India has been consistent in its neutral stand while seeking dialogue as the way to find a solution to the problem instead of use of weapons. India neither sided with Russia, which many in the Moscow bloc did, nor it pandered to the West in its bid to nail Putin with sanctions. Instead, Prime Minister Modi chose to be upright while telling President Putin that it was not an era of war and also travelled to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the next few days. 

 

THE world continues to be an intriguing place as surprises and shocks flow unabated in international relations. War looms over some regions even as peace hovers above the dark clouds, awaiting a landing in conflict-zones that are full of negotiators and deal-makers. The geopolitical theatre has too many actors on the stage at this time, jostling for their spot under the limelight. Holding firm on the stage is India, practicing its commitment to strategic autonomy with a multi-vector foreign policy. India is now the referral point for the world, in almost every issue of critical importance -- from war to space to climate to economy. How India’s word is respected and acknowledged can be gauged from the specific mention by Russian President Vladimir Putin in the ceasefire talks initiated by the President of the United States Donald Trump last week. The Russian President welcomed the idea of a peace deal with Ukraine while thanking PM Modi for his early efforts to bring the two warring neighbours to the negotiations table.

 

It was validation of the wise stance adopted by India when the conflict broke out three years ago. New Delhi was consistent in its neutral stand while seeking dialogue as the way to find a solution to the problem instead of use of weapons. India neither sided with Russia, which many in the Moscow bloc did, nor it pandered to the West in its bid to nail Putin with sanctions. Instead, Prime Minister Modi chose to be upright while telling President Putin that it was not an era of war and also travelled to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the next few days. India’s diplomatic stance gave the country a unique position to be friendly with both Russia and Ukraine while making decisions like buying Russian oil in the interest of its own people. It put India in a position to act as a bridge between Kyiv and Moscow as PM Modi managed a skillful rebalancing act by de-hyphenating engagements on India’s own terms.

 

It was the same policy effectively employed by PM Modi during his separate visits to Israel and Palestine in 2018. That was a bold and calculated policy showing that rather than treating the two entities as one complicated unit, India would pursue a separate relationship with each party. The world was told in clear terms that India has its own view of conflicts, it will not be bound by any “veto”, and it would always be ready to engage with every player for the sake of a rules-based global order with peace as its core guiding principle. New Delhi has remained emphatic with this bold stance of not getting swayed by the West’s line at all international platforms. It has given India the option of not burning all its bridges and a position of authority to mediate between warring sides. Even as it has practiced the time-tested policy of remaining neutral in bilateral conflicts, India has also made an aggressive change while engaging with the West.

 

The straight-talk with European countries where External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar minced no words to remind the West that it must come out of the bubble of being the rulers of the world was a terse message to the West that India will have its own rules for the game. Then again, this is how diplomacy works, on a totally different plane, not envisaged by the common man or the vote-seeking political class. It is a labyrinth of perceptions, ‘real perceptions’ and ‘truthful perceptions’. Sum of all these factors drives the final decision on taking a stand or even choosing a side. There are far too many complexities involved in the process that are best left to the foreign policy-makers and the Government of the day.

 

Ultimately, a decision is arrived at only after weighing all the pros and cons, consequences and less-stinging consequences. India’s diplomatic history is full of such episodes where New Delhi opted for strategic distance while keeping a larger goal in mind. In the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in March 2021, New Delhi chose to be neutral rather than vote for a resolution critical of Sri Lanka. Lanka’s geo-political importance for India in the context of China’s ever-widening footprint in the economic sphere was at the core of the decision. A few months later, India made a critical entry into the strategic north-eastern Trincomalee province to control 14 out of 99 oil tanks. The vantage position India is holding in international affairs is built on a strategic change in its policies. It has not wavered from its fundamental beliefs while looking at the world as a family and seeking the good of the larger society. Yet, instead of continuing with the non-alignment policy, which was a need of that particular hour, India has smartly shifted to multiple options in its foreign policy.

 

Without compromising on its strategic autonomy, India has built multi-alignments while seeking equal and harmonious relations with all top poles of influence in the international ecosystem. This is a multi-vector strategy which has served New Delhi exceptionally well all these years.

 

The flexible and open approach has allowed India to sit on the same table with Russia and also the United States totally insulated from the remnants of the Cold War. It also helps India to engage with Iran for strategic projects and stand with Tehran’s arch-rival Israel in the war against radical Islamic terrorism. The transparency has also helped India to be a close friend of the Muslim countries without affecting its strong stand against the hostile neighbour Pakistan. This position has been made possible after some smart diplomatic moves which have turned neutral as India’s top gear in the United Nations. n