What is the issue?
- The emerging multipolar world is becoming complicated for the binary choices and easy solutions.
- It is high time that India realigns its foreign policy, and its recent moves are indicative of this.
What is the emerging scenario?
- The world is facing power shifts, uncertainty and competition over geopolitical ideas and political models.
- India is at a unique geographical position at the rimland of Eurasia and at the mouth of the Indo-Pacific.
- India has slightly drifted towards the U.S. for the past decade.
- However, it is now rediscovering a posture and policy for a multipolar world.
- It is also taking greater responsibility for its own future and destiny.
- India’s foreign policy is likely to be driven by a dual attention.
- It is the balance of power and order building in the continental and maritime environment around the subcontinent.
What are the recent developments?
- India is altering its approach to the Indo-Pacific and building deeper links with continental Eurasia.
- This was evident with the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
- Prime Minister Modi’s speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore signals an evolving foreign policy.
- World order - Relationships with Russia and the US are based on overlapping interests in international and Asian geopolitics.
- It is emphasized that India would project itself as an independent power and actor across Asia.
- India would not be part of a closed group of nations or aggregate Indian power in a bloc.
- It will however chart out its own course based on its own capacity and ideas.
- India would stand on the side of principles, and not behind one power or the other.
- This is seen to be a renewed emphasis on non-alignment.
- The preferences are referred to as the “strategic autonomy”.
- China - India-China relations is a complicated one, having “many layers”.
- China’s rise has undoubtedly increased the demand and space for India to increase its region-wide engagement.
- However, stability in the relationship is important for India and the world.
- Indo-pacific - India’s role in the vast Indo-Pacific is no longer envisaged as a China-centric one.
- India does not see the Indo-Pacific Region as a strategy or as a club of limited members.
- It is nor a grouping that India seeks to dominate.
- India’s engagement in the Indo-Pacific Region would rather be an inclusive one.
- It would entail pluralism, co-existence, open-ness and dialogue.
- India would prefer that the rules and norms should be based on the consent of all, not on the power of the few.
Source: The Hindu
