"We are not going to participate in this senseless race .... We have to have the courage to swim against the tide" - German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said these words around 2008.
This statement would make a lot of sense for India today when it comes to "weighing" the right options and strategies for its policy towards the United States. Thankfully Dr S Jaishankar, PM Narendra Modi's foreign minister, is already living by the spirit. As he was asked whether he trusts former US President Donald Trump for a deeper Indo-US ties, Dr Jaishankar was not economical with his words -
"I take the world as I find it.... the US relationship is of immense importance to us. It's not about personality X or president Y".
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| Jaishankar 'snubs' is on |
It's a snub.
Anyone does now understand that --- he or she has problems. America has started not a peculiar manner. It thinks it can get away with it is trying to experiment.
The 'deep state' in the US think it needs India for 'good causes' - rule of law and Quad and Trade .. and it needs Pakistan for all the dirty works. Remember the Operation Sindoor days -- Pakistani Defence Minister slavishly but proudly displayed the ribbon around its neck and said -- "we were doing the dirty works for the west".
Americans again their dirty boy in South Asia to do the dirty jobs. Thankfully India has sensed these pretty well in advance. But the dramatic and drastic changes in foreign policies by different countries often defy logic. If funny things are happening now; almost funnier developments and episodes were visible even in the 1960s and 1970s.
Let us take the clock back to the era when India was struggling with a war against China. Please note despite the fight between communist China and non-communist India, the Soviet Union stood by its commitment and supplied Mig21 to India. Notably, it also enabled India to manufacture them.
By the 1970s, the Soviets were deeply involved as Indian partner in Indian industry and commerce both in private and public sectors. But after a few years when Indira Gandhi was starting to work with the US for an enhanced and better ties; Moscow did their own calculations. It had stepped up assistance to Pakistan and the package even dwelt with Military support.
In domestic politics, the reaction in India was instant. The public and political fury had fallen on foreign minister Swaran Singh.
He had on a number of occasions fielded tough questions in parliament. But the controversy raged on. At one time even PM Indira Gandhi had to fly to Moscow to personally explain things to Prime Minister Kosygin and the then powerful Secretary General Leonid Brezhnev.
This is what is often described as the Wood of Continuity and trees of Change.
On this backdrop it may be argued that the Continuity and not the Change has been the stronger characteristic of Indian policy. This explanation stood much stronger around 2022 after there was a western cry for India to condemn Russia and then stop buying Russian oil.
The Modi government did not oblige Americans and even other western powers.
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There will be lot of noises about US invitation to Pakistani Field Marshall. Come what may, none should forget that at the end of the army Gen Munir was a defeated general of May 2025. The rest of things said and done is only part of a bigger drama. But these debates will probably bring two sub-questions -- What happens in Afghanistan?
Secondly, what happens in Pakistan in next one year or so.
For starters, intensified civil war in Balochistan and other turmoils will unravel Pakistan further.
And as that happens, China will have its own calculations.
If the future has good answers to these queries; then other dramas may unfold. Let us wait for the next round.
ends
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