New Delhi: The Modi government has helped India take a confident position on the global stage, creating a situation where “others could not have a veto on India’s choice and decision”. These are the observations made by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in the foreword for a new book where diplomats and policy experts seek to describe how India is emerging as a ‘vishwa guru’ under PM Modi’s diplomacy and leadership.
Modi: Shaping a Global Order in Flux was has been edited by Sujan Chinoy and Uttam Kumar Sinha of the Delhi-based think tank IDSA (Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses), and Vijay Chauthaiwale, in-charge of the BJP foreign affairs cell. It was released Wednesday by BJP national president J.P. Nadda.
In the foreword, Jaishankar notes, “At the international level, those who have long given their stamp of approval to certify political correctness are obviously frustrated that these are no longer in demand.
“India under Modi sought to occupy an optimal position on this uncertain and unpredictable canvas but it did so not in a timid way, underplaying its natural interest, but increasingly confidently, engaging different partners on merit. In doing so, Modi 1.0 did away decisively with the hesitation of history, it was also clear that others could not have a veto on India’s choice and decision.”
Over 23 chapters, the book features write-ups by the likes of Amitabh Kant, former chief executive officer of the government think tank NITI Aayog, Chauthaiwale, Chinoy, author and public affairs expert Anurag Saxena, author-diplomat Amish Tripathi, and former diplomat D.B. Venkatesh Varma.
While Kant has written about India’s success as a supply chain hub, Chauthaiwale has talked about India’s Covid vaccination story. Chinoy, the director general of IDSA, has written a chapter on Modi as global environment leader while Saxena and Tripathi dwell on India’s growing soft power. Varma’s piece focuses on India’s relationship with Russia.
Speaking at the launch, Nadda said that it was “necessary to understand what India’s image was before Modi ji came to power”.
“The economy was declining, India had an image of a corrupt state, repeated terrorist attacks, and the lack of a stable government… the PM’s authority was eroded… Initiatives taken by PM Modi have changed the image of our country, and this book gives a deep insight into the same,” he added.
He said India now does not shy away from taking a stand even on complex issues. On Ukraine, India’s stand was appreciated by all, he added.
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India as soft power
In his piece, Chinoy writes about how “Modi’s concept of panchamrit to mitigate climate change… was widely welcomed as a significant moment” for the United Nations’ COP26 summit in 2021.
Panchamrit — or 5 “nectar elements” — was a five-point plan presented by Modi as he sought to outline India’s contribution to the battle against climate change
“…As in the churning of ocean in the Mahabharata there were contending forces seeking to establish their control of panchamrit, the modern world has seen a similar conflict over the Earth’s limited and precious natural resources, whether minerals, oils and gas, or timber.”
He said “the five elements of panchamrit outlined by the Prime Minister have the potential to redress the imbalance created in recent centuries, primarily by the industrialised world”.
“Just as honey, one of five nectars that make panchaamrit, is a product of teamwork…” he added.
Saxena, meanwhile, notes that in the 65 years following Independence, “India brought back a total of 13 heritage artefacts that is roughly one every five years”.
“Since 2014, India has brought back over 200 such artefacts with a few hundred already in the pipeline. Countries like the US, Canada, Germany, and Australia have returned Indian artefacts and Prime Minister Modi has taken it upon himself to bring them home.”
He goes on to say, “The US gave capitalism to the world, the UK its governance model. Germany exported the idea of efficient manufacturing and France its cuisine. These nations are strongly positioned as world leaders today as they are self-aware of their unique identity and sell their core idea with pride to the world. India’s core idea has always been its heritage, both tangible and intangible.”
Talking about India’s soft power in a post-Covid world, Tripathi says that the “turmoil across the world since Covid-19 pandemic began has further enhanced the image of the strength of the Indian system”.
“It was assumed that India would not be able to vaccinate its huge population rapidly enough, keeping in mind the glacial speed at which our polio vaccination had rolled out when compared to the rest of the world. But India not only invented and manufactured its own vaccine but has also administered nearly 1.8 billion doses with over 800 million Indians fully vaccinated.”
Chauthaiwale discusses Covid vaccination as well. “When was the last time a vaccine candidate entered clinical trials within a few months of the isolation of the virus itself? When was the last time clinical data was generated so rapidly and accepted by the US or European authorities?
“Whether it’s the formation of an early task force, the handling of vaccine manufacturers, the easing of the approval process or administering the cheapest vaccine to its citizens, credit has to be given to the Prime Minister of India who could not only dream big but could actually make it a reality.”
Former diplomat D.B. Venkatesh Varma discusses the ‘India-Russia strategic partnership in a changing world’, saying that “President Putin and Prime Minister Modi enjoy a unique personal relationship of trust and confidence”.
“Both the leaders have met more than 30 times since 2014 in bilateral summits as well as on the sidelines of multilateral meetings… With regard to the abrogation of Article 370, Russia was perhaps the only P5 member that stated categorically that it was an internal matter of India and the step that India had taken was within the parameters of Indian constitution,” he added.
“Russia does not interfere in matters relating to human rights or other issues that so often are subject of comments from organisations and governments in the West.”
(Edited by Smriti Sinha)
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