Chronicles of Bharat-Neeti: The India story in Modi style

Amongst the myriad virulent things on social media, one video made the rounds that caught the global attention, wherein Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape, in an emotional gesture, touched Narendra Modi’s feet. The eighth prime minister of Papua New Guinea made an exception for Prime Minister Modi and has not done the same for any other leader in the world. It is purportedly the first visit by an Indian prime minister to PNG. According to a statement issued by the government, PNG Prime Minister James Marape, in a special gesture, received Modi at the airport. “A salute of 19 guns and a Guard of Honour were accorded to PM Modi,” said the statement, adding that the visit underscored the close friendship of India with Pacific Island countries. The visit also comes at a time of growing Chinese hegemony in the region. India sees its tryst with the 14 Pacific Island Countries (PICs) as a part of its Act East Policy. Without a shred of doubt, Narendra Modi is perhaps the first prime minister to manifest globally the conception of India’s Amrit Kaal. India’s growing global stature has, as predicted, not fared well with the leading western nations. As the nation’s civilisational and nationalistic aspirations reawaken with Narendra Modi as its vanguard, a torrent of concerted efforts to destabilise the nation has been demonstrated. While tens of thousands of the Indian diaspora huddled in the Sydney stadium for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s majestic event, his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese thundered at the event, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi is ‘The Boss’”. While India officially took over the G20 Presidency on 1 December, it also assumed the rotational presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on 16 September. The G20 is a major forum for the world’s most economically flourishing countries’ international economic cooperation. Taking over the presidency of this influential bloc from the current chair, Indonesia, India was set to organise around 200 meetings regarding 32 different sectors at 55 locations in the country. Together, the influential G20 bloc represents 85 percent of global GDP, more than 75 per cent of world trade, and two-thirds of the world’s population. Moreover, the SCO, known as the “platform of disagreement,” represents 30 per cent of the global GDP and 40 per cent of the world’s population. In an editorial penned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he wrote that India’s G20 agenda would be inclusive, ambitious, action-oriented, and decisive, listing terror, climate change, and pandemics as the three greatest challenges that can be best fought together. He observes, “India’s G20 Presidency should work towards benefiting humanity as a whole. The theme of India’s G20 Presidency - “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,” or “One Earth · One Family · One Future” is drawn from the ancient Sanskrit text of the Maha Upanishad. India and the Pacific Islands India has fostered a strong and mutually beneficial friendship with Pacific Island countries, symbolizing its commitment to regional cooperation and solidarity. This partnership is rooted in shared values of democracy, peace, and sustainable development. India’s engagement with Pacific Island countries encompasses a wide range of areas, including political dialogue, economic cooperation, cultural exchanges, and capacity building. Through diplomatic initiatives such as the Forum for India-Pacific Island Cooperation (FIPIC), India has provided a platform for dialogue and collaboration. The cooperation extends to various sectors, including renewable energy, healthcare, education, maritime security, and climate change. India has offered scholarships and training programs to Pacific Island nationals, enhancing their skills and fostering people-to-people connections. India’s assistance in infrastructure development and connectivity projects has further deepened its friendship with the Pacific Island countries. India’s commitment to sustainable development aligns with the aspirations of these nations, which are vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters. Overall, India’s friendship with Pacific Island countries is characterized by respect, solidarity, and a shared vision for a prosperous and inclusive future. The cooperation between India and the Pacific Island nations exemplifies the spirit of South-South cooperation and underscores India’s commitment to fostering regional partnerships and global harmony. Moreover, as Ron White said about hurricanes, “It’s not that the wind is blowing, it’s what the wind is blowing.” By no stretch of the imagination, the BBC documentary, the anti-Hindu attacks, the consistent anti-India global press coverage, and the Hindenberg report seem to be coincidences, but they are a concerted effort by a larger conspiracy to malign India’s rising spot under the adept stewardship of PM Modi in the global league. India’s presidency at both forums provides India with the best opportunity to broker peace in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, steering discussions in the direction it prefers. Resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict can bolster India’s credentials on a global stage and clear India’s shimmering path to a permanent seat at the UNSC council. Shaping new paradigms for a defining role in global affairs, New Delhi will be the capital of global diplomacy. Also, India has recently pipped the United Kingdom to become the fifth-largest economy in the world. In the recent World Economic Outlook report of the International Monetary Fund, India has retained its crown as “a bright spot”, projecting a growth rate of 6.1 per cent for the Indian economy during the next financial year from April 2023 to March 2024 and 6.8 per cent in the subsequent financial year, both ahead of many advanced economies. India remains a bright spot. “Combined with China, it will account for half of the global growth this year, versus just a tenth for the US and euro area combined,” Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, an IMF official, wrote in a blog accompanying the World Economic Outlook update, a quarterly report. Suffice it to say that, with Modi being the vanguard of the India Story on a global platter, Bharat has come of age! The author is an independent journalist and columnist. He tweets with @pokharnaprince. Views expressed are personal. Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.