Prime Minister Modi visited France and the US in February this year. In March, he was in Mauritius. He went to Thailand, Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia in April. This was followed by Cyprus, Canada and Croatia in June. And his ongoing journey has been via Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, to Brazil, where he presently is to attend the 17th BRICS Summit. It is a remarkable fact that, at all these places, there has been a large section of the Indian Diaspora to welcome him in a traditional manner flavoured by the culture of the country they live in. This presence of Indians around the globe is one reason why India has to maintain a connect with nations around the world. It is also a bridge that connects India to almost every corner of the globe.
Without a doubt, this element will have strengthened Modi’s outreach at a time when the world is facing numerous crises and requires leaders to come together in the effort to find solutions by transcending the out-of-date power structures of the past. The belief that the great powers are alone positioned to decide the planet’s fate serves as a mental block in the attempt to find present day solutions. It has to be communicated to all the stakeholders – big and small – that they need to contribute to shaping the required solutions. And, of course, India has its own reasons for reaching out to them for mutual benefit in an increasingly interdependent world (notwithstanding Trumpian politics).
India’s outreach coincides with the strong desire among groups of nations to get out of the stranglehold of global power structures in their immediate environment, such as the effort over many years by ASEAN to build a common market (AEC), which would reduce dependence on large exploitative economies. Such structures would benefit India as well, providing alternatives for more viable and beneficial agreements.
PM Modi is not making all these foreign trips as a tourist. The punishing schedule that he maintains while visiting different parts of the world indicates his tight focus on creating space for India in trade, diplomatic relations and future cooperation. Among the barriers faced in the past has been the stereotypical idea of India based on a colonial past. The world must see the new India and what it intends to become so that decisions can be taken in the right perspective. It is only when Indians understand this reality that they will be able to effectively support the PM in this effort.
