The IAS Center at Punjab University, Patiala, invited me to give a lecture on India’s foreign policy to the students. I said that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, India gave up a very well-thought policy of non-alignment and jumped into the American camp. India’s move was based upon the assumption that the bipolar world, divided between America and its allies on one hand, and the Soviet Union and its allies on the other hand; ended and was replaced by a unipolar world under American domination.
India made the mistake of not differentiating between a transitory situation and the emerging new world order. The bipolar world order, in the long run, was going to be replaced by a multipolar world order with many power centers in the world. America has always been trying to court India. However, India was leaning towards the Soviet Union. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, India felt that America is the only match available and out of this desperation, fell for America. A relationship borne out of desperation can rarely be successful.
Instead of a hasty relation, India should show more patience and play its cards well. Now, a close relation with America can become more of a liability rather than an asset for India. Cracks are now visible in the American domination and hegemony. Both China and Russia are showing increasing defiance to America’s policies. The Chinese response to the American-prompted Hague tribunal verdict on South China Sea Islands issue is a clear example of the new assertiveness and strength of China.
China has almost openly challenged America militarily and dared it to intervene militarily in the area. China has gone a step further and called America and Japan “Paper tigers and Eunuchs.” Mao had called America a paper tiger almost 50 years ago. However, in the seventies and eighties, China found itself in a practical alliance with America against the Soviet Union. China played a big role in helping America to bring down the Soviet Union.
The re-emerging Russia, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, is also becoming equally assertive in Europe. It won back Crimea and Eastern Ukraine. Many European countries now want to have good relations with Russia. Turkey is a good example. It has realized that it cannot be seen too closely allied with the West against Russia. Turkey decided to make up with Russia after they had a fall out following the downing of a Russian plane by Turkey.
This seems to be the cause of a coup d’état in Turkey. The forces responsible for the coup may be those forces which are opposed to Turkey moving closer to Russia. There are nationalists in many European countries that firmly support Russia. Russia has firmly and openly supported China on the South China Sea Islands issue. It is clear that the momentum is on the side of Russia and China standing united. American and western influence is clearly slipping and eroding.
On the South China Sea Islands issue, America seems to be inciting the small countries such as Philippines and Vietnam to challenge China. This reminds of a story in which a group of rats had a meeting on how to save themselves from a cat. They decided to put a bell around the cat’s neck so that when it comes, then they will be able to hear the bell ringing and run away to save them.
However, the question is: who will put the bell around the cat’s neck? I feel that the American efforts to contain China by using the small countries are going to prove an exercise in futility. Can America make Japan do its job? I do not think that can work either because Japan, even with American help, cannot match the Chinese strength. Japan has the technology and money, yet it lacks the manpower and spirit to fight. Japan has been fully integrated with the world capitalist order and has lost its eastern base. It is suffering from all of the ailments which western capitalist countries are facing.
Why did China call America and Japan paper tigers and eunuchs? Capitalism destroys the human spirit. A person become only a consumer and is not a real human being in a true sense. A consumer cannot have any true spirit except the drive to make more money in order to buy more consumer goods and comforts. Capitalism has reduced peoples’ existence to money-making machines which appear to be human, but lack true human spirit.
Why are Russia and China different than the western countries and Japan? In both Russia and China, nationalism is still alive and strong. People in both countries have a very deep and strong feeling that they were humiliated by the western countries and Japan, and they have a score to settle with them. This feeling keeps their spirit alive. Wars, in the final analysis, are not won by weapons and money; human spirit plays the dominant role. Since Russia and China still have human spirit while America and Japan have lost that; therefore, they will be unable to match Russia and China and that is the reason China has called them paper tigers and eunuchs.
The only realistic option America feels it has is that it should put India against China. It feels that India can provide the manpower needed to fight China. India should try to ponder and understand some factors which are essential to formulate a sound foreign policy. At this point in time, America needs India more than India needs America. America wants to use India to contain its main rival, China.
However, that means maintaining the old unipolar world order whereas India’s fundamental interests are best served in the emerging multipolar world. At this time, China is much ahead of India. Even with the American help, it is difficult for India to match China’s strength. If a war breaks out between India and China, then India has more to lose than China. Russia is firmly on the side of China if a major war like a Third World War starts, then Russia and India can be in opposite camps.
Russia is the only country among the three major powers (America, China and Russia) which has been the time-tested friend of India. Moreover, the Indian army’s heavy weaponry still comes from Russia. Therefore, Russia being on the opposite side can create complicated problems for India.
The best Indian foreign policy could be to try to maintain a balanced state of relations with the three major powers without tilting towards any one major power. At present, India is heavily tilted towards America.
A multipolar world order is better suited to India’s interests than the present unipolar world order.
In the last two centuries, under western domination, the contribution of the East has been marginalized. We need to correct this biased view. In the last two centuries, the western values have been imposed on the rest of the world as universal values. The west has tried to promote uniformity. We have to promote the concepts of pluralism, multiculturalism and diversity.
The principle of unity in diversity as advocated by Sri Guru Granth Sahib is the ultimate principle to promote unity of mankind.
Sawraj Singh M.D. F.I.C.S.
Chairman, Washington State Network for Human Rights
Chairman, Central Washington Coalition for Social Justice
