The changing India!

None can miss India’s ascension in the world during the Russian war on Ukraine. In all my life, save Indira Gandhi’s intervention in the East Pakistan war, I had seldom seen India asserting itself soundly when dismissing the threats of sanctions proceeded with purchasing Russian oil at discounted prices. Earlier the government stood firm while purchasing the Russian S400 Triumf missiles under the threat of sanctions from the West.

The U.S. and the U.K. have threatened to take punitive actions but know in their hearts that it is a hollow threat, given that they are still purchasing Russian gas and oil, despite the sanctions. Moreover, many E.U. countries also continue to buy Russian gas.

The beeline of world leaders seeking India’s intervention in ending the war cannot be missed either. Thankfully, there is no placard-waving opposition in front of the meeting venues, raising to a new level. One cannot protest rising petrol/diesel prices and complain about procurement of cheaper oil from Russia or wherever. The interesting episode is India is reviving a Rupee- Ruble trade, which will help boost the trade between both our countries.

Be that as it may, our neighbourhood has noted India’s new pole position. India stepped in promptly to salvage a near-bankrupt Sri Lanka by offering aid and loans to ward off a crisis. Pakistan’s PM Imran Khan has now commended India’s independent foreign policy and our PM Modi, which is unthinkable politically. Nepal was another difficult neighbour whose PM Deuba is now on a 3-day visit to India to strengthen our ties. India diplomatically stepped in to ensure the rule of law when a few Hindu temples in Bangladesh were razed and disturbances created by miscreants.

The visits of world leaders did not end with our neighbourhood leaders but included the Soviet Foreign minister, Ukraine ministers, the Japanese PM, the U.S. secretary of state, a secretary of U.K., E.U.’s decision-makers, Mexican Pm and many more since the war began. They all have subscribed that India has an edge as a neutral country to prevail upon the warring nations to end their conflict.

India and China have been racing to woo each other’s neighbours; as a result, many funds were routed as misused aids or funded in useless infrastructure, driven by the fear that our hesitation would bring the Chinese into those slots. Both India and China must seriously evaluate the returns of their respective investments in bankrupt nations in our region, which exploit the differences between China and India.

I had written already about Biden’s abortive  move to cripple Ruble, the defiant currency strengthening a few notches from when the war had begun. Biden has been in office for just a year, but Putin may have been calculating and planning, considering every U.S. move and preparing a counteroffensive to each of them.

War is bad, dislodging, uprooting, and killing many innocents, which must never be in a civilized world. India’s growth as a world leader has never been brighter.

Sampath Kumar

Intrépide Voix