When asked about what he thought was the Indian way at the Raisina Dialogue on Wednesday, foreign minister S. Jaishankar was clear about what the India way was not. The India way, he said, clearly was not to be a disruptive power internationally. India needed to be a stabilising power, he said. And in a remark reminiscent of Spider Man, he said India must use its “capacity to bear on the international system for global good.’’
"The India way now would be more a decider and shaper than an abstainer,’’ said Jaishankar. India hopes that it can use its influence to be more consultative, be a net security provider, and a contributor to connectivity.
This idea will be at the heart—and will define foreign policy for next few years. And the dialogue—another Modi mandate has flourished over the past four years—was clear reflection of the Indian aspirations. In just one day, Jaishankar met foreign dignitaries across continents—from Estonia to closer home Bangladesh, a country that has been slightly disgruntled with the domestic politics of India and the CAA.
In the forenoon, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov had reiterated a commitment to back India for a permanent role in the UNSC. (He also made it clear that he is aware that India might be a pivot in the Indo Pacific—a term he believed was exclusionary—but was “smart’’ enough to realise that it was America’s attempt to contain China. An affirmation that Russia and India understand each other.)
Jaishankar said that it intrigued him that the India-Russia relation has held steady for decades. And Iran, too, hopes that Jaishankar’s definition as a “shaper’’ will hold true. Foreign minister Javed Zarif, who met Prime Minister Modi and the NSA, believed that India does have a role in “deescalating tensions’’ in the region. His visit, which comes at a crucial time as Iran becomes much more isolated internationally after its admission of shooting down a civilian plane by accident and tensions are high, is a reaffirmation of the Modi government’s belief that the Indian voice now matters much more.
However, for India, this might be a challenge especially with Iran and America. And Jaishankar’s answer reflected it: “US and Iran are individual-minded players. They have a history of dealing with each other. Our concerns are mainly about us and these concerns are similar to other nations. The developments in the last few days made it important for other countries to have a conversation about them,” he said. The ball is in their court, he said, hinting at India’s limited role.
And as for the dragon—the shadow that looms large over India—Jaishankar said: “India and China don’t have a choice but to get along.”
“Economically, we are No.2 and No.3, so it is imperative to have an understanding,” Jaishankar said at the event, adding that the relationship is a work in progress.
