P. K. Balachandran
In its quest for “strategic autonomy” India has alienated both the US and China and is not powerful enough to resist either.
In his first term as India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi signalled that his government will seek accommodation, cooperation and peace with all countries particularly Pakistan, China and the US.
He made an unscheduled visit to Pakistan in 2015 to demonstrate his bonhomie with Premier Nawaz Sharif. He met Chinese President Xi Jinping 18 times between 2014 and 2020 and concluded landmark defence agreements with the US between 2016 and 2020 to become its “strategic partner”.
But come 2024, India’s foreign policy is a bundle of contradictions and earning all round displeasure.
India’s relations with Pakistan broke when New Delhi abrogated Art.370 of the Indian constitution which had guaranteed the autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir, an Indian State claimed by Pakistan. India’s relations with China soured in 2020 over a border clash amidst accusations that China was in occupation of over 4,000 sq.km of Indian territory in Ladakh.
India responded by putting curbs on Chinese trade and investment and tried to prevent China from weaning away its neighbours with investments.
To counterbalance China, India became a member of the US-led anti-China QUAD in 2017. And to bolster its military strength, it signed a number of defence agreements with the US increased military purchases from the US from near zero in 2008 to US$ 25 billion in 2024.
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