The world order established post World War II holds no relevance. Here is how

Jul 05,2022

They say history is written by winners. But behind the garb of this sophisticated lexicon, often they hide the fact that even future is also guided by winners. The pragmatic ones of the bunch know about it. That is why post-World War II the global order has now ceased to hold any kind of relevance for them.

Time to tweak the world order
Recently, Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs and Petroleum and Natural Gas was speaking at the Express Adda. In his soothing tone, he explained his viewpoints on everything ranging from India’s Foreign Policy to how changing Fuel Consumption patterns are going to alter India’s bilateral as well as multilateral relations.

When he was asked about Uncle SAM not willing to step up to solve various crises, he subtly hinted that issues are inter-linked and America is not in a position to solve them. He cited US’ struggle with the highest inflation rate in 46 years to substantiate his argument. Puri added that even Europe is preoccupied with itself. Asserting that there is a need for tweaking the world order, Puri said, “The global order, which was established post the Second World War, I think the time has come to see if there is tweaking required in that system to make it fit for the world. The world has changed rapidly”

Hardeep Singh is a seasoned diplomat. So, it was expected that he will leave it for others to decode India’s role in changing world order. Here is how PM Modi-led India is shaping it.

India’s economic clout
India is no longer an economy hit by policy paralysis. The bureaucrats of the socialist era no longer hold relevance. The official process of establishing a business in India is streamlined. India’s jump in ease of doing business ranking is a prime example of that. Through infrastructure projects like BHARATMALA, SAAGARMALA, and NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE PIPELINE (NIP) among others, the problem around connectivity for the transportation of raw materials and the finished goods looks all sorted now.

It has pushed investors to pour their money into India. Especially in the post-pandemic world order, India is emerging as a replacement for China. The young workforce and the government’s drive towards skilling them is a major factor. Initiatives like AATMANIRBHAR BHARAT, MAKE-IN-INDIA, STAND UP INDIA and START-UP INDIA among others have made sure that local companies are at the forefront of these changes. Desi Unicorns are the big buzzword in India.

Independent Foreign Policy
All of these developments along with push towards modernizing the Armed Forces have made India a formidable force on the strategic front. India no longer is willing to balance out the Soviet or the US block. Currently, India has its own stand on the issues concerning global order. The Ukraine-Russia crisis became a prime example of it. India refused to take sides. Moreover, when global sanctions hit Russia, India took business advantage of the situation and through various innovations, we are availing of cheap Russian oil. Meanwhile, India also took out some time to castigate United Nations for its open discriminatory resolution against Non-Abrahamic religions. India is galvanizing other multilateral forums like the International Solar Alliance, G77, and BRICS among others to end the hegemony of the United Nations.

21st Century is Indian one
All these developments did not come at fluke. India is making specific arrangements to secure its interest, which were earlier dependent on other countries. For one, our Defence manufacturing is getting Aatmanirbhar. Similarly, we are taking oil exploration on a war-like footing to reduce our dependence on OPEC and ultimately eliminate it. The push for Green energy is another reason why India can proudly stand on its own.

The 21st Century was going to be an Asian one. China could join hands, but it is not ready to do it. It won’t have more muscles in the future, precisely because it won’t have more muscles due to the aging population. The century is open for India to conquer.