Introduction:
India abstained from voting in a United Nations General Assembly resolution that condemns Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In this article, the author explains why India should follow a path of multi-engagement and not multi-alignment.
Key points:
1. India's success with non-alignment during the Cold War period.
2. Challenges India faces in the new global disorder, including the power imbalance with China, the erosion of border peace, and the U.S.-China great power contest unfolding in India's neighborhood.
3. Russia's invasion of Ukraine complicates India's options further, given its deep defence ties with Russia and growing pressure from Western partners to take a more critical stance.
4. India should learn from China's approach to building economic and military power.
5. India must balance its focus on transforming itself economically and militarily to address its continental and maritime security challenges.
6. Instead of being sucked into any bloc, India should aim for multi-engagement and partnership with middle powers to create new pillars of the new order.
Non-Alignment Success
- India adopted non-alignment as a foreign policy doctrine and managed most of its challenges, showing flexibility in adapting to changes in the global and regional equation.
- India maintained equidistance from both blocs during the Cold War, transformed its ties with the U.S. after the Soviet Union collapsed, and built close strategic ties with Russia while maintaining a vibrant economic partnership with China.
- India's long-standing foreign policy trajectory positions it well to face new global disorder in the present context.
Challenges India Faces
- India faces the heat of China's rise, with the power imbalance between India and China having widened in recent years.
- The U.S.-China great power contest is unfolding in India's neighborhood, posing new challenges that India did not have during the Cold War period.
- The decades-long border peace with China collapsed in 2020 when Chinese troops attacked Indian soldiers in the Galwan Valley in the Himalayas.
Russia's Invasion of Ukraine and India's Options
- Russia is a traditional partner with deep defence ties, further complicating India's options, given the Western partners' pressure to take a critical stance on Russia's actions.
- The West's move to isolate Russia in Europe could push the country further into China's embrace, further adding to India's uncertainty.
- India must factor in these delicate changes under way in global politics while making policy decisions.
Learning from China
- India should focus on transforming itself economically and militarily, as China did in the 1970s.
- India must stay focused on its rise and bridging the gap with China while presenting itself as a natural stabilising power in South Asia and the Indian Ocean Region.
- India should aim to be a source of prosperity, especially at a time when China is making inroads into the region.
Continental Nuances
- India must work with Eurasian powers such as Russia and Iran to address its continental security challenges, given the significant risks it faces after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban's return to power.
- Abandoning its strategic autonomy and joining a U.S.-led bloc would limit India's options in the new world, besides provoking China.
- India must maintain diplomatic relations with other countries autonomously, especially with Eurasian countries.
Heading 6: Multi-Engagement for a Multipolar World
- The world is unlikely to be bipolar; instead, many power centres would emerge in a new world order.
- India must adopt multi-engagement instead of multi-alignment to create new pillars of the new order by engaging and partnering with middle powers.
- Instead of being sucked into any bloc, India should aim for a balanced partnership with various middle powers to establish itself as a critical player in the new world order.
Conclusion:
India's foreign policy trajectory positions it well to face new challenges as the world faces another transition in global order. The challenges India faces, including China's rise and the U.S.-China great power contest in India's neighborhood, demand new policy directions. India must focus on transforming itself economically and militarily as it balances its continental and maritime security challenges. It must remain diplomatically engaged with various middle powers to secure its position in the new world order.
