The world and its foreign policy have undergone a drastic change with the collapse of Communism that ended clashes among all kinds of isms from 1980 with China retaining the political cabalism but knocking out Communist philosophy from its economic framework approach. It did not relent on one cabal hold over political institutions but through doors open for economic development. The Soviet Union collapsed within a decade and brought down all Red regimes in Europe and elsewhere.
The world change as the USA survived as the single power with the fall of the non-alignment group. America needs no more fight other isms as its capitalism also was buried under the debris of its failures to give rise to new globalism. Other small and developed nations had nowhere else to go, and America also did not need to buy the support of political cabals in different democracies. It struck terror in hearts of Middle East countries to throw the world into the chaos of terrorism. The rise of terrorism in the Middle East made other nations wary of association with the Islamic states, particularly after the American operations to overthrow regimes in Afghanistan and Iraq and to keep its forces on the Saudi land.
NaMo adopted the economic ties as the core paradigm of his foreign policy for two reasons. One is that India needs foreign capital and also science for its economic development and for solving the enormous problem of educated urbanites pouring in large number 12 million each year in job markets but with minimal increase in employment opportunities.
NaMo finds youngness of India as a nation with 65 percent of its population below 35 years. He also sees job opportunities for many of them in other countries that have massive shortages of skilled hands to keep their means of production rolling. With imparting of skills to young, they can be converted into an exportable commodity to enhance incomes by way remittances. Both approaches need better economic ties. He contacted former Communists as well as old capitalist races for inducing a larger inflow of capital.
Since 1962, India is in constant conflict with China with periodic clashes. It causes tensions in both Beijing and New Delhi with no solution in sight. China has an enormous market in India, but no stakes in Indian economy for its trade ends with the dispatch of goods and collection of sale prices. But he induced Xi Jinping to compete with Japan in offering projects to be built and managed by Chinese. Imagine the scene in Ahmedabad during the visit of the Communist leader from China on the swing on Sabarmati banks opposite the Gandhi Ashram with NaMo explaining to him the Gandhian philosophy and how relevant it was in modern age. The Sangh disciple was talking of Gandhi to the Communist leader on the relevance of Gandhi in the modern age. Can you recall any such great event?
Japanese Prime Minister was seen escorting NaMo to religious shrines in Osaka and Barak Obama jumped to grab invitation extended by NaMo to attend the Indian Republic Day celebrations while Australian Prime Minister overwhelmed by NaMo addressing his parliament or German chancellor embracing NaMo as a welcome gesture.
India is a huge market with 260 million strong middle class with an incredible purchasing capacity and urge as well as the need for improving lifestyle. More Indians can be found in Switzerland and Europe spending their summer vacations or in Singapore and Bangkok instead of frequenting hill stations in India. Developed nations have eyes in India as a huge market for their goods and survival of their economies. India has become a land of hopes. In every country that NaMo visited he has talked to their rich to invite them to come to India as the best and to prosper with high potential parking slot for their capital and their technologies.
He promised not only changes in governance, administrative processes but also skilled hands to operate their means of production with assured and predictable policy framework. He ignores the resistance within by remaining silent to all pinpricks. He does not worry about decimated opposition. He has demolished potential challenge within. Hence, he can afford to go ahead without challenge with new paradigms for foreign policy. By putting his foot down, he made the Sangh relent on its demand for scrapping the constitutional provision that accords special status to Kashmir. It is a part of diplomacy to earn the attention of all nations by declaring he would not allow Kashmir to become a geopolitically unstable region.
He revealed his mind over preparing young with additional skills with his appeal to industries and trade unions to end their resistance to apprenticeships. He pointed out while China has 20 million apprentices working on a roll but India has only three hundred thousand such heads under training. At the same time, the NaMo government also launched in a big way Skill India campaign. It is also a part of long-term measure as trained and skilled young can be absorbed not only in India but can be readied to seek employment abroad. The element of the economy in his diplomacy is a thus important factor.
A logjam in parliament would stand to obstruct his plans to assure foreign investors that the democracy would not stand in their path of profits and thus induce them to come to India may take a long time to materialize with actual transfer of production mechanisms to India.
But changed climate in the world with the West and the Middle East poised against each other in a volatile mood under the violent weather, his attempts in foreign policy appear to stir clear of both sides confronting each other with swords in hands. Quick response from the US President Obama to invitation to be the first US head of state to attend the Republic Day Parade as chief guest shows which winds are blowing. It is a climax to the diplomacy that was initiated by the Civil Nuclear Deal of July 2008 that is overworking to bring the two great democracies closer
