D K Pandita
Modern-day India came into being on 15 August 1947. Though the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi made everyone fear that India was going to disintegrate and relapse into anarchy and predictions by ‘Winston Churchill’ and other imperialists about India were coming true. It was Pt. Nehru’s faith in India and its people and people’s faith in Nehru which was responsible for the development of India which became the biggest democracy in the world when it adopted its constitution on 26th January 1950 and conducted the first general elections with mass poverty, illiteracy with limited resources under the brilliant planning of B.N. Rau.
The early success of Indian Foreign Policy or ‘Nehruvian India’ was also in the fact the he could bring and keep together the best minds of the country. It was not merely unity in diversity but often the unity of opposites. Vallabhbhai Patel, who represented the Hindu orthodoxy, Abdul Kalam Azad, who represented the hard and noblest elements in Islam, Ambedkar, the anti-Brahmin fighter for social justice, Jayapraksh JP as a theorist and socialist political leader all were made to work together under the leadership of Pt.Nehru, the disciple of Gandhiji, who departed from the vision of Gandhi’s rural India economy and opted for modern/western industrialization policy.
Indian Foreign Policy revolved from ‘Panchsheel’ principles as the core which include non-interference, non-violence, mutual benefits and equivalence, peaceful co-existence, and mutual respect for regional integrity and sovereignty, not only for India but for all likeminded newly independent nations which led to the ‘Bandung Conference’ and development of Non-Aligned Movement which represent nearly two-thirds of the United Nations’ members and contain 55% of the world population. The neutrality of our great leaders with Gandhian vision of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ could balance between the two power blocs, our passive acceptance of their aggressive plans but an attempt to prevent an armed confrontation in the best interests of humanity. Thus India’s dynamic neutrality succeeded in controlling the military designs of the capitalist world and communist world. The concept of a ‘third world’ with the alliance of newly independent nations gave hope for the future of peace.
After more than 75 years of gaining independence, India has walked a long way. It has built a surplus economy and defiled evil forces from within and outside to remain a democracy. The country has also become one of the most celebrated science and technology hubs. There is no denying that after Indian independence, her citizens made significant contributions to the economy and technological advancements not only in India but in entire world. Indians are known for their hard work, dedication, and resilience to face any obstacle that comes their way. From the above, it is pretty evident that Indians have excelled in almost all fields post-independence. Whether it is science, information technology, sports, space.. or even in the army. Indian men and women have showcased their true worth, which is truly a marvel.
It was a new India, in the new world order that who now wants to create its own identity. It was not merely in foreign policy but centuries old mutual coexistence with human and nature worshipping Sun to streams and Moon to mounds, that India emerged as a leader of the world in the 21st century. India emerged with the least damage in its period of global Covid-19 and economic crisis in comparison to its level of poverty and population viz-a-viz developed nations. This was the victory of the mixed economy advocated during independence and fully operationalized post the New Economic Reforms of the 90s. A firm commitment to democracy by Indians and its leadership since 1950’s saved India from disintegrating, having the highest linguistic, cultural and religious diversity in world, a fate that its partners in NAM, BRICS, SAARC could not share.
If India has been greeted by the whole world today as an emerging world leader, if it has been demonstrated that even a country like India with good enough poverty and illiteracy could stabilize democracy, we have to recognize that it was firm Indian leadership under Pt. Nehru’s stewardship during the 1950’s and 1960’s and, with a few exceptions carried on by his successors, that contributed towards this happy situation. We are now reaping dividends of our investments in democracy, mixed economy, secularism and science, thanks to the bold optimism and wise planning of great leaders since 1950’s till the present dispensation that modern India who is now going to lead the G20 and its presidency will usher in a reformed World order.
In the context of the Russia-Ukraine War the G20 and its presidency matters lot for India for various reasons. First, agenda-setting is a fundamental and primary tool for securing and extending power and influence in international politics, particularly in multilateral platforms. The year-long G20 presidency offers India a significant opportunity to set global agendas, articulate policies and build consensus over critical economic, development, socio-political and security issues. Second, in global platforms, India always wanted to promote and endeavor to be the voice of the Global South. India can utilize its G20 leadership role to advance the interests of the Global South and New Delhi’s own credentials as a voice of the Global South. Third, reforming multilateral institutions to make them more inclusive and responsible is one of the foremost priorities of Indian foreign policy. Confronted with issues like climate change, economic recovery, post pandemic and increasing geopolitical tensions, food and energy security crisis, supply chain disruptions and conflicts.
The global community is looking for effective and accountable multilateral institutions that could deliver better in the field. Therefore, India placed reformed multilateralism that is fit for addressing the 21st-century challenges as one of its presidential priorities. If G20, under India’s leadership, facilitates progress on this long-pending issue, it will increase India’s stature and status in global politics. The international community expects India to be instrumental in building a global consensus for addressing these issues and shaping the future agenda of global common goods. Similarly, the world is also expecting India to bridge the increasing divide between countries and work for ‘One Earth One Family One Future’. It is imperative to not only avoid the split between the developed and developing worlds but also the rupture among the West as well, especially in the context of the Neo Cold War and New Economic Imperialism.
(feedback # dpandita2011@gamil.com)
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