BY DR. A. ADITYANJEE
In its first episode, the author analyses the long history of India narrating its unique civilization, culture and philosophy thus
reminding us that India did not arise or start or was created in 1947 when transfer of power from the colonial British government
took place. He has negated this aggressive narrative put forth by many modern historians and academicians in India and
elsewhere. The analysis goes on to the 2nd part of the article.
Strategic Autonomy:
For any Indian government irrespective of the party affiliation, India's strategic autonomy is paramount. If a government
deviates from that path, it will lose power in the national elections. There is strong reaction among the Western policy circles
about India's continued refusal to kowtow to the Western policy position and prescription regarding the Europe's latest tribal
war that ostensibly started on February 24, 2022. However, this slow walking war started much earlier. The seeds of this war
were sown after the break-up of the Soviet Union when NATO started aggressive eastward expansion despite the fact that
Warsaw Pact had dissolved. India took a principled stand in the UN while trying to work with all the parties involved instead of
selectively condemning one party only. Every war is unfortunate but there are antecedents to each war. This mindless eastward
expansion of NATO from 12 countries to now 30 countries has resulted in another European white tribal war. For the Western
policy makers and their acolytes to condemn India for refusing to play Western geopolitical games is the height of hypocrisy.
While the Europe keeps buying Russian gas and hydrocarbons, why India should restrict her imports from Russia? India is not
at war with Russia and cannot and should not sanction Russia. India will jealously guard her own geo-political and commercial
interests despite all the pressures and will not join any bandwagon like a sheep. India shall not be a camp follower of either US,
Russia or China or Europe.
US-India Tango:
US considers itself as an exceptional country not subject to any international law. There is a doctrine of American
Exceptionalism. Proponents of American exceptionalism argue that the United States of America is exceptional in that it was
founded on a set of republican ideals rather than on a common heritage, ethnicity, or ruling elite. The idea that the United
States of America is uniquely virtuous may be comforting to Americans but it's not true. For a young country born yesterday to
try to dictate terms to a civilizational nation state is the height of geopolitical and moral stupidity. These strong-arm tactics have
not worked in the past and will not work in future. India is too big to be dictated by the US. In the process, US loses goodwill of
Indian people and Indian government. As the US declines in its comprehensive national strength and faces the eight-hundred-
pound Gorilla, Communist China, US needs more friends rather than enemies. A friendly India is in long-term US geopolitical
interests. Perhaps, it is true that US needs India more currently than India needs US.
However, the US continues to play the game of sanctions. The Sword of Damocles in the form of CATSAA sanctions is
brandished from time to time. The US domestic law can not change India's international relations. The unilateral abrogation and
cancellation of Tarapore Atomic Power plant nuclear fuel deal by the US did not change the trajectory of India's nuclear
weapons program.
The curmudgeonly US tactics towards India since 1947 have not changed India's behavior or aspirations, merely slowed
down the rise. India and US cannot be genuine allies but mere friends as India will not agree to be a junior partner. In this US-
India dance, India will reserve all the possible dance moves without being intimidated by the hyper-power.
Indian Diplomacy:
India has helped developing countries by contributing to their growth and development without trapping them into high
interest debts. Unlike China which practices debt-trap diplomacy, India has given soft loans, grants and aid to neighboring
countries like Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Maldives, without any profit motive. India's vaccine
diplomacy was appreciated during the Wuhan virus pandemic when far off countries like Jamaica thanked India in the UN for
vaccine help. This was at a time when US companies like Johnson & Johnson allegedly demanded military bases in Argentina
for providing vaccines. There is increasing realization in African countries that China is trying to control their natural resources
and the infra-structure built by China does not last long. African countries are now more receptive to developmental aid from
India. The only country that was able to evacuate its own nationals and citizens of other countries also from the war-torn
Yemen was India. Similarly, in the current war in Ukraine, India was able to convince both Russia and Ukraine to extend help in
evacuation of Indian students. India has provided food aid and other humanitarian and medical assistance to Ukraine without
fanning the fire of the war. India will not provide military aid to Ukraine because it prolongs the unnecessary war. India has
called all the parties to the conflict return to the negotiating table to seek a peaceful resolution of the European war.
India's Strategic Independence:
India is now moving from an era of strategic autonomy to an era of strategic independence. The world must take a note of
change in India's strategic posture as India's comprehensive national strength gradually increases. As usual in Indian history, it
is the traitors within the country that are putting obstacles in India's rise. Paid journalists on foreign payroll are adroit at bowing
to their masters and periodically write on dotted lines. Global leftist and liberal media networks have been reflexively critiquing
India at every opportunity. Taking the cue from their masters, a miniscule portion of matricidal Indian diaspora have taken upon
themselves to humiliate and slander Mother India and her government. These buffoons try to discriminate between Mother
India versus Government of India without realizing that in today's geopolitical scenario, Mother India is represented by the
Government of India. These Nattering Nabobs of Negativism represent foreign interests of deep states while camouflaging
themselves as sons and daughters of Mother India. No amount of saber rattling by a nexus of foreign agents will slow down the
emergence of India as a rising power in the comity of nations.
Indian Exceptionalism:
India is a democracy but not part of the Western clubs like G-7. India is a secular nation, not part of Organization of Islamic
Cooperation. India is not part of the NATO, nor it is part of the CSTO. India is not signatory to the NPT and CTBT, yet she is a
responsible nuclear weapon state. India's entry to the NSG has been blocked by China but she is a member of the voluntary
export control regimes MTCR, Australia Club and the Wassenaar arrangement. India is an Asian country but not part of the
ASEAN. India stands alone during critical times like 1971 when only India took on the UN and US about the liberation of
Bangladesh on humanitarian grounds. India is part of the BRICS, RIC and SCO while simultaneously being a member of the
QUAD, I2U2 and the IPEF. India has chosen to stay away from multi-lateral free-trading blocs like RCEP, and CPTTP. India
cannot be categorized easily into a particular genre. India cannot be pigeonholed into any specific box or block or military
alliance.
India will remain an independent, uniquely exceptional country, a pole by herself in the comity of nations, a rising and shining
star, unparalleled and unmatched. India has defied the contrived and discriminatory “so-called global” norms always without
compromising on principles. India has survived, flourished and advanced despite the nay-sayers. India belongs to a club called
G-1. No one will be able to bend Mother India and its representative Government of India including the mighty superpowers!
That is, indeed, the Doctrine of Indian Exceptionalism! (Concluded)
(The analysis in reproduced from Boloji.Com where it was first published. The author's views expressed here do not reflect
the views of this publication. He can be contacted at adityancsa@gmail.com)
