By now, it should be clear to all including Prime Minister Narendra Damodardass Modi that diplomacy is no child’s play. A warm hug, a handshake, or small talk means little when juxtaposed with the hard realities of geopolitics and the role of cut-throats that straddle it. Powerful leaders can chart new courses, but every nation has interests that guide leaders in shaping their policies. A nation such as China cannot be expected to play India’s tune at world fora unless it, in some way, stands to gain from it. Hence, it looks like India invited disaster for itself at the Seoul meet of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), and left the scene empty-handed at the height of an unwarranted, premature and narcissistic publicity blitz that marked its NSG entry bid at the very outset itself.
Membership in this group is vital for India. There can be no two opinions about this since this membership would have assured plentiful and uninterrupted supply of Uranium to India, a country starved of power. However, the way India went about seeking it was amateurish to say the least. In the end, it was a complete failure of India’s foreign policy. No role was given to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in the handling of a sensitive affair like this. Neither the Minister for External Affairs nor the bureaucrats seemed to be involved in the push for NSG. Prime Minister Modi single-handedly went about meeting heads of states to canvass support. In the end, even those who had supposedly promised him support, such as Switzerland, backed out by the time the matter unfolded at the Seoul meet. There now is a complete loss of face not just for the Prime Minister but for India too. His incompetence in handling external affairs was noticed earlier but has been proven this time.
It may be noted that, quite possibly, leaders of other countries may not be comfortable with the vibrations let out by Modi. Also, his past involvement or abetment in the Gujarat riots would be creating doubts in their minds. No sensible world leader would be willing to hand over the keys of nuclear power to a man whom they see as dangerous. Modi’s culpability or innocence is not debated. The publicity that he has created himself of being a strong man ruling with an iron hand may possibly be the single most damning reason for all external affairs involvements of India. Compare his image with a voiceless and weak kneed Dr Manmohan Singh. His feeble voice itself showed that he had no strength of character. This might have been his biggest weapon in getting the Americans involved in the nuclear treaty with India. A Xi Jinping may be very acceptable for an economically strong China of the 21st century. On the other hand, a brash and self confident Damodardass Modi might very well be painting a totally wrong picture of an India that is poverty-stricken, at loggerheads with all its neighbours, including Nepal and Sri Lanka, and is turning into a violent rape dominated country internally.
Prime Minister Modi’s attitude has to change. He has to accept his incapability in comprehending delicate foreign relations. He has to understand that he possibly cannot do everything. Curbing his desire to travel abroad at the drop of a hat should be his first job. Staying at home, rectifying administrative lapses and smoothening the existence of his countrymen should take a higher priority for the next three years. Impatience does not pay in the long run. Success at home alone can give success to Modi abroad.
