top of page

By:

Akhilesh Sinha

25 June 2025 at 2:53:54 pm

India's multi-align diplomacy triumphs

New Delhi: West Asia has transformed into a battlefield rained by fireballs. Seas or land, everywhere echoes the roar of cataclysmic explosions, flickering flames, and swirling smoke clouds. et amid such adversity, Indian ships boldly waving the Tricolour navigate the strait undeterred, entering the Arabian Sea. More remarkably, Iran has sealed its airspace to global flights but opened it for the safe evacuation of Indians.   This scene evokes Prime Minister Narendra Modi's memorable 2014...

India's multi-align diplomacy triumphs

New Delhi: West Asia has transformed into a battlefield rained by fireballs. Seas or land, everywhere echoes the roar of cataclysmic explosions, flickering flames, and swirling smoke clouds. et amid such adversity, Indian ships boldly waving the Tricolour navigate the strait undeterred, entering the Arabian Sea. More remarkably, Iran has sealed its airspace to global flights but opened it for the safe evacuation of Indians.   This scene evokes Prime Minister Narendra Modi's memorable 2014 interview. He stated that "there was a time when we counted waves from the shore; now the time has come to take the helm and plunge into the ocean ourselves."   In a world racing toward conflict, Modi has proven India's foreign policy ranks among the world's finest. Guided by 'Nation First' and prioritising Indian safety and interests, it steadfastly embodies  'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' , the world as one family.   Policy Shines Modi's foreign policy shines with such clarity and patience that even as war flames engulf West Asian nations, Indians studying and working there return home safe. In just 13 days, nearly 100,000 were evacuated from Gulf war zones, mostly by air, some via Armenia by road. PM Modi talked with Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian to secure Iran's airspace for the safe evacuation of Indians, a privilege denied to any other nation. Additionally, clearance was granted for Indian ships carrying crude oil and LPG to pass safely through the Hormuz Strait. No other country's vessels are navigating these waters, except for those of Iran's ally, China. The same strategy worked in the Ukraine-Russia war: talks with both presidents ensured safe corridors, repatriating over 23,000 students and businessmen. Iran, Israel, or America, all know India deems terrorism or war unjustifiable at any cost. PM Modi amplified anti-terror campaigns from UN to global platforms, earning open support from many nations.   Global Powerhouse Bolstered by robust foreign policy and economic foresight, India emerges as a global powerhouse, undeterred by tariff hurdles. Modi's adept diplomacy yields notable successes. Contrast this with Nehru's era: wedded to Non-Aligned Movement, he watched NAM member China seize vast Ladakh territory in war. Today, Modi's government signals clearly, India honors friends, spares no foes. Abandoning non-alignment, it embraces multi-alignment: respecting sovereignties while prioritizing human welfare and progress. The world shifts from unipolar or bipolar to multipolar dynamics.   Modi's policy hallmark is that India seal defense deals like the S-400 and others with Russia yet sustains US friendship. America bestows Legion of Merit; Russia, its highest civilian honor, Order of St. Andrew the Apostle. India nurtures ties with Israel, Palestine, Iran via bilateral talks. Saudi Arabia stands shoulder-to-shoulder across fronts; UAE trade exceeds $80 billion. UN's top environment award, UNEP Champions of the Earth, graces India, unlike past when foreign nations campaigned against us on ecological pretexts.   This policy's triumph roots in economic empowerment. India now ranks the world's fourth-largest economy, poised for third in 1-2 years. The 2000s dubbed it 'fragile'; then-PM economist Dr. Manmohan Singh led. Yet  'Modinomics'  prevailed. As COVID crippled supply chains, recession loomed, inflation soared and growth plunged in developed countries,  Modinomics  made India the 'bright star.' Inflation stayed controlled, growth above 6.2 per cent. IMF Chief Economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas praised it, advising the world to learn from India.

Eden Embarrassment

India’s 30-run defeat to South Africa at Eden Gardens was a rupture in the mythology of home dominance. For years, touring sides have treated the subcontinent as a labyrinth of spin and pressure, a place where India’s mastery of conditions and disciplined batting made victory improbable. Yet in Kolkata, the roles reversed to the bitterness of fans and other senior cricketers. South Africa, dismissed for a modest 159 after electing to bat first, returned with clarity, discipline and tactical poise. India, in pursuit of a manageable 124, fell apart for 93.


The match entered the record books for the wrong reasons. All four innings ended below 200 - India’s first such Test since 1959. Such conditions were once India’s preserve when slow, abrasive surfaces that rewarded patience, tight defence and a mastery of spin. For decades, sides from England, Australia and South Africa wilted in similar conditions, producing a string of home-series triumphs that fortified India’s reputation as an impregnable force. The collapse at Eden therefore should be a damning indictment.


The erosion has been visible for some time. Since the winding down of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane’s Test careers, India’s batting on turning tracks has steadily loosened. The side that once boasted Rahul Dravid’s monastic discipline or VVS Laxman’s uncanny serenity in crises now presents a middle order shaped by T20 muscle memory. The older virtues that enabled India to grind out wins on deteriorating surfaces have been jettisoned. Nothing equally robust has replaced them.


India’s reliance on its spinners has also papered over deeper structural issues. Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav have frequently taken 15-20 wickets between them to secure victories on pitches that magnify their craft. That model has survived narrow escapes and cosmetic success, but it falters when the opposition shows comparable discipline. South Africa did precisely that. Under Temba Bavuma’s steady leadership, they embraced the contest with patience India no longer exhibits.


The warning signs were apparent even before this Test. The 3-0 whitewash at home to New Zealand was a historic embarrassment. Rather than prompt a recalibration of tactics and pitches, it triggered more of the same. Turners engineered in the hope that spin alone would compensate for a softening batting core. However, a team cannot depend indefinitely on bowlers to rescue it from its own strategic rigidity.

Eden itself carries symbolic weight. The venue of Sourav Ganguly’s 2001 miracle against Australia and later Virat Kohli’s exhilarating declaration-driven victories, it has long served as a stage for Indian dominance. But symbolism cannot be a substitute for substance. Head coach Gautam Gambhir, appointed amid high expectations, now faces uncomfortable questions, namely why India is increasingly resembling a T20-dominated unit trapped inside a Test match.


With the series now 1-0 in South Africa’s favour, India approaches the second Test in Guwahati under pressure rarely felt at home. The path back requires something more fundamental than a change of surface or personnel.


Comments

bottom of page