How much Indian diplomacy has succeeded in building a strong relationship with other countries? Can it be said that in the time of the adversaries Indian diplomacy and diplomats can handle situation peacefully?

India is the second largest populated country after her neighbor China. India is the largest democracy and only second to the USA in a democratic institution. India is also one of the largest countries in terms of geography. India has always a switchboard between the eastern and the western countries. After the transfer of power to Indians, the then Government of India chose not to align with two blocks: Russian and America. India did not officially side with two competing powers during the cold war, but it surely tilted the balance in favor of the USSR, and the present day Russia, making the Americans suspicious of the Indians. The non-alignment gave wrong messages throughout the world and India ended up sidelined by the oldest democracy in the world, the USA.

India’s shaky stand on the foreign relations, particularly with regard to the USA, made the USA to develop Pakistan as an ally and it worked very well for the USA and its interest in the region and the middle-east. It is through Pakistan that the USA and Russia clashed in Afghanistan. This has created a new great game territory in terms of Pakistan-Afghanistan where interests of powerful nations collided.

In the interesting twist of the global events, USSR broke apart and after its balkanisation, Russia was plagued with internal problems and severe economic issues. Russia bounced back under Putin as an important player in the world democracy. However the bipolar world that emerged during the cold war was changed after the fall of Russia, but then the new player emerged on the international scene and that is China.

China became an economic engine of manufacturing in the world and with its economic rise; China has also emerged as a dominant player in the world politics. China is destined to become a strong nation as it has a civilization of over 5000 years and also that the Chinese as the part of this civilization are spread over all the parts of the world. It has a huge soft power, besides being hard power in terms of its aid to many poor countries and strong international initiatives that China has initiated. With the emergence of China, the global equation is changing and India must find its place and position in this changed world order.

Indian Diplomacy – A Balancing Act

India must continue to engage with the USA though currently it is headed by an incontinent President who power to upset any has established pattern and structure developed previously. While the USA will continue to shine throughout the world because of its political system that accommodates people from all over the world and presents an environment of liberty and progress for all, China has also emerged as a centre of excellence and innovations in the world.

Every country must find its comparative advantage vis a vis other nations so that it can start maximizing its gain. India and China are the neighboring countries and one of the fascinating things that can happen between India and China is the open trade.

We share longer border with China. However, the major issue between the China and India is the border issue and this issue cannot be solved or resolved with the war.

It must be solved only though discussions and negotiations. The process of settling borders was started in 1980s and over 30 years have been lost in making any progress on this issue.

It will be wise for both the sides to sit together, exchange maps, study the past treaties, and settle the borders through a legal process and instruments. The unresolved border issues will create unnecessary tensions between the two nations which constitute major share of the world population. Though India and China are neighbors, the information about each other in the respective countries is not only meager but at times distorted. The bilateral relations must focus on increasing awareness about each other in the respective countries so that the citizens are aware of the actual realities on both the sides.

At this point in the history, India is in a position to really develop great relationships with all the powers and all the countries in the world. India’s engagement with the world outside and the terms of the engagement are as important for the world and India.

What do you think how much effective is Indian diplomacy and policies to build a relationship with different countries? Let us know in the comments section.

Author – Mangesh Dahiwale, Human Rights Activist