Aakar Patel | Why Are We Unable To Influence World? We Look Inwards & Stay Stuck In Past…

What explains our inability, or if we are to be charitable, our reticence, to influence the world around us? Like the rest of the entire planet, India too is negatively impacted from the American-Israeli war on Iran. Indeed, Indians have suffered and are suffering more than any other nation, except for the Iranians. The reason, of course, is that there are one crore or so Indians across the Gulf region, a population larger than the combined citizenry of five of the six GCC states.

The lives and livelihoods of these Indians are at risk from the violence. Uncertainty dogs them and this is especially hard for those among them who are not well-off. This is by far the majority, comprising the members of the Indian expatriate working class in the Gulf, whether in the services sector or in industry.

The long-term future and economic direction of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations are in question after this war, and the futures of these millions of Indians are linked to that outcome. This is why India is caught up in and suffering in this war more than most nations, which whom we also share the problems of fuel and gas. Which is the reason why the question has to be asked: Why the inability to influence or even attempt to influence the actions of the warring states -— the United States and Israel?

Other than saying that shipping should be allowed to resume, our government has not engaged with the problem. Why is shipping halted? We made no reference to that. How can it be resumed? No wisdom there either: merely the plea or demand or request (it is unclear which, since the words are empty) that shipping be allowed to resume. It should be noted that India has aligned itself by default with the position of the colonising nations of Europe, who want no part of the war, make no reference to the perpetrators and only want their goods to flow.

Let us try and answer the question. It is possible and perhaps likely that there is no single reason, but a set of them which have made staying silent more appealing than any kind of action. Let us look at them in turn.

There is an incoherence to Indian foreign policy and this extends to national security. Basic example: We are unclear whether China is a friend or an enemy. Whether it should be traded with or disengaged from. The lack of coherence comes from an absence of doctrine. Much of our foreign policy is aimed at Indians and once, as is the case today with this war, it became clear that the claims of being a world leader were hollow, we were embarrassed and looked away.

Abandoning the idea of the national interest, we are besotted with personal diplomacy, which is linked inextricably to personal interest, and assumed that chumminess was a solid foundation on which to rest foreign policy. Fittingly, we have been either betrayed in this endeavour (by Donald Trump) or used (by Benjamin Netanyahu), by the opposite side, which is realistic and hard. Our dilemma is that it is our friends who have put Indians through misery. but we think we do not have the capacity to even tell them to stop.

Another reason is that diplomatic efforts elsewhere have alarmed us. It appears that we would rather that Indians suffer than the war end through the efforts of those whom we detest. This appears not only mean-spirited and petty, which it is, but also absurd. It is the actions of those who take the lead in haranguing us with platitudes about the world as a family.

There is another reason and it may be described with the folk saying: “Mulle ki daud masjd tak”. The Internet interprets the saying as “a person who only goes as far as their knowledge, resources, or interests allow”, and “someone whose actions always return to the same familiar circle or area of expertise”.

New India is about a fierce inward-looking nationalism. Open the newspapers and switch on the television if you are new to this place, but this has become our refrain and our chorus. The minorities are to blame for the past, the liberals are blocking the present path to our glorious future and they all have to be fixed first and sorted out before we can move on. So long as this remains our primary task, we will stay with it. When there is this sort of clarity about the nation, the external world becomes only a distraction, and if we ignore it, it will sort itself out hopefully. This is how it is today.

The spokesman of the ministry of external affairs was asked at a press conference on Friday: “Trump is praising Asim Munir and may travel to Pakistan. How does India see Pakistan’s ceasefire role? Will India be okay with it if Trump comes to India and Pakistan on one trip?” (Notice the focus of the question, which reveals much about us and our press corps.)

The spokesman replied: “I have a simple answer. India is closely following the developments in West Asia.”

The word “following” has rarely been used so appropriately and so revealingly.

The writer is the chair of Amnesty International India. X: @aakar__patel