Modi’s focus on terrorism and India-China engagement stands out as geopolitical tensions reshape the world.
The summit of the silver jubilee Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting presented yet another opportunity for the leaders of the Eurasian grouping to meet while offering the world glimpses of the ease with which the Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin interact in familiar fashion. The meet itself may have done little for anyone save the Chinese who could further their agenda of dominance of the Global South, more of which they will doubtless pursue at the Brics summit in New Delhi which is just 10 days away.
With the world at a crossroads, the changing geopolitical order in which the US is no more seen as the reliable global military power and benefactor has opened avenues for other nations to bond and China is showing the way to attempt greater economic, technical and security cooperation as a means “to coexist without alliance, confrontation or targeting any third party”.
Inevitably, and with two wars still raging with Mr Donald Trump ordering a hundred more air strikes on Iran in a day after an uneasy peace had prevailed for a few weeks, war was still a hot topic in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Vladimir Putin, after a meeting with the Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, came away convinced that not only would he support Iran with more intelligence but also take on an emboldened Ukraine with bigger strikes on civilian infrastructure like power plants.
India and other well-meaning nations that are not fighting wars (now) may have put it to Mr Putin that he would be best advised to move from “endless war to end of war”. The chances of any messages of peace striking home were soon obliterated as he and the US President dictate the wars that are having a deleterious effect on the world economy, global oil supply and supply chains even as Mr Trump’s tariffs are tearing apart close friendships with oldest allies.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi could make a robust statement on ending terrorism. It is significant that he did so when the Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was around, and up to his antics again in trying to grab some attention for himself and his nation. As irony would have it, Pakistan is to host the next SCO summit, which means India could be counted out as a participant with representation at the highest level unless the world changes dramatically in a year’s time.
India’s strategic autonomy was once again stressed at a forum like SCO, founded as a grouping to fight terror, even if this Eurasian assembly, led by China and Russia may be bent more upon challenging US domination. Whether India’s and Mr Modi’s viewpoint which emphasises the need to put down the sources of terrorism is accepted by all in the group or not, the fact remains that peace-loving nations are most affected by terror.
The other positive that could come out of the summit is face-to-face meetings between Mr Xi and Mr Modi, which had led to a resetting of ties that had nosedived after the Galwan skirmishes of 2020, can only help more moves towards enhancing ties while dousing any fire and smoke still obstructing the advent of true tranquility along the Line of Actual Control. After all, LAC peace is the key to so much else in India-China ties.
