In the high-stakes world of global diplomacy, India is making some feeble waves after a period of vacillation that was so pronounced during the UPA period. That, in part, has to do with the rising economic clout of Asia as such in the new century — the 21st Century, which is widely hailed as the Asian Century.
For instance, the emergence of a large middle class segment has made India attractive to the West; and so do the opportunities in terms of investment and flooding of markets with branded goods. While there have been no major achievements so far, vis-a-vis PM Damodardass Modi’s glob-trot diplomacy, fact is also that India is caught in the cross-currents of multiple global interests. A carefully crafted approach to regional and global issues is a must but India badly lacks the ability and finesse to execute it.
The summing up of the two years of the BJP government’s endeavors on the global stage, done by external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj Sunday, made no major claims, but gives the impression that India could stay the course and inch forward with some sort of confidence.
There are the good tidings. It looks like India has edged closer to the US in the past two years – a process set in motion by the UPA and former PM Manmohan Singh with considerable success. The membership that India is seeking in the Nuclear Security Group (NSG) is a case in point. The US has publicly issued an appeal to all members of this elite club that it would expect them to back India’s bid to enter. China is seen to have put a spoke into India’s efforts and Pakistan was quick to seek NSG membership with Chinese backing.
The decision on NSG membership to a country is decided on consensus, and most of its members have already expressed their support to India, the latest being Vladimir Putin of Russia as also the UK. Sushma Swaraj went on record Sunday that India expects to clinch the membership of this global club by end of the year, and that China has not objected to India’s membership but only raised procedural issues which hopefully could be gotten over. Foreign secretary Jaishankar has gone to Beijing to smoothen matters. With the US openly backing India’s entry, the responses from China has already seen toning down, and its state media seems reconciled to the mood that is building up in favour of India.
Apparently, the Chinese leadership is careful about taking hard-edged stands against India and satisfies itself by giving occasional pinpricks. It is having a face-off with Washington over issues relating to, and domination of, South China Sea. India is playing its cards carefully in that area so far, inasmuch that it is not siding with the US against China. Caught in such issues, China may not wish to antagonise India. Under the circumstances, Swaraj’s optimism about India entering the NSG could be a possibility.
The crucial support from the US for India’s NSG entry and the like, however, are small mercies. None of India’s friendly overtures to the Obama administration has, however, succeeded in weakening America’s bond with Pakistan or, in the minimum, to get the US to help dismantle the terror networks operating from Pakistani soil with evil intent aimed primarily against India.
ISI remains as mischievous against India as in the past. Sushma Swaraj asserts that the simplicity and warmth in the chemistry between the PMs of the two countries — Modi and Nawaz Sharif — has given a new positive push to bilateral ties. However, not many are convinced that Modi’s bonhomie with Nawaz Sharif works to the advantage of India.
Another aspect that Swaraj highlighted is of India broadening its reach to countries across the world, with a policy that none — big or small — should be left out.
After many years of neglect, it is engaging with Africa, a continent rich with natural resources targeted long ago by the visionary Chinese leadership. She has also stated that the FDI flows to India, as a result of the new engagements, has shown an increase of 43 per cent from the UPA period, drawing in as high as $55 billion in the past two years. These again are droplets on a dry patch.
While Sushma may claim anything, it is obvious that our external affairs bureaucracy is cumbersome and does not bother to respond to quick changing international scenario. No doubt this harms India. Added to this the ineffective political leadership shows India in a poor light that, in turn, harms our foreign policy being implemented in a proper format.
