Foreign Policy: Losing the Plot?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been very aggressive on the foreign policy front, which has led to India divesting its core foreign policy stand of non alignment. Besides, the frequent flyer miles he has clocked, Prime Minister Modi has very little to show for the 40 foreign trips over the last two years.

Constant attempts have been made to be aligned to the US, with India compromising a lot of its interests. The US has also recently placed a resolution in the Congress bringing India on par with its NATO allies; and the long-pending Logistics Service Agreement with the US is back on the anvil, giving the US access to our air and sea ports, and allowing it to establish military bases here. Besides, India is willingly becoming a partner to the US goal of the containment of China, and its pivot to Asia. Earlier, even though India was much weaker economically, it had always withstood pressures to become a part of any other global player's geo-strategic policy. Today, India is increasingly seen as a subordinate ally of the US.

These were some important points raised by M K Bhadrakumar, Seema Mustafa and Mani Shankar Aiyar in the Idea of India conclave.  Excerpts from a panel discussion on Modi government’s two years of foreign policy.