India needs new goals as the global order resets

Hindustan Times

4 hours ago

It was May 12, 1947, a day characterised by hectic parleys in hushed tones in the corridors of power in London; newly elected Prime Minister Clement Atlee was meeting military commanders at his official residence at 10, Downing Street. Along with all three chiefs of services, the legendary World War II hero, Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, was also present, as were some foreign policy experts. They were there to discuss India's independence and its eventual partition.
These men thought that India as a nation had socialistic impulses. If it were to be given independence in the undivided form, chances were that the storm of Communism that began in Moscow may end up on the shores of the Indian Ocean. They considered it a mortal threat to British interests. They wanted to create a buffer State between the Soviet Union and India, which could do their bidding in the region. Pakistan was created on August 14, 1947, and became a Western puppet. India, meanwhile, took the path of non-alignment on August 15, 1947.
However, 78 years later, the generals responsible for the partition of India stand defeated. Pakistan has slithered away from the Western chokehold and is now firmly in the grip of China. The Soviet Union is history, but its remnant, Russia, with the biggest nuclear stockpile in the world, is now Beijing's friend. All three nations are nuclear powers. Another undeclared nuclear power, North Korea, is a part of this axis. The world looks at the quartet with a lot of concern. US President Donald Trump has done his bit to aggravate the global unease. His tariff tantrums have blurred the line between friends and foes.
In the age of changing equations and global reset, what should India do?
India can't remain smug that Pakistan is repeating a historical mistake. Earlier, as a pawn of the West, it destroyed its economy, and now, as China's poker chip, it's digging another grave for itself. Superpowers are solely concerned about their interests. The father of modern US foreign policy, Henry Kissinger, once said, 'It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal.' The context may have been different, but it chillingly puts the relationship between a superpower and a weak nation in perspective.
This is where India needs to tread cautiously. The enemy is now firmly ensconced in China's lap, with whom we have a long-standing border dispute. Russia, too, is toeing Beijing's line and is in no position to help us as it did in 1971. Europe is in a crisis. It leaves us with just the US, whose friendship is fatal. What are the options left for us?
The road ahead may be difficult, but not impossible. India is now one of largest economies in the world. We have the biggest pool of graduates in the world. Indian graduates from IITs, IIMs, and AIIMS are making their mark globally. The time has come for India to stop being an exporter of trained manpower and become a net importer of global talent.
Google data suggests that since Trump's policies came into force, there has been a 25% drop in searches for US universities. Today, many of the best educational institutions in the world are in China. The US used to lead the tally not long ago. India will have to improve its education and update its internal infrastructure so that it can attract talented students from developing countries. China is trying to do the same, but our social setup will be far more effective and attractive for global citizens. We need to upgrade our higher education infrastructure, a second Green Revolution to become one of the three top producers of food grains.
As far as military hardware is concerned, the weapon traders are politics-agnostic. They'll remain available, though that's not enough. India must expedite military hardware production. The indigenous missiles were effective in the recent clashes with Pakistan. It also exposed the limitations of Western aircraft and equipment.
India needs to become an exporter rather than an importer of military hardware. A beginning has been made, but it's not enough. We shouldn't work on a war footing when we are faced with a war. To create a great nation, we should remain alert against any slack and legacy mindset during peacetime.
China did the same and is now itching to reach the top. Pakistan took a completely different path, and the results are evident. Treading a middle path, we have achieved a lot, but it's time to sprint towards a steep hill. For this, we'll have to marshal all our resources and willpower.
Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan. The views expressed are personal