Mature approach

 

INDIA’s handling of the current tensions with the United States deserves to be appreciated without reservation. In a properly-worded statement, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has stated that India’s relations with the United States have seen and weathered many storms, several transitions, and multiple challenges -- and this time, too, a similar outcome would follow. This statement, coming against the background of the wave of highly provocative announcements by US President Mr. Donald Trump over the past few weeks, demonstrates the maturity and depth of India’s understanding of international affairs. Obviously, it points to the long-range Indian policy of recognising both, friends and foes, and treat each with an appropriate response.

 

It must be agreed that the provocation provided by Mr. Donald Trump is good enough for any shallow person or institution to respond similarly -- and create a situation of serious conflict of interests. But India is one country that does not fall prey to shallow appeals of time. That explains the MEA’s assertion that “India and the United States share a comprehensive global strategic partnership anchored in shared interests, democratic values, and robust people-to-people ties.” With this clear awareness, India will never be given to the temptation of starting a fight with a friendly country trying to protect narrow interests. This certainly requires a lot of patience and also confidence in one’s own correctness when there is every possible provocation to explode in anger and respond hastily and hazily. Indian leadership, however, has stood taller than all those temptations. This has been the hallmark of India’s foreign policy of the recent years.

 

In the case of its relations with the US, India is fully aware of how Mr. Donald Trump has behaved time and again. To borrow the phrases from former Prime Minister Mr. H.D. Deve Gowda for the US President, “history hasn’t seen a head of state so volatile and uncivil” like Mr. Donald Trump. These words are true to hilt. Yet, India, as a state working on a long-term vision cannot use such terms. This consciousness has made India’s foreign policy nearly free from fault of shallowness -- which the larger Indian society must not miss.

 

During the debate on “Operation Sindoor”, the Opposition benches tried their best to extract from Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi an assertion that the US President was telling lies when he claimed that it was he who settled the hostilities between India and Pakistan. Mr. Modi was conscious that a Head of the Government -- like himself -- could not indulge in the luxury of using irresponsible statements against another Head of State -- like Mr. Donald Trump -- on shallow provocations of political opponents. This fixatedness on long-term, gains and goals is the high point of India’s foreign policy so well demonstrated in the current tensions with the US. There is no doubt that Mr. Trump’s conduct and statements are good enough to evoke a sharp response. Despite this, India and its leaders have refrained from indulging in the luxury of using strong language to deny or refute what the US President has been saying. They are firm in their assertions and denials in a civil language, no doubt, but refuse to get dragged in a cheap fist-fight. The people of India must notice this special attribute of India’s foreign policy which is a template of long-term relationship as against short-term interests that often incite unnecessary sharp response.