A Strong Resurgent India Has A Problem Of Walking On Eggshells To Balance Its Geopolitical Interests
India finds itself in a delicate position, in seeking to balance its geopolitical alliances on the global stage. Sustaining a balance where its economic, financial and military needs are met along with ensuring that its growing clout in the Asian region is recognized by the world, is a challenge for a confident, strong, resurgent India. Striking this type of a healthy, sustainable balance has become somewhat tricky with new geopolitical realities, especially where China is concerned. While India has tried to remain neutral to China’s issues on both domestic and foreign matters, the communist-led People’s Republic of China has always felt threatened by the size and potential of India, often displaying openly aggressive behavior and engaging in anti-India rhetoric/actions, both in the Asian region as well as globally.
China’s economic growth since the 1980s has not been a healthy one.The rapid but lop sided growth has not covered all areas of economic, social and environmental importance but rather overly focused on building and operating a massive manufacturing-heavy infrastructure by taking undue advantage of a poorly paid labour force, operating on government-dictated terms and conditions, as is often the case with communist, dictatorial regimes.
Its one-sided Communist driven policies and economic “progress” has come at a huge cost to most other economic indices, indicative of a balanced, sustainable growth – population growth, health infrastructure, quality of education, organic market-based growth of the non-manufacturing sector, indigenous science and technology without state interference or stolen IP (intellectual property) of the West, its environment and acceptable levels of pollution, fast depletion of natural resources on account of excessive, unsustainable usage, deep mining and extraction etc. China made its trillions by agreeing to become the world’s cheapest manufacturer of goods at a huge expense to all human and environmental factors.
Yet its economic growth, as imbalanced as it is in terms of long term impact on all human and environmental factors, has given the Chinese State an important advantage that most other nations do not have – large cash reserves and credit worthy notes/bonds, that put the country’s Communist Party in a position to lobby hard in the Eastern as well as the Western hemispheres – all political, economic, social, educational, military, environmental initiatives and policy making, that can be influenced and “bought” by the lure of money, sponsorships and aid of any kind, in most parts of the world …have been analysed by China, lobbied for and put to good use in its own favour, by the cash and credit-rich Chinese government.
Hence, China’s advantage and financial influence in the recent re-alignment of geopolitical alliances that have taken many by surprise. Arch enemies, ideological foes, former world powers, dictatorships, military-run states, monarchies, democracies, communist states, religious, non-religious as well as secular states have all been brought together (or are in the process of being brought in) by China’s financial aid and influence, in what could end up being a different world order than that of the last century.
China’s intent in putting its cash/ credit line to work, appears to be a new, non-USA, non-Europe centric world order, in which China is the epicenter of global negotiations, alliances and military might, with the assistance of the member states of such a new re-aligned geopolitical order.
Against this background, it is worrisome but not surprising that China has managed to bring together sworn religious and political enemies, Saudi Arabia (centre of Sunni Islam) and Iran, (Centre of Shia Islam). In its list of recruited members, observers or partners, one finds countries following diverse philosophies of religion, administration, economic policy, military strategy, foreign relations and domestic social order.
In its desperation to shift the world’s focus away from a U.S and Europe centric leadership and strategic thought, China is trying to build a new global social order with itself as the fulcrum of all strategy in all areas of leadership and development. Will it succeed or will the hastily “bought” and put together relationships in spite of the vast differences between member nations, shine brightly in the short term only to fizzle out in the longer term?
Chinese diplomacy and without a doubt, possible economic or military deals/ support, seem to have worked, ahead of Saudi Arabia’s recent announcement of its decision to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as a dialogue partner. The Islamic Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s historical foe and nemesis, the Islamic Republic of Iran, became a member state last year and now, Riyadh’s decision to join the China-led bloc, has come just weeks after a Chinese-brokered deal to resume Iran-Saudi diplomatic ties. Some political, economic and security analysts insist that the SCO has both China and Russia at its forefront. Saudi’s decision to join the SCO is a significant diplomatic win for China, considering Saudi’s historically solid relationship with the U.S, the U.K and the West.
China has cleverly managed to bring two important enemy states in the Middle East, closer to a China and Russia coalition, as it continues in its mission of bringing various regional powers closer to its envisioned bloc of economic, financial and military cooperation under the aegis of an intergovernmental organization founded in Shanghai in 2001, named the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an inter-governmental organization founded in Shanghai on 15 June 2001. Until recently, the SCO currently comprised eight “Member” states (China,
Russia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan), four “Observer” states with an interest in acceding to full membership (Iran, Belarus, Mongolia, Afghanistan) and six “Dialogue Partners” (Nepal, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Cambodia, Armenia, Azerbaijan). In 2022, Iran’s status was upgraded from Observer state to Member state. Egypt, Qatar and of late, Saudi Arabia are Dialogue partners of the SCO.
Since its creation in 2001, the SCO has focused on regional security issues, regional terrorism, ethnic separatism and religious extremism. The SCO’s priorities also include regional development. The bloc/ organization’s success with its areas of focus, is questionable with China’s own record on human rights, its support of Islamist states like Pakistan and Afghanistan, its own aggressive stand on border disputes and its expansionist ambitions.
The SCO has been an observer in the UN General Assembly since 2005. The SCO’s significance and clout can be gauged by its growing importance and participation in UN related decision making processes. In April 2010, the UN and SCO Secretariats signed a Joint Declaration on Cooperation. The SCO Secretariat has also established partnerships with various UN organizations like the UNESCO and several others.
China is clearly trying to fill the gap left by the erstwhile U.S.S.R/Soviet Union, a worthy and mighty opponent to the Western powers led by the U.S, in the post World War II era. The U.S.S.R’s collapse in 1991 led to the domination of the U.S, in world affairs. China is not only trying to fill a gap but is actively engaged in bringing about a new world order, where the U.S is not the principal consultant and advisor on world affairs, economic policy, financial regulations, security matters and world peace.
While China without explicitly saying so, wants a unilateral world with itself as both king and king-maker with a China-centric agenda, India has always been comfortable with a multilateral world order in which, balance of power is maintained by checks and balances put in place by a common charter of all member states. Now, with the shifting fault lines of global alliances, India must continue to achieve a strategic balance between its participation in both world orders. It must “diversify its portfolio” to weather potential economic and defence related issues, by engaging with both sides of the order and ensuring that its participation is respected and appreciated. A nation like India with its Dharmic roots and Hinduism/ Indic religions forming the core of its unique culture and heritage must be wary of an organization like the SCO, whose members include communists on the one hand and Islamist states on the other.
A strong, bold, nationalistic, India-centric government at the Centre with the right foreign policy, engaging in highly skilled diplomacy that strives to walk the space between both world orders, would be the key to India’s continued success story.
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How Western Campuses Are Becoming Undemocratic And Unsafe For Hindu-Indians
The blatant Hindumisia in western campuses continue to discriminate against Indian-Hindu students based on their belief and place of origin. On April 2, Karan Kataria, an Indian-origin student from London School of Economics (LSE) Law School, exposed Hindumisia and anti-India rhetoric prevalent on the LSE campus.
He stated that he was disqualified from contesting elections for the LSE Student Union after a smear campaign was launched against him. He claimed that some individuals could not bear to see an Indian-Hindu leading the LSESU and resorted to vilifying his character and identity. Despite receiving immense support from students of all nationalities, he was disqualified from the General Secretary election of the LSE Student Union based on false allegations ranging from being homophobic, Islamophobic, queerphobic, and Hindu Nationalist.
He further claimed that multiple complaints were lodged against him, but instead of identifying and punishing the wrongdoers who initiated this hateful campaign, the LSESU cancelled his candidature undemocratically without providing any proof or evidence of the allegations against him. Furthermore, on the last polling day, Indian students were bullied and targeted for their national and Hindu religious identities, and the LSESU brushed aside the issue.
It is relevant to note that Karan Kataria comes from a middle-class farmer’s family in the state of Haryana and is a first-generation university-level graduate in his family. On April 3, LSE student Tejashwani Shakar, a friend of Karan Kataria, revealed how she has also been targeted based on her religious identity at LSE.
The Hidden ‘Hand’ Behind The Tirade
Despite receiving immense support from students of all nationalities, a concerted smear campaign has been unleashed against Karan Kataria calling him a homophobic, Islamophobic, queerphobic, and Hindu Nationalist.
According to reports, Mukulika Banerjee, a professor of Anthropology at the London School of Economics could be powering this hate campaign against Karan Kataria. She is a close associate of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
Mukulika Banerjee reportedly went out of her way to slander and demonize Karan Kataria for having connections with the RSS. She allegedly sent messages to her students on WhatsApp, asking them to reject Karan Kataria’s candidature. A malicious organized campaign was launched against Karan Kataria on almost all social media platforms, including internal fora of the LSE.
Mukulika Banerjee is a radical leftist who is known for her Modi-baiting and has authored an article in the Sunday Times, titled, ‘Modi parades his hatred of Muslims and makes a mockery of India’s constitution’.
She is very influential in the academic circles in London and has been peddling the Left-Liberal, anti-Hindu propaganda through her courses, teaching, and writings.
She is a supporter of Rahul Gandhi and had joined his Bharat Jodo Yatra walking alongside him. She even wrote a piece hailing Rahul Gandhi in The Guardian. She had moderated Rahul Gandhi’s House of Commons event in London where he made the “Indian democracy is in danger” speech and also hosted Rahul Gandhi at London School of Economics in 2018.
She even defended Rahul Gandhi and the Bharat Jodo Yatra on Pakistan’s Dawn News channel.
Is it fair to target a student for being a Hindu and pro-India? Isn’t the cancelling of a student for his Hindu and Indian identity undemocratic?
Why The Constant Hate Against Hindus?
What happened to Karan Kataria is not a one-off incident but a recuring pattern which has been haunting Indian students of the basis of a particular faith or belief. Apart from the visible hands of anti-India lobbies, this hatred is also being fuelled as a reaction against growing clout of Indian community abroad. The incident also coincides with rising Hindumisia in Western countries putting the so called liberal-modern nations to shame. Although the preceding circumstance appears to be unrelated, its origins go deep inside the sphere of worldwide anti-Hindu propaganda.
Priyamvada Gopal, Professor of Postcolonial Studies at the University of Cambridge, had urged the US government to block the naturalization of Hindus and cancel the H-1B visas of all Hindus in response to Citizenship Amendment Act 2019.
The University of California Irvine (UCI) had turned down a $ 3-million grant it received for Hinduism and Indian studies after protests from students and scholars.
America’s top-tier 40 universities such, as Columbia University, Harvard University, New York University, Rutgers University, and Princeton University, among others, sponsored the ‘Dismantling Global Hindutva Conference’ which openly spread Hinduphobia among the American academia.
There are some strands in the air which are hard for a prudent person to not notice. Under Modi’s leadership, Hinduism’s great history and culture are being revitalised. Hindu youngsters are now enjoying the splendour and grandeur of our culture and recognising that it is unique; this instils a sense of pride in Hindus. The inaccurate British-centric history, as well as the humiliating history of India, which was constructed over decades by our own liberals and intellectuals’ community, is finally being undone.
It is now being revealed that this was an ‘Ideological Subversion,’ which has been manufactured over a thousand years by vested interests which despise the rise of people of this land. Knowing their scientifically established cultural and traditional heritage, as well as their beautiful past, India’s young are inadvertently converging towards a single identity as Hindus. This infuriates the anti-Hindu powers, particularly Muslims, Liberals, and Christians, who subsequently attempt to slander Hindus and Hinduism via different channels. They would put aside their personal differences and get together to fight the Hindus and the incident in LSE is reflects exactly that.
For example, recently, Germany and the United States have recently raised the matter of Rahul Gandhi’s exclusion from the Indian parliament, but they have never addressed the ill-treatment of Hindus in England. England is also frequently seen discussing alleged Muslim persecution in India. Would these countries ever have the fortitude to speak out against the maltreatment of dark-skinned people in other countries and Hindus in British universities? Can the screams of these distressed Hindu students be heard by Western human rights experts or their blind Indian followers?
UK: A Cradle Of Anti-Hindu Hate Crime
Being a cradle of modern Universities with vast number of Indian students, the situation is particularly grim in UK. The UK has seen a rise in hate crimes against the Hindu community, which has been attributed to the growth of Islamic radicalisation and the pursuit of appeasement politics by the political establishment. The number of hate crimes against Hindus has increased by almost 200% between 2017-18 and 2020-21, as per data from the UK Home Office. These crimes include racial abuse, violent attacks and vandalism of temples and properties. The trend of Hindu phobia has further increased during the farm laws and CAA agitation in India, with Muslim and other adversaries attacking Hindus over issues central to their culture. Reports suggest that Hindu phobia reflects the deep-seated fear and hatred of Islamists towards the Hindu civilization, and this has contributed to a 9% rise in religious hate crimes in the UK in the last year.
Time To Acknowledge And Stand Up Against The Hate
What happened to Karan Kataria is similar to Rashmi Samant’s case, in which she claimed in 2021 that she was forced to quit as Oxford University’s students’ union president due to her religious convictions, sparking an outcry about “Hinduphobia” on campus. Rashmi also comments on the newest event, saying, “When I was harassed, abused, and ridiculed for being born in Hinduism and belonging to the background… I believed that all of this should not happen in any other scenario.” Yet Karan’s narrative and experience are heartbreaking once again.”
But little do the media or anyone reports that these incidents are part of a larger scheme to slander Hindus and it seeks of the pattern of violence against Hindus. I feel the need to not indulge in listing out the incidents of violence against Hindus in Western nations but it seems pertinent to point out that there is a larger conspiracy at play which want to unleash the hatred on the community. Whether it is conferences like ‘Dismantling Global Hindutva’ or LSE elections, these perpetrators do not rests or ponder on their actions and neither shall Hindus rest on face of this cruel onslaught on their faith and belief.
Every Indian believes that with such occurrences making the rounds on a regular basis, India’s foreign affairs ministry should intervene. This will strengthen non-resident Indians’ conviction that the Indian Government is on their side. Anti-Hindu groups on foreign land should ponder before persecuting Hindus, if this is to be done, the Indian government should oppose the notion of ‘Dismantling Global Hindutva’ publicly through its diplomatic channels. This in and of itself would pave the path for the ‘Unapologetic Hindu’ movement defending Hindu interests abroad. If such ideas are fostered and supported, the day when Hindu students study without fear in Western nations would not be far off.
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