The ‘India pole’ in international politics
- The question that India is on which side of the ongoing Ukraine- Russia war has intensified.
- The problem with the question is that the parties (Here US and Russia) habitually assume that there are just a few select sides in world politics.
India as a ‘Pole’
- Indian policymakers think of themselves as a pole in the international system.
- Origin of this thought:
- country’s long struggle for independence.
- Pre and post-Independence articulations of leaders such as Jawaharlal Nehru, Gandhiji, etc on international politics;
- Primacy India inherited as the legatee state of the British empire in South Asia
- India’s large civilisational sense of self
- Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) experiment
What it entails
- Classical view of polarity
- Domination of the international system by the great powers
- Balances of power by them
- Alliance-building based on ideology
- Distribution of power for the purposes of such balancing.
- Indian view
- Not actively sought to dominate the South Asian regional subsystem
- Has a balancing behavior (for instance, the 1971 India-Soviet Treaty during the Bangladesh war) on emergencies.
Elements of India’s idea of being a pole
- Believes it has a strategic periphery in South Asia
- Discourages interference by other powers in that space
- Tends to speak for ‘underprivileged collectives’, physical (South Asia) or otherwise (NAM, developing nations, global south, etc.)
- Welcomes the rule of law and regional order
- Provider of common goods than as a rule setter or/of demander of allegiance.
What should be done
- India is a pivotal power in the Indo-Pacific and beyond
- Can to help tackle security, climate & other challenges of global consequence.
- Western powers must, therefore, treat India as a partner rather than as a cheerleader.
- Should mainstream India into global institutions such as the UNSC
- Should consult India rather than dictate to India which side to take.
Conclusion
- As India becomes the chair of the G20 and the SCO in 2022, it will further seek to assert itself as a major pole in the international system, and dissuade demands to follow one camp or another.
- Therefore, those wishing to work with India on the global stage must learn to deal with the ‘India pole’.
Prelims Takeaway
- G20
- SCO
- G7
- UNSC