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Express Tribune
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
India's great-power delusions
Listen to article India, apart from its very carefully curated glitzy and 'shining' image, has been quietly sulking at the loss of its status internationally, consequent to its brief but humiliating skirmish with Pakistan recently, and the dawning of Indian reality on a pro-Indian American establishment. The US has undoubtedly helped New Delhi in its great power aspirations, ostensibly as a bulwark against a rising China. Whether India ever was and ever will to do the US bidding is another story, the fact remains that Chanakya Kotelia (375 BCE-283 BCE), the Brahmin Hindu sage's cunning writings on statecraft, to this day guide Indian policy formulation, Ashley J Tellis, currently fellow at the Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs at the Carnegie Endowment, and former Under Secretary of State in the Bush senior's administration, in his recent article in the July/August issue of Foreign Affairs, details India's delusions and shortcomings to rise as a great power. This article is an adaptation of his writing with opinions. The premise by George W Bush, the 41st US President (1989-1993), to make India a great power stood on the rationale that with the demise of the USSR in 1989, the US and India, a friend of the Russia, had no reason to be on the opposite sides. However, the US infatuation with India runs deeper, as clearly articulated by Henry Kissinger in his seminal work, The White House Years (1979). Kissinger, while mentioning the US role in the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War (Chapter titled The Tilt), laments that State Department would drag its feet on admonitory communiques to India, while dispatching the same without loss of time to Islamabad. However, despite the romanticism of a great democracy in the land of languages, cultures and mystique, Washington and New Delhi do not see eye-to-eye on a range of issues like climate change, war in Ukraine, data sovereignty, e-commerce rules, trade preferences, global governance, Russia, Iran, etc. And more importantly, Ashley believes, India does not want a world where the US is perpetually the sole power. India, instead, given its non-aligned credentials, seeks a multipolar international system where it can hedge, become a genuine power, and be able to restrain not just China but any country that would aspire to be the sole dominating hegemon, including the US. India believes multipolarity is key to global peace and its own rise. Obsessed with its strategic autonomy, India carefully avoids bloc politics and alliances and has been able to maintain good relations with the West Plus and anti-West countries like Russia and Iran. However, India can become a great power in terms of GDP by the middle of the Century, but not necessarily a superpower. The unpalatable two-front scenario of war with a much stronger China and an agile Pakistan; the baggage of Hindu nationalism, tearing its secular fabric apart; and the country's 'illiberal pivot' would sap its potential and keep undermining its power aspirations. During the Cold War, India's economic indicators were short of its inherent potential. Its GDP grew around 3.5 per cent annually between 1950 and 1980. Its GDP growth averaged at 5.5 per cent during the 1990s. Since then, it has grown at 6.5 per cent annually. It does not equal the Chinese miracle and is not likely to match Beijing's economic growth rate, before middle of the Century. And that likely parity is dependent on the supposition that India grows at 8 per cent over the next 25 years, while China grows at miniscule 2 per cent. Both unlikely, so India would remain below par to a resurgent China. Hence, if New Delhi wants to restrain China, it needs the West Plus, especially the US, as no other Indo-Pacific powers (Japan or Australia) would be strong enough by 2050 to compensate for the US. So, those clamouring for an anti-China alliance with New Delhi would be disappointed with India's economic weakness, its non-aligned proclivities, its aversion to collective defence arrangements, and the limits of its partnership with the US. Indian outlook is guided by its colonial past, where its founding father Jawaharlal Nehru pledged India would never be a 'camp follower' of any great power. In alliance framework, India fears constraints that come with such arrangements. In IR parlance, India demonstrates 'realist' inclinations, believing only in 'interest-based' inter-state interactions, as against ideologically driven relations. In this world, it believes, multipolarity is the natural state and is essential and needed for peace. Indian thinkers like FM Jaishankar believe India should identify and exploit opportunities created by 'contradictions' in the international system to advance its interests. He favours a bipolar order where India can play one pole against the other. It is in this milieu that despite deepening relations with the US, India at times acts to constrain the US power, as discussed. Even on China it aims to maintain a stable relationship that of cooperation wherever possible. It also remains part of non-Western forums like BRICS and SCO. India is drifting away from its foundations of staunch secularism, constitutionalism, and "jus soli" or birthright to citizenship, as in Assam etc. It increasingly and officially subscribes to the poisonous Hindutva ideology, which relegates India's 200 million Muslims and 30 million Christians to second class citizenship status. Continuation of this drift would have serious consequences not only for India but also for the world, where 'Shining India' would cease to be an 'exemplar' of liberal democracy for the global south, for example. An illiberal India would also be less powerful. This combined with 'moderate economic growth, partnership with all but privileged relations with none', India's geostrategic imperatives with China and Pakistan and a hostile neighborhood in SAARC would diminish India's increasing material strength. India cannot influence outcomes in East Asia and Middle East; relies on external balancing against a militarily more capable China; is reluctant to closely partner with Washington; and is growing increasingly illiberal. These factors, at odds with the US aspirations, force America under Trump to drift towards a more transactional relationship with New Delhi, which is interest-based and not ideology-driven. India's inability to balance against Beijing is already forcing a rethink on the US, questioning continued investment on India, further shrinking Delhi's great power ambitions.
The Print
28-06-2025
- Health
- The Print
Kerala sticks to school zumba plan amid censure from Muslim outfits, Congress calls row ‘unnecessary'
'There have been objections from some quarters against implementing sports activities like zumba, aerobics and yoga in the state's schools. However, it's important to understand that these activities are being introduced as part of an anti-drug programme. Such objections, rather than improving the education sector, will inject a poison more potent than drugs into society, fostering communalism and division,' he said. Addressing a press conference Saturday, general education minister V. Sivankutty said the objections will only foster communalism and division. Thiruvananthapuram: Amid Muslim organisations and clerics raising the issue of 'morality' to object to Kerala government's initiative to introduce zumba practice in schools, the state's general education department clarified Saturday that it will proceed with the plan. The opposition Congress termed the controversy 'unnecessary'. He added that the activities conducted in schools are light exercises, with the students participating in school uniforms. He said children are mandated to participate in these activities, and parents don't have a choice in the matter. 'According to the conduct rules, teachers are obligated to carry out the directives of the department. No one has asked students to wear minimal clothing,' he said, asserting that the government was open to a discussion if anyone had concerns but would continue with the initiative at present. The minister also shared on his social media page a video of zumba practice, a dance-based fitness exercise, from a lower primary school in Malappuram district, where the students were seen dancing in their uniforms. Kerala had earlier this year announced the decision to introduce zumba in schools from this academic year to support students' mental health as part of an anti-drug campaign. The general education department's campaign for 2025-26 had kicked off with a mega display of zumba dance in Thiruvananthapuram, in which 1,500 students participated on 30 April. A press release by the state public relations department issued on 3 May in this regard said the state aims to keep children away from drugs by offering positive and healthy activities, as studies have shown that children with mental health struggles are more likely to be targeted by drug networks. However, the zumba initiative ran into controversy Friday as a few leaders of Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama, a Muslim scholarly organisation in the state, came out openly against it and alleged that the exercise was against 'morality'. Though not politically affiliated, the organisation is mostly known for its pro-Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) stand in the state. The state IUML leadership has so far distanced itself from the row. The party is the largest ally of the Congress in Kerala. When asked about the stand on the matter, senior IUML leader and Perinthalmanna MLA Najeeb Kanthapuram said the party had not yet discussed it internally. 'We will respond after studying the matter,' he told ThePrint. He did not respond to the Samastha leaders' views on zumba. Congress leader and Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil Saturday there was no need to start a controversy over the initiative. 'Now, many youngsters are victims of lifestyle diseases. It's important to prioritise physical health at a young age. So, there is no need to start a controversy over an initiative launched to protect our health,' he said. 'Objectionable' On Friday, Samastha leader Nasar Faizy Koodathai wrote in a Facebook post that the zumba initiative was objectionable as it went against the 'moral conscience' of many students. He said the state government should instead focus on improving existing physical training. 'The Kerala government has implemented zumba dance in schools. Zumba is reportedly a style of dance where people wear minimal clothing and dance together to music. If the government mandates even older children to do this, it is objectionable. Instead of improving existing physical training, such indecencies should not be enforced,' he wrote. 'This would be a violation of the individual freedom and fundamental rights of students whose moral conscience does not permit them to display their bodies and dance together,' he added. The initiative was also opposed by Abdussamad Pookkottur, state secretary of Samastha Kerala Sunni Yuvajana Sangham, who said the dance form was against 'moral values'. (Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui) Also Read: 'Bharat Mata' portrait pits LDF against Kerala Governor, again. 'Turning Raj Bhavan into party office'
Hans India
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Diplomatic Vacuum: Global Powers' Hands-Off Approach In India-Pakistan Conflict
As tensions escalate between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan, the international community's muted response marks a stark departure from the active diplomatic interventions seen during recent conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine. This troubling shift has raised concerns about conflict containment in the absence of credible mediation. Renowned geopolitical analyst Fareed Zakaria, in an exclusive interview with India Today, emphasized that the United States under President Donald Trump has effectively removed itself as a potential intermediary—a role it traditionally fulfilled during previous India-Pakistan confrontations. "We have lost the United States as a useful intermediary," Zakaria stated. "You saw Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, lean into that role initially. But then, just hours later, Vice President JD Vance essentially washes his hands of the whole situation, declaring the US doesn't want to get involved." This conflicting messaging reveals deep divisions within the American administration. While Secretary Rubio has urged maximum restraint during conversations with both nations, Vice President Vance explicitly stated that America wouldn't engage in a conflict that's "fundamentally none of our business." President Trump, who previously characterized India's Operation Sindoor against Pakistani terror camps as a "shame," has avoided direct engagement with leadership on either side. Zakaria noted this reflects the tension between America's traditional role as an engaged superpower and the Republican Party's growing isolationist wing. He added that Pakistan increasingly views the US as "entirely pro-Indian," further complicating Washington's potential as a trusted mediator—a stark contrast to 2016 and 2019, when American diplomacy helped de-escalate tensions following the Uri and Pulwama attacks. Alternative international mediators appear equally problematic. Zakaria dismissed China as untrustworthy despite its influence with Pakistan, noted India's historical reluctance toward United Nations involvement, and pointed to the European Union's limited geopolitical-military presence as factors leaving India with few external support options. "This is the post-American world that I am worried about," Zakaria warned. "The dangers of conflict spiraling out of control are real. India is trying to signal a more measured approach, and you have to hope that at some point Pakistan realizes this is not a conflict they can win." Beijing's response has been notably cautious. Despite calling Pakistan its "all-weather friend," China has refrained from offering strong support, merely expressing willingness to play a "constructive role" while characterizing both nations as "neighbors." Zakaria concluded that this "fortress America" mentality—prioritizing tariffs and trade over international stability—creates dangerous conditions for regional conflicts to intensify without the diplomatic guardrails previously provided by American moral authority and diplomatic engagement.
India Today
10-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
As India-Pak trade fire, the world is sitting this out. Fareed Zakaria decodes
The spectre of two nuclear-armed nations trading aerial fire has alarmed the international community. But, it seems the world is sitting this out - a shift from the fervent diplomacy seen during the Israel-Gaza war and the Russia-Ukraine the United States, under an inward-looking Donald Trump, taking a hands-off approach, and China not adopting a proactive stance, geopolitical expert Fareed Zakaria highlighted the absence of a credible intermediary in the region to help dial down tensions. advertisement'LOST US AS USEFUL INTERMEDIARY'Historically, the diplomatic push from the United States, being a superpower, has been instrumental in bringing countries back from the brink of conflict. According to Zakaria, this laissez-faire policy of the US can be partly blamed for the conflict to spiral. This is simply because the US is one of the few nations that could talk to both sides and try to de-escalate the situation. "We have lost the United States as a kind of useful intermediary. You saw Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, lean into that kind of role initially. But then, a few hours later, JD Vance, the Vice President, essentially washes his hands off the whole situation and says the US doesn't want to get involved," Zakaria told India Today in an exclusive Saturday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking to both sides for the second time in three days, stressed the need to exercise maximum restraint and restore direct lines of other leaders have sent an altogether different message. US Vice President JD Vance said America wouldn't get involved in a war that's "fundamentally none of our business". President Donald Trump, who had earlier called India's Operation Sindoor, where it struck nine terror camps in Pakistan, a "shame", has so far not directly engaged with the two leaders. A man searches for his belongings in Kashmir amid debris after his house was damaged amid the ongoing military conflict between India and Pakistan (PTI) "There you see the tension in America between the old traditional engaged superpower and the now more isolationist wing of the Republican Party. So because of that, you don't have a party that's trusted. And frankly, the US is now less trusted by Pakistan than it was 10 or 15 years ago. The Pakistanis believe the US has become entirely pro-Indian," Zakaria 2016 and 2019, when India and Pakistan last clashed following the Uri and Pulwama attacks, the US played a key role in de-escalating tensions. The US was also instrumental in getting Pakistan to release IAF pilot Abhinandan Varthaman after the Balakot said this "fortress America" mentality, where the Trump administration's priorities are more about tariffs and trade, will only allow such local conflicts to fester. The Indian-American journalist and author said the US, in the past, has very effectively used its diplomatic and moral authority to calm tensions is a kind of 'fortress America" mentality, which says whatever's going on outside, let it happen - we don't really care very much. This may be the new world we are in, a world without a superpower, a world without a country that tries to manage these tensions. And, these local conflicts can therefore spiral. And that, is the danger here, very clearly," Zakaria said.'CHINA CAN'T BE TRUSTED'Apart from the US, Zakaria said China could not be trusted as an intermediary, while the European Union doesn't have a powerful geopolitical or geomilitary presence."India has a long history of not wanting the United Nations (UN) involved in this. Certainly, the Chinese have influence with Pakistan, but India would not trust China as an intermediary at all. The European Union, they are not really a single entity, they don't have a powerful geopolitical, geomilitary presence," he which has called Pakistan its all-weather friend, has been guarded it its response and has mostly remained aloof from the conflict. Even though it helped Pakistan water down a United Nations Security Council condemnation of the Pahalgam attack, China has so far desisted from making a ringing endorsement of support for calling both India and Pakistan its "neighbours", China said it was willing to play a constructive role in de-escalating the India left with limited external support, Zakaria said it has to rely on its own approach to managing the crisis. On the other hand, he said it was important for Pakistan to realise that it cannot win against bigger and more powerful country like India."This is the post-American world that I am worried about. You see it in South Asia. What it means is the dangers of conflict spiralling out of control. India is trying to signal a more measured approach, and you have to hope that at some point Pakistan realises that this is not a conflict they can win," Zakaria InMust Watch
Hindustan Times
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Pahalgam attack: Massive pro-India protest in UK, China backs rattled ally Pak
Days after 26 innocent people lost their lives in the ghastly terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, nationwide outrage demanding justice for the victims continues. Candlelight marches and protests are taking place across the country against the April 22 terror attack in the Kashmir Valley. The security agencies have demolished the houses of three more terrorists, as part of their crackdown in the Valley. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the Pahalgam terror probe, and has intensified its search for evidence and questioning eyewitnesses to unravel the terror conspiracy. Pahalgam attack updates 1. A large number of Indian community and diaspora representatives descended upon the High Commission of India in London to counter a Pakistani demonstration that was called to protest against what was branded as 'Indian propaganda'. Chanting "Bharat Mata ki Jai" and "Vande Mataram" and waving the Indian Tricolour, the pro-Indian demonstrators outnumbered the smaller group of British Pakistanis across the road from India House on Sunday evening, PTI reported. 2. Union minister Jitendra Singh said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is closely monitoring the situation in response to the Pahalgam attack. 'After the Pahalgam incident, Prime Minister Modi has assured the countrymen. He is monitoring the situation. Whatever decisions the Government of India takes, based on inputs from the Home Ministry, Defence Ministry, and Foreign Ministry, they are not interpreted publicly,' Singh told ANI. 3. China has once again backed its close ally Pakistan amid its tensions with India following the Pahalgam attack. During a phone call with his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar, Wang said China is closely following developments after the terror attack and backs an 'impartial investigation' into the incident, the statement from China's foreign ministry said. 4. Two Pakistani nationals were arrested on Sunday in Chhattisgarh's Raigarh district for allegedly obtaining voter ID cards and other Indian documents by furnishing false information, police told PTI. Iftikhar Sheikh (29) and Arnish Sheikh (25), originally from Karachi, possess valid Pakistani passports and Long Term Visas (LTV). They were currently staying in Kodatarai village under the Jutemill police station area. 5. According to a PTI report, a youth was arrested for allegedly uploading a poster on social media on the Pahalgam terror attack and the demolition of a 'mazar' inside Government Doon Hospital, Dehradun carried out by the local administration, officials said. The youth allegedly threatened to demolish a temple in a Facebook post and is accused of making an "objectionable" remark against the Pahalgam attack. 6. The Indian Navy on Sunday said its warships have successfully carried out multiple anti-ship firings, revalidating their readiness for long-range precision "offensive" strikes. "Indian Navy ships undertook successful multiple anti-ship firings to revalidate and demonstrate readiness of platforms, systems and crew for long range precision offensive strike," the Indian Navy said in a brief statement. 7. The BJP slammed Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's "no need for war" with Pakistan comments to claim that the Congress has been unmasked within days of extending support to the central government on the Pahalgam attack issue. Some leaders of the Congress are speaking the language of Pakistan, BJP's national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said, adding that several leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc are drawing praise on Pakistani news channels. 8. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi attacked Pakistan over the Pahalgam terror attack, saying that they cannot claim to be a nuclear power and kill innocents without consequences. 'Pakistan always talks about being a nuclear power; they need to remember that if they enter a country and kill innocent people, that country will not sit quietly. No matter the government, by killing our people on our land, and targeting them based on religion, what 'deen' are you talking about?... You have acted like ISIS,' ANI quoted Owaisi as saying at a rally in Maharashtra's Parbhani. 9. The tensions along the Line of Control (LoC) as Pakistan violated ceasefire for the third straight day. The Indian troops responded firmly to the latest night-long provocation and targeted Pakistan's posts facing the Tutmari Gali and Rampur sectors in north Kashmir. 10. A total of 537 Pakistani nationals have left India through the Attari border over the past three days after the deadline for short-term visa holders ended on Sunday, an official told ANI. 'At least 850 Indian Nationals have returned to India in the past three days. He added that on Sunday alone, 237 Pakistani nationals returned to their country, while 116 Indian nationals came back,' Arun Pal, a protocol officer at the Attari Border, said. (With ANI, PTI inputs)
