"THERE ARE NO PERMANENT FRIENDS OR FOES IN GEOPOLITICS"- WHY IS THIS PHRASE IMPORTANT FOR INDIA????

 "THERE ARE NO PERMANENT FRIENDS OR FOES IN GEOPOLITICS"- WHY IS THIS PHRASE IMPORTANT FOR INDIA????

     Our World keeps changing every day. It's unpredictable too. One day you might see countries fighting against each other. On the other day, you might see countries getting so close to each other that you might ponder that there isn't a single problem among them. You could see a group of countries imposing shit loads of sanctions on one country, and you would see countries signing free trade and some agreements to maintain their relationship. Perplexed by this??? Haha, not in the mood to confuse you.

I just wanted to make you think. Do you ever wonder why this happens??? Why does the world order keeps changing constantly?? Sometimes I feel that we live in an unstable world and can't predict what could happen in the future. Still confused?? Let me be as straight as an arrow.

All the leaders and politicians are busy playing a game called - GEOPOLITICS. How does it impact us?? How does it affect our lives?? Why a country needs to maintain a steady relationship with other countries?? Let's understand!!!

     Every country puts its interests ahead of everything else. Be it India, The United States, China, Australia, or The United Kingdom. It is a fact that a country depends on another for its need even if they hate each other. There are some instances where a country has territorial or border disputes with another country but can't abandon their relationship in one go. Because they either need them politically and economically or they could not have better alternatives than the existing ones. So they need to hunt for the better ones. At this point, Foreign ministers play a crucial role in building relationships with new countries and forming alliances with them. The whole play of Diplomacy comes into action. Maintaining a good relationship with developed countries could be a bonus for developing countries. Countries like India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Philippines need investments from developed countries to improve their economy. So, often you would see these countries getting closer and maintaining relations with The US and China. Unfortunately, the US-China rivalry has forced these countries to pick a side. It's a dicey situation for these countries, and Russia's Invasion of Ukraine has made it even worse for them. The US wants its allies to support them at any cost whatsoever.

Take India for Instance.

India has had a good relationship with Russia. Brotherhood, to be precise. India had Russia's backing during its war against Pakistan in 1971. It has always supported India during the Kashmir issue. Russia sells a lot of modern weapons to India. S-400 missile defense system, INS Vikramaditya, and T-90S Bhishma are some of the military equipment procured by India from Russia. India and Russia have had joint military programs like the BrahMos cruise missile, KA-226T twin-engine utility helicopters, and many more. So, it's evident that India cannot afford to lose a trustworthy, loyal, and dear friend like Russia. It would be a huge setback for India. On the other hand, it cannot disappoint the western countries too. They play a prominent role in India's Economy. India has to balance these relationships and should see that neither of them gets disappointed. It's an uphill and very challenging task to satisfy everyone because even if one move goes wrong, your friend could turn his back on your face and will become your enemy. Your friend's circle would diminish consistently, and finally, you'll be all yourself. You would feel isolated, and that's a terrible feeling. You'd want to be friends with everyone rather than being alone and getting snubbed. That's what India is doing right now. India maintains good relations with everyone, tries to sort out past issues with its neighbors, and never picks a side. India always had a history of Non-Alignment policy and would continue that in the future. 

Even during the UNSC Vote regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine, India abstained but never fully supported Russia as China did. India's move could be more than an indication that it always remains neutral. But, The US lost its nuts and went bonkers. The US has started to attack India and said that Russia would never help India if a war broke out between India and China. 

   Let's assume that they(US) could be true. What did the US do during the India-China Galwan valley faceoff? Will they fight for India against China? Will it put economic sanctions against China? The simple answer is NO. The US and China trade is worth billions and billions of dollars. The US-China relations have been going through a lean patch during 2020, and even a single wrong move could blow things for The US. So, it remained mum. What would Russia do here? There is a possibility that Russia might come in between and calm the tensions among the countries. India isn't even in a position to abandon China right now. It would dismantle and disrupt India's economy. Because China is India's Largest trading partner, and India has a trade deficit of over 69 billion USD. If India does abandon China, It's the biggest loser here. China won't lose as much as India does. So, India needs to maintain relations with China. They need to sort out their differences and must work together. 

         India's Foreign Minister-Dr. S.Jaishankar has grasped this point and has been vocal regarding the Indo-China ties. He mentioned that as long as the situation across the border is not normal, Indo-China relations would remain rusty. In a recent observation, Dr.Jaishankar said that the Asian century would not happen if India and China won't join hands. China agrees with him. His recent statements have somewhat made it clear that India wants to work with China through cooperation. It's in China's hands right now. Their actions will determine the future of Indo-China relations.

                     Let me put it this way if you want a summary of the whole story. India should not move away from its Non-Alignment Policy. They should put their interest first and should even work with their enemies. India shouldn't be dumb by supporting only one side but shall remain neutral. It shouldn't succumb to international pressure and must clarify its stance. India shall maintain good relations with everyone because Geopolitics is such a shady game you'd never know what's in the store for you. Always remember, "There are no permanent friends nor foes in the game of geopolitics. It's just a matter of time. Time decides whether you'd become a friend or an enemy to another country."