When Trump dials Pakistan and calls Nawaz Sharif a 'terrific guy', India should worry
"When will Pakistan apologise to us for providing safe sanctuary to Osama Bin Laden for six years?! Some 'ally'."
This was US President-elect Donald Trump back in 2012, denouncing Pakistan on Twitter for giving shelter to the world's most wanted man.
It is 2016 now. The time has changed, and so has Donald.
After winning the most anticipated presidential race, Trump made his first phone call outside the country. And guess whose number he dialled? Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Pakistan's Press Information Department on Wednesday, November 30, released a readout of a phone call that took place on Monday between Sharif and Trump.
The read-out is reproduced here:
Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif called President-elect USA Donald Trump and felicitated him on his victory. President Trump said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, you have a very good reputation. You are a terrific guy. You are doing amazing work which is visible in every way. I am looking forward to see you soon. As I am talking to you Prime Minister, I feel I am talking to a person I have known for long. Your country is amazing with tremendous opportunities.
Pakistanis are one of the most intelligent people. I am ready and willing to play any role that you want me to play to address and find solutions to the outstanding problems. It will be an honor and I will personally do it. Feel free to call me any time even before 20th January that is before I assume my office.
On being invited to visit Pakistan by the prime minister, Mr Trump said that he would love to come to a fantastic country, fantastic place of fantastic people. Please convey to the Pakistani people that they are amazing and all Pakistanis I have known are exceptional people, said Mr Donald Trump.
Notice the keywords in the read-out. There is something strikingly similar to what Donald Trump had spoken about Indians before the election result.
Speaking at a Republican Hindu Coalition fundraiser night in October, he had said: "Under a Trump administration, we [India-US] are going to become even better friends."
He added: "In fact, I'll take the word 'even' out because we are going to be best friends. There won't be any relationship more important to us. I am a big fan of Hindu and I am a big fan of India. Big, big fan," Trump had declared to the cheering crowd.
I tried the document-level analysis to get a sense of the overall tone of the document released by Pakistan Press Information's Department, and from Trumps's speech at the Republican Hindu Coalition fundraiser party. I also used sentence-level analysis to identify specific areas of the content where tones are the strongest, which can identify the overall sentiment.
The results from his speech at the Republican Hindu Coalition fund-raiser event and the phone call with Nawaz Sharif aren't too different.
Here are the results:
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| Trump's sentiments with Pakistan. |
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| Trump's sentiments with India. |
Though his choice of words doesn't clearly indicate his diplomatic purposes, this could be a little worrying for New Delhi.
Trump’s declaration that he is "ready and willing to play any role that you [Nawaz Sharif] want me to play" should ring a bell for Indian diplomats, since tensions between India and Pakistan are on the rise ever since the Uri attack.
One Reddit user compared Trump's "conversation with Pakistan" with a bipolar template which every interviewee at Google uses for getting the job:
I called Google recruiter to discuss job opportunities. I said you have a very good reputation. You are a terrific company. You are doing amazing work which is visible in every way. I am looking forward to meet with Googlers. As I am talking to you recruiter, I feel I am talking to a person I have known for long. Your company is amazing with tremendous opportunities. Googlers are one of the most intelligent people. I am ready and willing to play any role that you want me to play to address and find solutions to the outstanding problems. It will be an honor and I will personally do it. Feel free to call me any time even before 20th January. On being invited to visit Google offices by the recruiter, I said that I would love to come to a fantastic company, fantastic place of fantastic people. Please convey to the Googlers that they are amazing and all Googlers I have known are exceptional people.
In reality, it seems Trump's advisors, taking no chances, have used a ready-made template for the president-elect.