coming years, though recent developments suggest the path forward will be challenging.
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