PRIME Minister Mr. Narendra Modi’s visit to Malaysia -- first foreign tour in the new year -- created a desired impact of long-term ramifications for India, for Malaysia, Asia, and the larger world. It showed what positive diplomacy -- like that of India -- can achieve in the changing world order. For, the Prime Minister’s visit paved the way to an improved atmosphere in Asian and global geopolitics and economics. There were a few anxious moments in the relationship of India and Malaysia in the past some years. Some of Malaysia’s stands on global matters had threatened good-neighbourly relations between the two Asian powers. For no logical reason and no provocation of any kind from India, Malaysian leadership had indulged in siding with Pakistan on the Kashmir issue. After the passage of some time, it did soften its attitude towards Kashmir and appeared agreeable to a bilateral solution between India and Pakistan. Despite that, the strange diplomatic stance by the world’s largest Muslim country had created a sense of unease and uncalled for intrigue in India and the world.

 

From time to time, India did offer its strong responses to the Malaysian overtures, all right, but chose to keep an overall silence about the adventurism of Kuala Lumpur -- with the larger goal of long-term association not just Malaysia but also with other countries in the region such as Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei, the Phillippines. In most of these countries, India has its cultural, economic and geopolitical interests deeply intertwined. So, even though Malaysia acted rather illogically and superficially, India did not show any overt resentment and chose to explain its position on the controversial issues of the time and worked silently and patiently to build back credibility of long-term association in subsequent times. All that diplomatic patience came in handy when Mr. Narendra Modi paid a visit to Malaysia where the hosts described India as a friend of generations.

 

Both Prime Ministers -- Mr. Narendra Modi and Mr. Ibrahim Anwar -- demonstrated to the world what mature diplomacy can achieve in short and long terms. The message, however, did not remain restricted only to India and Malaysia and a few countries in that neighbourhood, but also to the larger world that included powers such as the United States and China. For India, the Strait of Malacca (the crucial and narrow waterway between Peninsular Malaysia and Indonesia) is of immense economic and geo-political importance, since it connects the Indian Ocean (Bay of Bengal) via Andaman Sea to the South China Sea in the Pacific Ocean. With an intended repair in relationship with Malaysia achieved, India can now look forward to a safer use of the Strait of Malacca as an oceanic trade route, oil route and strategic passageway. Beyond geopolitics, India also attaches immense importance to the region since the collective GDP of the all those countries forms a critical part of global economy.

 

s a leading voice of what has come to be known as Global South, India has a major role to play in international affairs as a balancer of world-power interests working at cross purposes. The Prime Minister’s visit is expected to smoothen that activity. It needs to be mentioned specifically that India’s diplomatic activity over the past one decade has proved to be a key factor in global geopolitical balance. The world has begun seeing India as a credible associate on most issues because of its stated policy against any geopolitical expansionism. This signature of Indian diplomacy is seen as an expression of India’s sensible and accommodative character. Mr. Modi’s visit to Malaysia further strengthened that image. Of course, diplomacy is an extended game of patience and India is well aware of the role it must play in that regard with any country around the world. In the Malaysian context, this game of patience appears to have paid rich dividends to New Delhi. From this point on, all India has to do is to keep moving forward in its Asian strategy.