• Adv. Rajiv Sharma

Our Globe-trotting Prime Minister has made 87 foreign trips to 73 countries, so far during his 130-month long tenure. Unfortunately, the primary focus of most foreign visits has been to shore up the domestic constituency of the PM from foreign soils. After 2014, the consensus based foreign policy of India was highjacked by the Hindutva groups led by the BJP. As a result, India is no longer being eulogized as a leading protagonist of peace, tolerance, brotherhood, and equality by the world.

Besides, wrecking our old and time-tested foreign policy, the government has also been committing a myriad of avoidable fiascos in dealing with foreign countries. In 2020 US Elections, PM Modi publicly supported Presidential candidate Trump, who was pitted against Joe Biden. The candidate supported by the Indian PM lost. Many people still think that due to this, Biden Administration did not appoint an Ambassador in the US Embassy in Delhi for nearly 2.5 years.

However, after the victory of Trump in 2024, it was largely felt that the adverse fall out of PM’s ill-advised political campaign in 2020 would become a thing of the past. But this was not to be. PM Modi was the 4th leader after the Prime Ministers of Israel, Japan, and the King of Jordan, who met President Trump in White House. While the first three were personally received by Trump himself in the portico of the White House, PM Modi was escorted to an office inside, where Trump was sitting. Further, their meeting held thereafter was marked by some unilateral announcements and unwarranted insinuations against India by an overbearing US President.

As if this was not enough, Trump, while briefing press in presence of PM Modi declared that the BRICS Bank, which is being promoted by countries like Russia, China, India, Brazil and South Africa was dead. He had the audacity to threaten the BRICS countries, including India, openly in the presence of PM Modi. Agonizingly, PM Modi did not protest.

To add insult to injury, PM Modi and his government meekly saw the inhumane treatment given to illegal Indian migrants during their deportation. Yes, the USA can deport illegal migrants, but the manner in which they were sent back to India was aimed at insulting them in their country. When migrants from other countries like Columbia and Nepal were sent in a dignified manner, those from India were sent like animals with handcuffs in their hands and shackles in their legs. The Congress leaders Shri Rahul Gandhi rightly said that instead of protesting against the maltreatment of Indian citizens by the US Administration, the Indian Foreign Minister had tried to defend their inhumane treatment.

Further, the recent statement of President Trump that he has exposed India and forced it to reduce tariffs is yet another attempt to undermine the dignity and clout of our great country. Modi government’s silence in the face of such insulting remarks by the US President is unfathomable.

Such blunders, as mentioned above, have been continuing for the last more than 10 years. In 2020, China snatched thousands of square kilometres of Indian land in Ladakh, but the PM appears to have accepted the unacceptable usurpation of our territory. Further, India’s continuously deteriorating relations with her neighboring countries is also indicative of the unpardonable mishandling of our foreign affairs.

Obviously, India’s current foreign policy is a gross failure. The reasons are not difficult to comprehend. Instead of pursuing a consensus based foreign policy to promote national interests, the priorities of Modi government are confined to promoting the political interests of the BJP. Such politicization of our national interests by the BJP is bound to have its adverse repercussions. Before 2015, almost every country in the world supported India’s claim to permanent seat in the UNSC. Just look around to see how many countries are vocal about it today?

The author is Chief Spokesperson, Chandigarh Pradesh Congress Committee