New Delhi
Amid election season and talk about 'authoritarian democracy' - seen largely as a charge against his government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dialed Russian leader Vladimir Putin and congratulated him on success in the just held election.
The western countries have condemned the Russian election results but this did not bother Modi who has lately struggled hard to position his country as an emerging global powerhouse.
In a post on X, PM Modi said he spoke to Putin and congratulated him on his re-election as Russia's President. "We agreed to work together to further deepen and expand India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership in the years ahead," Modi said.
In domestic politics, Modi is more often alleged for pushing a sectarian, pro-Hindutva majoritarian politics. He is also charged with pursuing a policy of 'authoritarianism and centralised power politics' and making the last 10 years of his days in power as a period of democratic backsliding in world's largest democracy.
Pluralism and respect for minorities have been the hallmark of power politics in India but Narendra Modi and his party, BJP, have more termed these as 'appeasement' especially of Muslims.
Not to miss, even China’s president Xi Jinping has congratulated Putin saying Beijing would continue to promote the “no limits” partnership with Russia.
The frosty China-US relation is too well known and hence Xi trying to forge ahead a global tie up with Putin is understood. But in the case of Modi, it is almost similar. Modi has tried to evolve a globally neutral policy even after Russia invaded Ukraine and more than half a dozen times declined to vote with the western powers in the UN.
Modi is seeking his third consecutive term in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The seven-phase elections will take place from April 19 to June 1. Results will be declared on June 4.
But for the western countries, India with its huge demographic strength remains a key factor and so is their 'friendship' with the Indian Prime Minister. The western sanctions against Russia rather created grounds for Modi to 'endear' himself a much closer to Putin. The latter being a communist dictator does not bother pro-Hindutva icon Modi.
"Modi has used the Russia-Ukraine war to his advantage on the global stage. India is now the single biggest buyer of Russian oil and India’s refineries have taken advantage of vastly reduced prices," says analyst Vidyarthi Kumar. He points out that during a panel discussion at the Munich Security Conference India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar replied quite clearly in presence of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken:
“Is that a problem, why should that (buying Russian oil) be a problem? If I am smart enough to have multiple options, you should be admiring me".
Jaishankar has also stated that India prevented a surge in global oil prices with its purchase policies, which in turn prevented potential competition with Europe in the market. Blinken was seen sporting a rather helpless smile.
On Wednesday, March 20, Indian PM Modi ran another extra mile. Modi spoke to Ukraine President Vlodymyr Zelenskyy and pledged to strengthen the India-Ukraine partnership ties' too.
"Conveyed India’s consistent support for all efforts for peace and bringing an early end to the ongoing conflict. India will continue to provide humanitarian assistance guided by our people-centric approach," PM Modi said.
In response, Zelenskyy said, "I spoke with Prime Minister @NarendraModi to express gratitude for India's support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, humanitarian aid, and active participation in Peace Formula meetings. It will be important for us to see India attend the inaugural Peace Summit, which is currently being prepared in Switzerland."
Sources in the Indian government say in fact both Putin and his aggrieved Ukrainian counterpart Zelensky have invited Modi to visit respective countries after the general elections in India.
Notably, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is scheduled to undertake a visit to India. This will be the first such visit since the onset of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in February 2022.
Putin showing much enthusiasm for a meeting with Modi and Ukraine's keen interest in India's participation in the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland actually underscore the pivotal role India plays and can play in the emerging global peace initiatives.
The Indian foreign ministry officially stated: "While discussing the Russia-Ukraine conflict, PM reiterated India’s consistent position in favour of dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward". (during tele talks with Putin)
While India has abstained from several UN votes criticising Putin's actions, New Delhi has not shied away from expressing its discomfort with the situation. It declined Russia's request for support in a Security Council resolution on Ukraine and condemned the atrocities against Ukrainian civilians in Bucha, calling for an international investigation.
The Prime Minister in a meeting with President Putin, emphasised in 2022 that "today’s era is not the era of war," a sentiment later echoed by the G20 summit communique in 2023 in Delhi.
In this election season in India, tele talks and invites from two warring nation heads - Putin and Zelensky - could actually work as a force multiplier for Modi in terms of wooing votes.
When it comes to 'domestic politics', the Modi-led regime is being accused in certain quarters of trying to rake up the issue of BJP's attempts to enforce a quasi-autocracy role, paradoxically an average BJP supporter feels the Indian Prime Minister for the first time has given true global leadership to India in seven decades since independence in 1947.
"When it comes to international polity, BJP's average voters are supporting a neo-assertive Prime Minister in Modi," says observer Ramakanto Shanyal.
"Modi is having the best of everything. In India, opposition has not able to put up any candidate against him to take him at the national level. Overseas, India is wooed for being the fifth-largest and as well as the fastest-growing economy and western leaders including from Germany, US and France have been rolling out a red carpet for Modi".
The Indian elections are being held at a time when minorities including Christians feel they are facing an indifferent dispensation under Hindu radical leader Modi.
Catholic bishops across India have urged their people to pray and fast on March 22 to protest persecution against Christians in the country. The intention “is to intercede for our nation especially the forthcoming general elections this year,” said Archbishop Anil Couto of Delhi, secretary general of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI).
He wrote to bishops across India “to exhort parishioners to unite in prayer for a continuous period of 12 hours.”
(https://www.ucanews.com/news/indian-catholics-to-pray-fast-ahead-of-national-polls/104477)
Analyst Vidyarthi Kumar says the priorities for India are jobs, faster growth and enhanced investments both by domestic players and multi national companies.
Former diplomat, Pawan Varma, who also penned a book 'The Great Hindu Civilisation', says "There is something called authoritarian democracy under which you can have absolute majority in Lok Sabha (Lower House) ...and you can pass laws which would be otherwise difficult to pass".
However, he suggests that Indian voters may not prefer a party which is so much individual-centric (Modi),
ends
India must be the only country in the democratic world to congratulate Putin on his victory in a sham election. Other major countries whose leaders congratulated Putin are China and North Korea (both authoritarian countries). When most of the world is shunning Putin's Russia, India is wooing him. Indian diplomacy is really strange!
ReplyDelete- R Vijay, Maharashtra