Changing Global Equations: India Needs to Reset
STORIES, ANALYSES, EXPERT VIEWS
In the age of changing equations and global reset, Indian policy makers need to be aware of the impact this will have on its security.
India can’t remain smug, writes Shashi Shekhar (editor-in-chief, Hindustan) “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…..”
India should however, be aware that “Pakistan 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 India must do
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.”
Improving education: 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.”
Expedite military hardware production: 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…..”
The changing international architecture for counter-terrorism
More significantly, the international dynamic for counter-terrorism is changing to India’s disadvantage.
The terror attack in Pahalgam, writes Nirupama Rao (former foreign secretary) “brought into sharp focus a reality that….terrorism is not just an isolated security threat; it is an ongoing war by other means. While India showcased military precision and diplomatic discipline during the crisis, the global response to its actions also exposed gaps in the current international system’s ability to credibly and swiftly respond to terror…….
“While allies like the United States, France, and Israel tacitly or overtly supported India, other global institutions such as the United Nations and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) defaulted to calls for ‘restraint' and ‘dialogue’ without assigning responsibility. China, predictably, shielded Pakistan diplomatically. Russia, once a reliable strategic partner, chose calibrated silence.”
This pattern is familiar and frustrating, emphasises Rao. “The international architecture for counter-terrorism — including the UN, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), and the Global Counterterrorism Forum — either lacks teeth, is entangled in geopolitical rivalries, or remains anchored in a Western security paradigm that does not fully reflect the lived realities of terrorism in South Asia, Africa, or the Middle East.”
Case for an India-led bloc against terrorism
In view of this “chronic mismatch between global terror frameworks and the regional intensity of the threat,” Rao proposes a “dedicated alliance of 20 countries, led by India, comprising nations from the Global South who face frequent, asymmetrical, and politically complex terror threats. These include Indonesia, Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, Mali, Fiji, the Philippines, and others — countries that, like India, often find themselves battling both state-sponsored and ideologically driven terrorist violence without adequate global support.”
The mandate “would not be to duplicate existing institutions but to supplement them with agility, real-time coordination, and a Global South-first perspective. It would focus on intelligence sharing through a joint task force; capacity building and counter-radicalisation programmes; joint diplomatic statements to name and shame state sponsors of terrorism; a permanent platform to address emerging threats like cyber-terrorism, drone-based warfare, and crypto-financing of extremism.”
Strategically, India benefits. “India must now take the next step — not just to defend itself, but to offer leadership to all those who, like it, stand on the frontline of an undeclared global war.”
