- Of late, the Indian Government is gaining strength from its smart diplomatic and pragmatic moves while undertaking strategically important geopolitical compulsions into consideration is noticeable. The aftermath of the pandemic and the fast-altering situation perpetrated by China’s ambitious expansionist misadventures courtesy scant international disregard for territorial sovereignty of bordering nations is quite an ominous ringing alarm bells to India. To counter the extremely ambitious Chinese totalitarian march ahead, precipitated by the Galway valley incident and lining up of uniformed men, arms, and ammunition at the Eastern border was imperative.
PC: Maria Korolov
- The Indian government was left with no option but to look out for like-minded nations to forge a veritable alliance to check the Dragon Nation’s ulterior motivations. The resultant outcome on the back of global imperativeness to present an effective alternative saw the Quad involving India, Japan, Australia, and the United States of America coming together with renewed vigor and purpose to take on the might of Chinese aggression. The recently concluded summit level meetings amply demonstrated how seriously the arrangement is being deliberated with utmost seriousness to address the pressing issue at hand.
- Operationalizing the Quad is one of the most exciting global engagements by India in recent times helping it to a position amongst the impressive lot who are amongst the foremost in the global pecking order. Though the Quad is shaping up into a fight by countries with shared democratic values against the totalitarian regime in China, and democratic backsliding in India would be perceived to be at odds with the emerging new order. Some of the eminent voices raising concerns include influential US Senate Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman comes just days after democracy watchdogs Freedom House and Sweden’s V-Dem Institute worryingly downgrading India on democratic functioning.
PC: Manoj Joshi
- This is a matter of concern internationally largely affecting the vital soft-power of India that cannot be ignored anymore. The Chairman has raised relevant issues which deserve greater attention. Voicing concerns over various human rights violations, jailing of dissidents, and passage of discriminatory laws cannot be ignored while we go to town highlighting China’s dangerous gaming of trade, technology, internet, intellectual property, and totalitarian surveillance that are being posited as a threat to tall democratic nations. Moot point to ponder over here is are we as a nation betraying undemocratic tendencies while preaching and expecting others to uphold revered democratic credentials.
- Laws like CAA and criminalization of interfaith marriages, the widespread use of sedition laws, targeting of Bollywood fraternity citing hurt sentiments, communal disharmony, religious disenchantment, curtailment of academic freedoms, and muzzling of criticism is bound to harm India’s carefully built soft power which is interlinked and hence, cannot be separated from its hard power. Needless to mention, the NDA dispensation should show greater acceptability over free speech and democratic rights rather than pressing ahead with sedition charges, blasphemy, and restrictive marriage laws with impunity. Time to reassess the situation.
