Utilising India’s moment under the diplomatic sun

Context: 

India recently hosted several high-level meetings, including the G-20 Foreign Ministers meeting and the Quad Foreign Ministers meeting, the Ministry of External Affairs ­supported Raisina dialogue and the ‘Voice of Global South Summit’

• India will also be the chair of both the US/West-led G-20 and the China-centered SCO in 2023.

India’s position in global politics: Earlier and Now

• India was seen as a powerless player in world politics, often criticised for complaining and asserting itself. 
• Great powers even considered India an irritant for expressing its opinions.
• India’s pivotal position at the G­20, the Quad, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and the Global South today has given it a sudden surge in stature and reputation. 

Reasons behind elevating position of India:

• India’s Fortunate Confluence in World Politics: Contemporary India’s pivotal position in world politics is due to a fortunate confluence of deliberate and unforeseen factors which appear to be working in New Delhi’s favour. 
• Postwar World Order Failure: A far stronger economic and military power, courted by great powers, New Delhi has cleverly used the failure of the postwar world order today to its advantage. 
• Indo-Pacific Region as Geopolitical Alternative: Global leaders are looking for geopolitical alternatives in the Indo-Pacific region due to worries about an aggressively rising China.
• Delhi’s Dual Strategy in Global Politics: Delhi’s dual strategy in global politics involves playing both sides, seeking to be at the global high table while simultaneously claiming to be the leader of the Global South.
• Active member of multilateral forums: India is also an active member of multilateral forums which has China in it — BRICS and the SCO. 
• Contemporary India speaks the language of revisionism and status quoism in the same breath, and with ease.
• In the Ukraine war, New Delhi has not alienated, directly or indirectly, any of the parties involved in the war in a big way. 

Utility of India’s leadership 

• Indian foreign policy treads the fault lines of world politics to advance national interests.
• The recent G20 meeting had two successes: it created an environment for US and Russian officials to meet and it brought together warring parties in one room.
• India actively seeks a seat at a restructured global high table, and the Global South argument is useful in this pursuit.
• India carefully balances global fault lines to increase its utility.
• New Delhi’s revisionist language is rooted in its desire to be part of a restructured status quo.
• Those seeking India’s support for stability in the international system should consider its quest for a seat at the high table of international politics.

Challenges in front of India

• End of Indian chairpersonship of G-20 and SCO:
  • Indian chairpersonship of the G­20 and the SCO ends this year, and Beijing will not let New Delhi take over the leadership of the Global South so easily. 
  • In geopolitics, national glory is not necessarily an enduring outcome.

• Needlessly offensive language: Some of the language from New Delhi in response to the West or the U.S. could be construed as needlessly offensive.
• Diplomatic highs for domestic political ends: There is always a danger of governments using diplomatic highs such as this towards domestic political ends rather than for geopolitical objectives. 
• Limits of balancing opposite sides: India may not make strong strategic partnerships if it plays all sides. This could be a problem in the event of a future conflict with China.

Conclusion

• Indian diplomacy needs to adopt the language of finesse and authority rather than that of aggression. Confident nations need not talk like reactionaries. 
• While bridging the divide in world politics is a noble task, indecisiveness might not yield lasting partnerships. 

News Source: The Hindu