The Geopolitical Chessboard: India's Dilemma in the Face of Western Powers

(Source - X White House handle) 

India, as a nation, has delusions of grandeur. Nothing can be more mendacious than its sense of self-importance. It is essential to underline that no Asian or African country could ever develop to become a developed nation without the support of US-led Western Cacausian powers in the last hundred years. Only a handful of countries in Asia could achieve the levels of human development Western countries possess. 

The dramatic impact of Western powers on people, culture, and nations can be understood by observing the contrast between South and North Korea. The former is a wealthy and highly advanced economy, and the latter is a poor third-world country. And the difference between the two is Western support. Similarly, many nations in the ASEAN region have made spectacular economic strides in the last few decades. It can also be emphasized that all United States allies could not economically benefit from the Western alliance. However, that reflects on their internal failures. 

It simply means India cannot afford to pick a fight with US-led caucasian powers. As it is already clear, the US is not committed to the idea of a united India and constantly wants to support/weaponize the large Indian diaspora at an appropriate time, after consuming containing China. The rise of China is a blessing in disguise. The Western powers cannot accept strong, vocal, and free Asian powers. The West finds it easier to manage smaller nations like Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and other Asian countries. 

It is wrong to think that caucasian powers would like to raise India as another challenger to their dominance. Before elaborating further, let’s find out, what are the irritants in bilateral relationships. The first irritant is US is not ready to accept that India as one geographical entity has the unquestionable right to exist as one unit. 

Hence the US constantly encourages Kashmiri separatists and now Pakistani separatist groups to conduct their sucessionist activities. Though it might not affect India too much, but the presence of US social media companies in India, and their insistence that they would not accept any regulation in India, as they are US companies, can create law and order issues.

China is still a protected place. In the year 2008, as Chinese leadership was far more visionary / foresight into the future, they requested US tech giants like Google to accept Chinese laws or leave. Google decided to leave, and others accepted the regulation. Western propaganda outfits call Chinese regulation censorship. All major American, British, and European papers comments make derogatory comments about the Chinese model of governance.

This is the problem in the bilateral relationship. Even China forced the US to accept a one-China policy before building a bilateral relationship to contain the Soviet Union. India has not sought any such commitment from the US. Traditionally as well, western media describes terrorist attacks in India as militant or gunman violence. The West has never condemned the terrorist attacks in Kashmir on unequivocal terms. The Western academia, if not all large sections of it, supports the succession of Kashmir from India. In fact, the US encourages the anti-India and pro-Pakistan elements. 

Unlike China, the challenges India faces are internal. China has been far more successful than India in managing internal conflicts, and it has ensured that law and order prevail in the whole country, which is the basis of any economic development. Despite all efforts by Western powers to demonize China and its methods to deal with radical religiosity in Xinjiang province, not a shred of evidence could be produced in the media to demonize China. 

Now the question is, what are the internal challenges India is facing right now, and how to address them. The only problematic news that comes from India is the activities of vigilante groups nurtured by the ruling party and RSS. It can be understood that the BJP is against the appeasement of minorities and wants all religions to be treated equally. 

Even though France is strict on certain secular principles, including face coverings in public places, India can adopt similar policies, and they might not raise problems for India globally, but the increasing violence, riots, and killings of Muslims force the global community to reimagine India as a Hindu radical state.   

It is a lifetime opportunity, and the BJP should pursue the policies it considers necessary for developing India. This time, it might not come again. The govt is also making the right noises. There is a focus on manufacturing, and developing world-class infrastructure - roads, highways, high-speed trains, high-rise buildings, internet connectivity, digitization of services and records, and so on. Modi must not risk derailing the rise of India by pursuing petty politics. 

If the boat rises, everyone in the boat will rise. If India progresses, every Indian will greatly benefit from it. There will be a bigger consumer market, more demand for products, better schools, better education, better healthcare services, better roads, comfortable trains, airports, more job opportunities, and more opportunities to travel, and the economy might bring some civility to the people as well.

(Mukesh Devrari is an independent columnist.)