Discontent with US tariffs and shifting alliances drives protest against Trump in India, culminating in the symbolic parade of a massive Trump effigy in Maharashtra.
A growing segment of the Indian public now sees President Donald Trump as a source of humiliation on the national stage, primarily due to his trade policies and perceived favoritism toward Pakistan. Recent actions including a sweeping 50% tariff on Indian goods and high-profile meetings with Pakistani leaders have triggered outrage and accusations of betrayal from Indian commentators and politicians.
The discontent reached a public crescendo last week during the centuries-old Marbat festival in Nagpur, Maharashtra, where organizers paraded a towering effigy of Trump through the streets as part of the traditional procession. The effigy, crafted from clay and hay, bore placards denouncing Trump as a “backstabber,” while festival participants shouted slogans protesting American tariffs and what they described as Trump’s “friendship with Pakistan at India’s expense”. One placard read, “You tell India, ‘You’re my friend,’ but secretly love Pakistan,” underscoring the public’s anger at what is widely seen as a reversal of diplomatic progress.
The Marbat festival, known for transforming contemporary grievances into striking visual satire, has in past years symbolized resistance to oppression and injustice. This year, the Trump effigy’s prominence highlighted the extent of dissatisfaction with US policy. Social media posts and news outlets amplified the protest, with activists and commentators describing the parade as “a moment of catharsis and a warning to leaders at home and abroad who undermine India’s dignity”
