India's delegations to other nations is unlikely to yield big dividends because now the big terrorist chiefs sit in Qatar's marble palaces, receiving leaders
Post Operation Sindoor, the government knowingly or unknowingly fell through many diplomatic trapdoors from which it is trying to squeeze out.
Though India could have rested proudly on its military accomplishments, especially its decimation of various terrorist hideouts, events that happened soon after have pushed India into a corner unable to take advantage of an anti-terror position, nor to have others join this anti-Pakistan, anti-terror bandwagon.
Also read | Turkey is pro-Pakistan, but does that make it anti-India?
In a new world order that US President Donald Trump is trying to fashion, India finds itself nowhere.
Shockingly for India, Trump decided to make friends with the new extremist post-Assad leadership of Syria led by Ahmed al Shara, a former Al Qaida activist, who was imprisoned in the Middle East by the US for about 18 months and had a bounty of $10 million on his head.
New world order
The message that left India staggering was the stark realpolitik embedded in this meeting: It does not matter if you were a terrorist. You are welcome to the high table as long as you are on my side (and Israel’s side).
When our stated position is that India-Pak is a bilateral issue, why go and talk Kashmir to all countries?
India had no clue that such a meeting brokered by Saudi Arabia and Qatar was going to happen. Not that Syria is India’s enemy. A US president welcoming an ex-Al Qaida leader meant that India too had to move and try to make sense of the world order.
So, perhaps reluctantly, India made its first official contact with the Taliban leadership of Afghanistan settled comfortably in Doha far away from the mess at home.
Permanent enemies
Trump’s statements made India’s stuck-in-the-cement foreign policy look dismal. India’s enemies have always been permanent.
Trump said: “I have never believed in having permanent enemies. I am different than what a lot of people think.” And, during another speech, he said: “The sanctions (against Syria) were brutal and crippling and served as an important — really, an important function, nevertheless, at the time. But now, it’s their time to shine.”
Yet, Trump shook hands with a slightly coy al-Shara who looked out of place in the Lusail palace of marbled opulence where most modern foreign policies are rewritten and peace treaties signed. Such an act of forgiveness has never been seen in recent diplomacy.
Egged on by Mohammed bin Salman and Turkey’s Erdogan, Trump overnight reversed 25 years of hostility with Syria and also with Iran.
Foreign policy failure
Trump’s Middle East tour rattled the starched environs of many foreign policy offices around the world and left many countries and busy-looking policy wonks speechless. India among them.
But then like a Johnny-come-lately trying to be among those who dine with ex-terrorists, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar made contact with Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi based in Doha to talk trade. One reason is that the price of dry fruits in India has gone up by Rs 400 per kg (pistachios) after the Wagah border was closed.
Also read | When Operation Sindoor exposed the dysfunction of Hindutva
Now, as if not to be left behind, the government has decided to send all-party delegations to various countries to make India’s point of view about terrorism and Pakistan, and Operation Sindoor clear to other major countries.
This effort is not likely to yield any big dividends because now the big terrorist leaders are sitting in the marble palaces of Qatar and receiving leaders.
Left all alone
That not too many countries are anti-Pakistan was evident when not even one country, at least symbolically or as a one-time effort, abstained from the IMF vote for the loan to Pakistan. It was an utter shame and a foreign policy failure.
In fact, under Jaishshankar, who earlier had the habit of talking down to people and is now suitably humbled, India has faced one foreign policy failure after another and is surrounded by enemy or unfriendly nations where once it was all hunky-dory.
And then we are faced with the real danger of Islamist parties coming to power in the political vacuum in Bangladesh and an Islamist army chief in Pakistan growing all-powerful and eyeing the big chair himself.
What's India aiming for?
How many top leaders will meet the delegation? What do they want to hear from India?
What is the purpose of sending a delegation when all countries are busy trying to deal with Trump? To get a pat on the back? To be rebuffed? To be hugged and sent on their way back after a cup of tea?
Or, are they seeking pardon for having attacked a neighbour? Ask the foreign country — which side are you on? And, if they are on Pakistan’s side, inform them we will cancel their contracts.
Are any of the host countries interested in our “thousand-year war” with Pakistan when they have better things to do? And when our stated position is that India-Pak is a bilateral issue (the stupidest position for 50 years created by some IFS official sitting in MEA), why go and talk Kashmir to all countries?
Who will talk?
Or, is the purpose to ask all the countries to drive sense into Pakistan, thus inviting their intervention to the issue? Who is going to give these MPs any time? They will have to meet some low-level MPs for a photo op and come back.
Also read | As the guns fall silent, it’s time to ask some questions: A Left MP writes
Russian President Vladimir Putin will not meet the delegation, nor will Trump. All this is nothing but diplomatic overplay.
One thing is clear: the delegations are nothing but an attempt by a Trumped out and outdone India trying to find a place in the new world order where they have to sip wine with those who have a million-dollar bounty on their head.
(The Federal seeks to present views and opinions from all sides of the spectrum. The information, ideas or opinions in the articles are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Federal.)
