It all depends on how you look at it. India is being assertive overseas. Narendra Modi's Bharat is also following an independent Foreign Policy roadmap; but it may not be complete erroneous to presume that India’s pursuit of risky foreign escapades holds the possibility of souring relations abroad.
Domestically, it is everyone's case that a foreign policy adventurism ad display of 56-inch bravado vis-a-vis Pakistan, eliminating terror elements in Ghuske Marenge approach will help the BJP.
However, it could be still a strategy punctuated with the risks for India’s relations with international partners. In 2014 by the year end everyone asked 'Has India arrived in the international stage?'
In the last 10 years, Modi's Foreign Policy has answered that question. Today, Bharat is at the next stage. Will India/Bharat continue with its independent and aggressive Foreign Policy gestures?
What about the cost effectiveness ? It may be a question of glass half-full or half-empty. But a question that will be asked is how truthful it would be to state that the 'world needs India' more than India needs the world.
Today in circa 2024, the fact of the matter is common Indians are increasingly becoming more aware of the importance of foreign policy. It is no longer an elitist matter. People are also aware of Modi’s policy measures in multiple fronts vis-a-vis diplomacy. At the same time it is important to note that several overseas friends like the US may also grow cautious.
Prime Minister Modi himself says the west and the intellectuals and the media in the west are not comfortable when India pushes the argument that India (Bharat) is the Mother of Democracy.
Till date, the west drew a comfort by its own analysis and interpretation that Democracy is essentially a western concept. Modi is not buying this line and more importantly not even shy to push his 'desi' line that Bharat is the mother of democracy on this planet earth.
In all these one argument could be very much correct, -- Prime Minister Modi has shaped the country in profound ways and also guided its foreign policy in a leadership role. That's why India and elections in India matter so much. It is true, the differences with Pakistan is legacy issue related to partition and at the same time problems with Canada too could be trivial.
But India’s relationship with the United States is of vital importance. It is certainly two way. While we say this, there is need to appreciate that the U.S. administration will not allow some incidents or small differences to derail a growing strategic partnership.
After the elections are over and if Modi is re-elected; from both sides Ukraine and Russia there are already formal request for the Prime Minister to play a role in ending the conflict. Modi is fortunate to enjoy an unprecedented popularity in India in more ways than one.
It is true that the popular support for Modi is so considerable that, despite experiencing short-term losses, an overwhelming number of voters may believe that the prime minister will eventually reverse these trends if any.
"This argument has an analogy in domestic policy: despite a record of mixed economic growth while in office, many Indian voters believe that Modi’s vision for the country will ultimately result in widespread prosperity, even if the accumulated record to date leaves much to be desired," says an analyst for 'carnegieendowment.org.
The same article also points out that "conversations about India’s role in the world can be heard on street corners, at the dinner table, and around the proverbial water cooler. While elites might still dominate the production of foreign policy, its consumption has been democratized."
Look at the issue of border conflict with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
It may not be erroneous to assert that even if the electorate is concerned about India’s loss of face, it is possible that they have little faith that the opposition and especially the Congress would do a better job handling the crisis.
As a result, the incentives to hold the Modi government accountable actually are muted.
The 'China angle' is crucial to India's foreign policy. The Modi government and its foreign minister Dr S Jaishankar have able to 'skillfully' play adversaries off one another when it comes to US's animosity towards Beijing.
Therefore, most western leaders including from UK, France and Germany have boosted their courtship of India.
New Delhi has in effect made use of growing number of cleavages in the international system to pursue its realist interests.
ends
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