Receiving encomiums
by
AJ Philip |
Dramatic turnaround in India’s fortunes within a short period
Fourteen years is a short period in the life of a nation. But in the case of India, the last 14 years saw a dramatic turnaround in its position in the comity of nations. As a wag points out, it took exactly 14 years of exile in the forests for Lord Ram of the epic Ramayana to regain his honour and Kingdom.
It was in 1996 that India contested for a non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) against a formidable Japan. There is no doubt that the contest was a diplomatic faux pas, as ill-advised as the fielding of Shashi Tharoor for the post of Secretary-General of the United Nations against South Korea’s Ban Ki-moon, who had a walkover.
In the 1996 election, India could win only a measly 42 votes. It lost to Japan by a margin of nearly 100 votes. The defeat marked the “low-water mark” of India’s foreign policy. Allowance also had to be made for the fact that India did everything possible to win the seat.
Last week when India contested for the rotating Asian seat at the UNSC, it was elected almost unanimously. All that was required to win the seat were a few telephone calls, as mentioned by External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna.
Why is there such a dramatic turnaround in India’s fortunes in so short a period? There are many reasons for it. First and foremost, India’s balance of payments position in 1996 was precarious. The economy grew at a paltry 3 per cent.
Worse, the demolition of the four century-old Babri Masjid at Ayodhya and the resultant bloodshed in 1992-93 showed the nation in a poor light. In contrast, when the Allahabad High Court gave its verdict on the Ayodhya dispute on September 30, both Hindus and Muslims heard it with equanimity.
On the economic front, India has been consistently registering a near nine per cent growth rate. Equally important, many Indian companies have during the last few years taken over several European companies like steel major Corus.
This month, India’s Tata group donated a whopping $50 million to the prestigious Harvard Business School to fund a new academic and residential building on its campus. It was the largest gift received by the institute from an international donor in its 102-year-old history.
The donation was announced just a few days after the Mahindra Group gave $10 million to the Humanities centre at Harvard. Small wonder that today the world recognises India’s potential to emerge as one of the world’s largest economies in a few years.
The recently concluded Commonwealth Games also helped change the image of the country. The inaugural and concluding ceremonies showcased India’s cultural diversity. The Games was, by common consent, a huge success. The largest-ever number of sportspersons took part in it. Many new records were also set during the 10 days that Delhi hosted the Games.
India received encomiums from every participating nation. Indian athletes did phenomenally well, pushing England to the third position. They won a record 101 medals. All this must have made an impact on the nations of the world when they voted for India.
Of course, it is not the first time that India has been elected a member of the UNSC. The last time it was a member of the Council was about 20 years ago. Diplomatic circles recall that India’s performance during that short period did not redound to its credit. India seemed to miss badly its ally in the United Nations, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) that no longer existed.
The dilemma India faced when Saddam Hussein’s Iraq annexed Kuwait was too real to be concealed. Iraq had very close relations with India. When the US-led invasion of Iraq began, India found itself unable to take a definite stand, earning neither the goodwill of the Americans or those opposed to them.
As a member of the Council, one of India’s tasks would be to hasten the process of reforming the United Nations. The Security Council needs to be expanded by giving permanent seats to countries like India, Japan, Germany and Brazil.
The number of countries supporting India’s case for permanent membership has been steadily growing. Of course, it is not an easy task to convince all the five countries enjoying veto power about the need to expand the Security Council.
India cannot overlook the fact that power comes with responsibilities. As UNSC member, it cannot shy away from its additional responsibilities, which enjoin India to not just beef up its UN mission but also take decisions that may not be palatable to all. It can no longer afford to have the mind-set of a bumbling Third World nation.
A couple of years ago, India had a trying time explaining its vote against Iran’s nuclear proliferation at the International Atomic Energy Agency. Leadership positions are, of course, not new to India, which played a pivotal role in the non-aligned movement.
But with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the emergence, first, of a unipolar world and, then, of a multipolar world, India’s traditional foreign policy needed to undergo a drastic change. But, unfortunately, the mind-set of the mandarins at the South Block in New Delhi, where the External Affairs Ministry is located, remains trapped in the seventies.
Sitting at the high table of the UNSC, India can only ill-afford to ignore the international realities. It is now willy-nilly set on a course from which it cannot go back. It will have to rethink many of its traditional foreign policy assumptions with a view to playing the role expected of a nation that is expected to lead.
(The writer is a New Delhi-based senior journalist)
Oman Tribune
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